Tag Archives: job search

Navigating career crossroads

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I’m fresh off another stimulating in person CHIME Fall Forum. Many colleagues have already posted on LinkedIn their recaps of the forum speakers and key takeaways. One of my takeaways is the importance of networking on many different levels. A common conversation for me was colleagues who are looking for their next career move or currently in between positions. As I organized my post CHIME to do list on the plane home, I found that I had several people to follow up with from that perspective.

Ironically, when I got home and back into my daily podcast listening routine, the first one I heard was the ThisWeekHealth Newsroom show from November 10 – “The Signs it’s Time to Move on as a Leader”. On Fridays, Bill Russell usually does a stream of conscience commentary on a topic. This one tied very well into some of my CHIME conversations. I encourage you to check it out – only 10 minutes long.

If the end of year approaching has you rethinking your own career plans, check out my previous blogs on career advice. Earlier ones are listed in this blog – “Career advice revisited”. Newer ones are referenced in this blog – “Considering a career move?”. You will find some useful insights and advice for your journey.

And if you’re looking for a career coach, this blog might be helpful – “When to use a career coach”. I’m happy to explore with you what a short 3-month engagement would look like and how best to customize it to meet your unique needs.

Health IT leadership searches and Interim management industry trends

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I have written in the past about interim management in terms of when it makes sense for an organization as well as my own experience. Over the past several years, I’ve been fortunate to serve four different healthcare providers as an interim leader – three as CIO, one as CTO. I’ve learned firsthand how interim leaders provide an important bridge during leadership transitions and can make a significant impact on an organization in a short time.

I encourage you to check out my recent StarBridge Advisors blog post – Bridge Builders: Interim Management Solutions for Health Systems. In this new post I cover industry trends I am seeing in health IT leadership searches and interim management decisions including internal interims, relocation and onsite requirements, financial and budget constraints, and more.

Related Posts:

Talent shortage? Great resignation? Interim leaders can help

Interim Management – Providing a Bridge During Transition

When an interim CIO makes sense

Stepping into an interim leadership role

Considering a career move?

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The start of the new year is often a career transition time for people. We’ve heard much in the recent period about the great resignation, silent quitting, and remote work options being in demand. And we’ve seen significant layoffs in the tech industry and to an extent in healthcare providers dealing with significant financial challenges. If you or a colleague are considering a job change, some of my previous posts may be useful to revisit.

Career advice revisited is a list of posts providing career advice that I wrote prior to May 2021. I consider many of them “classics” that are still useful – they cover dealing with a competitive market, questions to ask yourself, interviewing and resume tips, and more.

Two more recent posts since that time provide additional perspective and advice. I wrote Reflections on recent career conversations after talking with many colleagues at the 2022 CHIME Fall Forum. And the post Paying it forward with career advice from late summer 2022 includes links to useful articles and tools for comparing opportunities and deciding whether to stay or go.

For more focused posts here are two more to check out – STEM or not, own your career and Know someone interested in a nursing career?

If you are looking for a career coach to help you through a transition, the post, When to use a career coach, could be helpful. I am happy to talk about how I might assist you.

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts the next few weeks. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 8 years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Reflections on recent career conversations

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I’ve often written about career advice. After talking to several people in transition while I was at the CHIME 2022 Fall Forum last week, I decided it’s a good time to revisit the topic. Here are some of those interactions – anonymized of course – followed by my general advice given the common themes:

  • I asked a colleague who I knew was unhappy with their situation a few years ago how things are going these days. I got the same response as before – still unhappy. I say, time to do something about it. No one should stay in an organization or position where they are truly unhappy if there are options out there.
  • I met a CIO whose position was eliminated due to a merger. While actively looking for the next position, there are concerns that lacking Epic experience at the CIO level is an obstacle. Yes, there are benefits to having worked with a particular vendor and understanding the challenges and issues with their products and services but as I like to say, the CIO is not doing report writing in the tool so in the end, does specific vendor experience matter?
  • I met a CIO who is concerned about ageism. Will they be given a chance if they are 60 years old? There are laws against age discrimination but unfortunately, we know it’s a reality. I say go for it and focus on your experience.
  • I spoke with someone who is mid-career and unhappy in their current organization given cultural issues and limited opportunities. They are actively looking at a wide range of options as they should be.
  • I got an email from someone at a vendor whose position was eliminated and wanted help networking. I connected that person with someone who is well connected in that specific part of our industry.
  • I spoke to a couple CIOs who have retirement dates set. They will be thinking about the next chapter and whether to go cold turkey or stay involved in some way. The beauty of that phase is you can pick and choose, say “yes” to what you are passionate about and “no” to what you no longer want to do.
  • I spoke to a CIO who isn’t ready to retire but is open to working less and considering alternatives. This may be a growing trend after the pace and demands of the past few years.

And I spent time with some of the people I have formally coached in recent years. Hearing how they are doing and seeing how they have grown in their roles and careers is very rewarding. I’m honored that I helped in some small way. Continue reading →

Paying it forward with career advice

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I get a lot of calls, emails, and LinkedIn messages asking for career advice. Knowing that people have been very supportive of me over my career, I try to pay it forward. I do a short call, find out where the person is at in their job search and career transition, ask some key questions, and give whatever advice makes sense for their situation. For people I know well and keep in touch with during their search, I often share useful articles that I find. These may include resume writing and layout, prepping for the interview, how to follow-up after the interview, dealing with rejection, how to identify red flags, or building your personal brand.

Many of the resources I have found and shared are from LinkedIn which as we all know is the “go to” for professional networking and content.

