With the 2009 annual compensation survey now online, many of you may be contemplating your own value to your organization, and the best ways advance your own career.

Desirable positions often call for direct related experience, but for those without it, making the leap may be a hard sell. Talking up existing accomplishments can prove a successful strategy.   

When applying for a position in management, for example, a biomed without hospital supervision experience might choose to showcase their leadership capabilities through events they’ve organized for their local biomedical association, or talk about projects they’ve helped with at work outside the usual scope of their abilities.

We invite you to think (and talk) about what fares best with potential employers. What skills did you highlight when interviewing for your present position?

 

When you (or your department) need more—whether it’s training, flexibility, autonomy when ordering parts, money, or help—how do you go about asking for what you need? Do you develop a plan, layout the cost benefits, and schedule a meeting?

What works for you as an individual and as a department? Share your best practices and help your colleagues meet their needs too.

 

At the NCBA show in North Carolina, biomed Gordon Radke of Carolina Healthcare and I were talking about communication and getting to the root of the problem when it comes to figuring out what's wrong with a device. Gordon shared this best practice that has yielded positive results for him:

Gordon says: "The more familiar your face is, the more comfortable your customers are in asking a question, even the 'stupid' questions, which can help you figure out what's really wrong and can improve the level of patient safety in the hospital. The more confident they are in your abilities, the more the nurses can focus on their jobs, which is taking care of patients."

Have you found this too? We invite your comments and also your best practices. Send your tips to me at jkirst@allied360.com and thanks!