Great news for those in a career transition: After many uncertain months, recruiters and
executives in my network are reporting that hiring is starting to pick back up. It’s not back to
normal, but it’s heading in the right direction.
I was talking to a friend who is an interim CEO for a health system. He shared that hospitals are
no longer solely focused on COVID, day in and day out; now, it is one of many pressing issues
leaders are dealing with. At this point in the pandemic, hospitals know how to care for these
patients; they’re comfortable with the procedures that are in place. He told me, “We need to
start moving out of the urgent, and into the important to survive these challenges. We have to
move toward a new normal, and that includes bringing in talent that will help us be successful
in the future.”
The healthcare industry is beginning to focus on the future again, and those in transition need
to be ready.
Leaders are looking for the best people.
Good managers and leaders want the best people on their team, and they make this a priority
even during times of uncertainty. Companies are always looking for top performers. If you’re in
transition, don’t be discouraged by rumors that no one is hiring or that no one is leaving their
jobs. At all times, people want to hire the best.
Build your skills to set yourself apart as a top performer. Everything you do in transition has to
be top-aligned. How you interact with others, how you show up in the day-to-day as well as in
challenging times are all indicators to recruiters and interviewers of whether you’re in that top
10%. From the way you interview to the way you network, you can’t do it the way you’ve
always done it. The world is different now and more competitive than ever, and you have to
take it to the next level.
How you talk about you and your teams’ achievements matters. Are you humble? Humility
doesn’t mean you don’t talk about your accomplishments. The greatest leaders take their cues
about their performance from the people they serve, not their own thoughts about their work.
A humble person looks in the mirror when something goes wrong, not out the window at the
people on his team.
Don’t oversell yourself.
For most of this year, things have been on hold, and your transition experience may have been
long and even depressing. But now that things are picking back up, this is not the time to get
desperate. If you’re in transition, you have to remember to not be constantly selling yourself.
You need to vary your focus.
You push too hard and oversell. You call up too frequently. You make every conversation all
about you. You say, “This job is perfect for me!” when you don’t know much about it or the
organization yet. Hiring managers can detect this kind of desperation, and it will not give you a
position in their minds as one who is among the best of the best.
Not every opening and opportunity needs your resume. Rather than overexpose yourself, take
a deep breath. Re-focus your efforts on building a deeper relationship with key people who may
be able to help you down the road. People need to feel comfortable around you. Today, focus
on the other person’s needs, not how they can meet your needs. As always, networking must
remain reciprocal. Executives are still talking even if they aren’t hiring, but you have to
approach networking in the right way.
The healthcare industry finally has the bandwidth to focus on the important—like hiring the
best people for their team—as well as urgent issues like the pandemic. Those who are in
transition should stay the course and avoid acting out of desperation. Continue to set yourself
apart as a top performer while maintaining your focus on building relationships. Things are
looking up, and you’ll soon land on your feet.
Show up as the top performer you are by taking your game to the next level.
