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Networking – The Key to Finding Your Next Job
By Beverly Rhodes, MSHP, RHIA
Almost every author in this journal cites networking as a key component in the job search process. In the business world, we use the term "networking" frequently. At professional conventions or conferences time is set aside on agendas exclusively intended for the purpose of "networking". But what exactly is networking, and why is it important? What is networking?
Networking is forming relationships with other people, some with no intention of ever going beyond casual professionalism. Think of networking in the traditional definition, channels connecting to other channels. Think of these channels as people and the mechanism of going from person to person as different forms of communication.
At conventions, I have observed that we have a tendency to migrate toward groups of people with which we are comfortable, such as groups of old friends and coworkers. Sometimes we are most comfortable with these groups because the people are similar to us in life and job choices. We like and trust these people. We respect their opinions and ideas and want to know how they handle certain situations and what they are doing in their lives and jobs. This is networking.
Networking also means meeting people outside our comfort groups, and finding out who they are, where they work, and if they like what they are doing. Networking means striking up conversations with people who are different from us. It means that I am expanding the possibility of hearing ideas that are new to me.
Where does networking occur?
As mentioned above, at professional seminars, conventions, and conferences, networking is considered part of the experience. Networking occurs in educational settings, social settings, and in work settings. It occurs in person and over the telephone. In the 21st century a new form of networking is available: Electronic networking. People are able to form bonds, create friendships, and even seek romance without ever seeing each other in person or speaking over the telephone.
Why is networking important?
Networking is important because it opens doors that you didn't even know were there. Networking exposes you to people who know more people. Networking educates you as to what is going on in the industry and in the job market. It can introduce you to your next job opportunity.
How can networking help me find the job I want?
To answer this question, I will tell you my story. I have always enjoyed being in the middle of things. Within a year of graduating from college, I volunteered to serve on the local Health Information Management (HIM) professional board in San Antonio . It didn't bother me one bit that I won my position by running unopposed. After my term as Secretary, I served a three year term as President-elect, President, and Past President. During my tenure as President, Texas Health Information Management Association (TxHIMA) asked me to coordinate the TxHIMA Fall Meeting and a few years later the TxHIMA convention, at that time held in conjunction with Texas Hospital Association. Later, I served at a state level on the TxHIMA board, first as Education Director, then as Public Relations Director, and then President-elect, President, and finally, Past President. During my term on the state board I have presented many times over the years at various district meetings, as well as at state meetings. Volunteer service has opened countless doors to opportunity for me.
At the end of March of this year, when I was told that my position as Privacy Officer at a large institution was being eliminated, I experienced for the first time the myriad of feelings associated with suddenly being without a job. Admittedly, I was relieved because I had been unhappy in the job and had been seeking other opportunities, but I was also aware that I had a mortgage payment, among other obligations. I also knew that if God delivered me out of a job, He would provide me with another one. Within one week, I had my first job offer, a very tempting one, at an organization and job at which I believed I could excel. One of the factors precipitating my job offer was that individuals at both the local facility and at the corporate level expressed support for hiring me for the position. I had worked extensively with one of these individuals during my tenure with the local HIM local association and the other at the state level, and they could attest to my abilities beyond what an interview or a resume could ever achieve.
A week later I had my second offer, the job that I chose after much deliberation and prayer. This particular organization actually wanted to hire a Registered Nurse for the position, and in fact, had interviewed me several weeks before by phone and believed that I didn't have the right qualifications. I continually asserted to my recruiter that I knew that I was the right person for the job, and my recruiter presented my resume to the organization again after their search had proven futile. This time, the Human Resources (HR) Director shared my resume with the other leaders on the senior leadership team, and the compliance/privacy officer, an HIM professional and a well respected member of the team, saw that it was me who was interested in the position. She encouraged the HR Director and the Chief Nursing Officer to interview me in person. We knew each other only on a professional basis; however, she knew me well enough through my reputation and my activities at both the local and state level to know that I was indeed able to perform the job well. This is solid evidence that where my resume and my phone interview did not get me a face to face interview with the Chief Executive Officer, knowing the right person did.
How do I start networking?
At this point, I expect that you are ready to look beyond traditional methods of finding a job and have a desire to invest time and energy in networking. A lot of the networking I have done has been through my professional organization; however, I don't limit networking to the HIM profession. One incentive I have always had is to find good speakers and authors for articles, so when I meet people professionally—physicians, financial experts, HR professionals, lawyers, clinical people, etc.—I try to discern what information they have that can be used to educate our organization. This drive has obliged me to network well beyond the HIM arena. I have been blessed to meet some very interesting people this way. I was once offered a job from an attorney I met on the airplane when I was on my way to a TxHIMA budget meeting.
Networking is not hard for many of us, but for those who are quieter and less interactive, it can be a challenge. AHIMA offers a very easy method of networking: The CoPs (Communities of Practice). I have met some interesting people this way as well; once I was offered and accepted a consulting job from a facility in North Carolina . Another networking opportunity is accepting speaking engagements, if public speaking is something you are comfortable doing. If not, try writing articles or getting involved in the many "behind the scenes" opportunities.
When you are interested in seeking other opportunities, tell people! Understandably, you may be in a position in which you are unable to broadcast your intensions because of confidentiality reasons, but sometimes you must trust some key people enough to "put feelers out". While I was at my past (unhappy) job, I identified people within and outside of the organization who I believed I could trust, and I let them know confidentially that I was looking for other opportunities. A physician in a leadership position told me he wished I had told him sooner that I was looking to change jobs; he said that he had recently filled an administrative position for which I would have been perfect. Of course, putting feelers out in your organization can be risky, and I urge you to use prudence; but I also advise you not to let the fear of what might happen if your boss finds out prevent you from doing anything at all.
I also kept in touch with my college professors and let them know that I was confidentially interested in other job opportunities. As Jerri Tull affirms in her article in this Journal, recruiters and organizations sometimes contact universities for potential individuals for specific jobs. I also encourage you to consider using a recruiter, but advise you to choose one who understands healthcare and more specifically health information management. If you are between jobs, another option is interim management. There are several consultants or consulting companies that place professionals in positions for weeks or months, depending on the needs of the particular organization. If you have young children or other family obligations, this may not be a desirable option for you, but again, talking with these companies gets your name out there. And, you never know when an interim management position may become open in your own town.
Networking is not the sole means in locating your next great job, but it is a very important component in the job search process. Just as you spend time and energy perfecting your resumé and preparing for the interview, you should dedicate equal time to networking. Don't be discouraged. Your next great job is waiting, and someone you may soon meet knows about it!
Beverly Rhodes, MSHP, RHIA, is currently the Past-President of Texas Health Information Management Association. She is the Director of Risk Management at Southwest General Hospital , a 289 bed acute care hospital in San Antonio , Texas . In addition to her degree in Health Information Management, she has her graduate degree in Health Administration, both from Texas State University in San Marcos , Texas.
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