By J. Larry Tyler, FACHE, FHFMA, CMPE, Master Career Coach for Senior Players

Recently, we watched weeks of back-and-forth negotiations that concluded with Twitter being acquired by someone who, as many experts have commented, may not fit into the Twitter company culture. Do you think that some Twitter employees may be updating their resumes and contact lists?

The truth is, you may not always see a job change coming, but it will happen to all of us at some point in our careers—especially in healthcare. Career transitions are consistently listed among the most stressful events of a person’s life. But if you do things right and prepare yourself before the job change comes, it’s not as traumatic.

Cultivate a good relationship with your boss. If you can turn your boss into a mentor, then you can do some things with their support that you couldn’t do without that relationship firmly in place. A boss that is also a mentor is invested in seeing you move up or move out as you develop your career. Everyone wants to have that magical boss that helps you look for something elsewhere and will be an enthusiastic reference for you, but that must develop over time. It’s a long-term approach, but it starts with you taking the initiative. Ask to take them to lunch (you’re buying, of course) not to talk business, but for a more personal conversation to learn from them.

Keep a record of your accomplishments. Often, people find themselves trying to update their resume after they’ve already been walked to the door. It’s nearly impossible to compile a compelling resume without access to your files, so you must be proactive and maintain a career file before your job status reaches a crisis point. You don’t necessarily have to update every month (I often recommend doing this every year on your birthday), but writing down what you’ve accomplished with any relevant dates or stats should be a regular practice. It’s “good hygiene.”

Continually add new skills. Most healthcare professionals get a master’s degree to be competitive in healthcare, which is wise. But some people stop there. They don’t get their FACHE designation or go for a fellowship in HFMA, for example. It takes a lot of work, but it is essential to always be looking for ways to continue your education. Not only does it help you grow as a professional and a person, but it keeps you competitive in the job market which you are guaranteed to be a part of at some point in your career. For those not yet in the c-suite, consider adding the PMP credential from the Project Management Institute.

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