Develop
a
Career Action Plan
Medical
transcription career action plan; medical transcription career information.
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Medical
transcription career action plan; medical transcription career information.
Free Info on our recommended Medical Transcription Program leading to an exciting home based medical transcription career
Once you come to understand your
career orientation you should begin to develop a career action
plan. Developing a career action plan is really a six step
process:
-   Establish your career
priorities
-   Articulate your vision
-   Inventory your current
skills and resources
-   Identify your deficiencies
-   Set goals
-   Evaluate opportunities
1. Establish your career priorities
The first step in developing a career
action plan is to determine the aspects of your career that
are most important to you at this point in your life. Remember
the tradeoffs that were discussed earlier? This is where you
will begin to evaluate your interests, values, priorities
and circumstances to produce a generic job profile that is
most likely to satisfy your needs.
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What aspects of your career are most important
to you?
-   Flexibility
-   Autonomy
-   Upward mobility
-   Prestige
-   Security
-   Recognition
-   Income
-   Healthcare benefits
-   Power & control
-   Education & training benefits
-   Comfortable working environment
-   Social interaction
-   Home based work opportunities
-   Reasonable workload
-   Predictable schedule
2. Articulate your vision
Articulating a vision implies looking
out at least five years and determining where you want to
be and what you want to accomplish. One of the fundamental
criteria for developing a compelling vision is the ability
to recognize your own potential. It is the recognition of
this potential that will bring a bold vision statement to
life.
Your vision should be consistent
with your career priorities and personality orientation. An
effective vision will require that you elevate yourself to
a new career plateau. Your vision should be realistic and
attainable but it should also call for a significant amount
of planning and effort.
Where would you like to be in five years?
What position would you like to
hold?
What type of organization would you like to be a part of?
What type of work would you like to be doing?
What income do you hope to be earning?
3. Inventory your current skills and resources
Inventorying your current skills,
education and experience will allow you to establish a resource
baseline. This baseline will serve as the starting point for
future career development activities.
Ask yourself the following questions.
What are my existing personality
strengths?
What are my relevant skills?
What professional contacts do I have?
What qualifying experience do I have?
Do I have a positive attitude? If not, why not?
What education and training have I completed?
What certifications do I have?
Do I interact well with people?
What management, supervisory, or oversight experience have
I had?
How is my work ethic?
How willing am I to invest time and resources in updating
my skills and education?
How willing am I to acquire new and requisite experience?
How willing am I to invest time and resources in the job search
process?
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4. Identify your deficiencies
Evaluate the skills inventory list
that you created in Step 3 against the backdrop of your five-year
vision. Do you possess the skills, experience and attributes
necessary to fulfill that vision? If your vision is lofty
you will almost certainly be lacking in a number of important
areas. In this step you will identify the skill and education
gaps that will need to be filled in order to achieve your
objectives.
What skills, training, education and experience
will be required to achieve your five-year vision?
What education and training will
you need to possess?
What specific experience will you need to have?
What personality traits do you need to work on?
What skills do you need to develop?
What certifications should you have, if any?
The answers to these questions will
be the basis for the goals that you will set in Step 5.
5. Set goals
As you become aware of the aspects
of your career preparation that require attention, you should
begin to prioritize them according to their level of importance
to your career. Then develop a set of concrete goals that
will allow you to eliminate your deficiencies.
As you set these goals be realistic
about expectations and timelines. Don't try to take on more
than you can reasonably manage at one time. Be specific and
do your homework. Understand exactly what steps will be required
to achieve each goal.
6. Evaluate opportunities
The final step in developing a career
action plan is to translate your hard work and preparation
into new career opportunities. This means identifying and
evaluating a variety of alternatives that fit your desired
career profile.
Sources of employment opportunities
There are numerous sources of employment
information. Be creative and consider the following options:
- Help wanted ads
- Industry publications
- Professional organizations
- Industry associations
- Headhunters
- Employment agencies
- Job fairs
- Trade shows
- Conferences
- Career counselors
- Career web sites
- Hospitals and hospital web sites
- Medical Transcription Companies
and web sites
Networking
Networking has proven to be one
of the most effective career advancement tools. Learn to capitalize
on the broad network of friends, associates and acquaintances
that you already have and then add to that network over time.
Consider the following sources as you build your own network
database:
- Previous Supervisors
- Previous Co-workers
- Fellow Employees
- Industry Acquaintances
- Customers
- Competitors
- Alumni
- Professors
- Advisors
- Family
- Extended Family
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Members of Clubs, Organizations,
and Religious Groups
A hot lead or proper introduction
from a member of your network will create a significant competitive
advantage and improve your odds of success dramatically. Some
of the best opportunities you are likely to encounter will
come as you develop and manage your career network.
Opportunity vs. Risk
As you evaluate your career opportunities,
ask yourself if you are willing to take an appropriate amount
of risk. In order to achieve a lofty vision, it is generally
necessary to assume a certain amount of risk. This does not
imply that you should be making reckless decisions, but a
reasonable amount of calculated risk will often pay enormous
long-term dividends. If you are stuck on a dead-end street
because you lack the resolve to exit your comfort zone, perhaps
you should consider taking a chance on a new opportunity.
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