A Fortune article by Jennifer Mizgata in March of this year addresses a key question many people are faced with – “Should I take a fancy new career opportunity or stick with the old job I still like?”.  In it she references a great HBR piece, “A Scorecard to Help You Compare Two Jobs”, written in 2017 by a former colleague of mine from Mass General, Allison Rimm. It includes a scorecard tool similar to one I have used when doing career coaching.

I’ve written a lot on career management over the years. My post, “Career advice revisited” from May 2021 has links to most of them. Check it out and share with anyone you know who might find it helpful. In other words, let’s pay it forward!

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts over the next month. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 8 years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Interim leaders may be one answer to the “great resignation”

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Over the past 6 years, I’ve been fortunate to serve four different healthcare providers as an interim leader – three as CIO, one as CTO. While there have been common themes, each has had its unique challenges. I’ve learned firsthand how interim leaders provide an important bridge during leadership transitions and can make a significant impact on an organization in a short time.

I encourage you to check out my recent StarBridge Advisors blog post – “Talent shortage? Great resignation? Interim leaders can help”. In this new post I share some of my own experiences as an interim and what organizations expect when they look outside for an interim leader.

Related Posts:

Interim Management – Providing a Bridge During Transition

When an interim CIO makes sense

Stepping into an interim leadership role

The “Great Resignation” at the micro level

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We hear a lot about the “Great Resignation” at a macro level. It is usually coupled with advice to employers on how to retain people and address the reasons people are resigning at such record levels. Behind the statistics are real people and everyone has their own, unique story. For some it just happens to be a good time to rethink their career options.

My LinkedIn newsfeed may be an indication of the talent shortage and the number of opportunities out there.  Several times a week I see a health IT leader posting about an open position and opportunity to join their organization.

I’ve recently been contacted by several individuals interested in making a career transition – looking for their next opportunity and challenge. People who have reached out include:

  • A physician who has worked largely in industry, most recently in Asia, but wants to return to the U.S. this year. He is looking for insights on the market and to understand the potential for someone like him moving into a hospital/health system CIO role eventually.
  • A well respected, former colleague who has been at a very successful health IT vendor for several years and is considering what his next level challenge might be. He is looking for advice and connections.
  • A consultant who a colleague introduced to me as he thinks I’ve been a great mentor and advisor for others. The consultant is starting to make a transition and wants to understand potential opportunities.

I am committed to helping next generation leaders so of course I make time to talk to people when I get these requests and introductions.

I listen to where they are at and what they are looking for next. I ask a few probing questions. Then I tailor my input/advice to their situation the best I can. I often suggest other people for them to talk to and offer to introduce them to recruiters if they don’t already have those relationships.

What do all job seekers have in common? Continue reading →

Considering a coach in 2022?

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It’s a new year. Time to reflect. Time to set new goals for yourself. If you have ever used a coach or considered doing so, you know the value of investing in yourself. I have provided leadership coaching and career coaching for many health IT leaders in recent years – all at different stages of their professional development and career. Over the years, I’ve written on the value of coaching and professional development. Here is a short list of posts worth revisiting:

When to use a career coach

Investing in you, the value of a coach

Confidence matters as much as competence

Being valued, doing meaningful work

Welcoming feedback

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts in January. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 7 plus years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Career advice revisited

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It seems that I am getting a lot of requests to provide career advice these days. I did formal career coaching for a few people in recent months and am currently participating as a mentor in the Boston Young Healthcare Professionals (BYHP) mentor program. In all these situations, I point people to my many previous blog posts on career advice to supplement what we discuss.

For general career advice, they find these “classics” useful to review:

Career advice in a competitive market

5 job search challenges in 2020

You need to own your own career

Taking control of your life

Make career choices right for you

New year, new job?

Time for a job change?

Stand out at the interview

So you didn’t get the job

In this new virtual world of recruiting, I tell people not to underestimate the power of LinkedIn. It is an online professional directory that recruiters look to for candidates. Optimize your profile. Ensure the one liner under your name is a good description of your role since that is what people see when you invite them to connect with you and when you are found on searches. Use the about section to describe what you offer and how you can add value – don’t just copy and paste your current job description summary. Be active which shows you are current and engaged – that means sharing content yourself and commenting on other people’s posts. And if you are actively looking for a new job, check the “open to work” box – don’t worry, you can control who sees it.

If you are thinking of using a coach, check out these two posts:

When to use a career coach

Investing in you, the value of a coach

Looking for a new job can be exciting and hard at the same time. Hopefully, the lessons and tips in these posts will make it a little easier.

Career advice in a competitive market

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I seem to be getting an increasing number of requests for career advice calls these days. Of course, I make time to talk to people I know and try to be as helpful as I can. No question that there are a lot of good and talented people looking for a new opportunity these days for various reasons.

Here is my current baseline advice when I have these calls:

Criteria: You need to establish your criteria such as type of organization, type of role, title/level, culture, salary, and location. This may sound too basic, but it is critical. Not all criteria are equal so apply a relative weight to each. Once you have this framework, you can evaluate each option against your criteria and stay true to them. You don’t want to compromise and then regret your decision in 6 months.

Market trends: Do your research. What are the new and emerging roles/titles? How does your experience align with them? Do you need to reinvent yourself or develop new skills/knowledge to get a new role?

Search firms: Develop and maintain relationships with a few search firms and recruiters. They need to know who you are, what you are looking for, and what you offer compared to other candidates. They can also be helpful and honest about the market and how you compare to others in search. But remember, you own your career and your next move. Continue reading →