3 Strategies to Aid Your Next Career Move

You sense it's time for a change. You can almost feel it in your bones. It's apparent by the way your mind continually ponders what's next –by how it maintains a running pros and cons list about your current position. The yearning to make a move intensifies. To take the next step in your career, whatever that next step may be.

Whether that next step involves a promotion with your current employer, a position in the same field with another healthcare provider, or a bold move into a new career path, it's time to take control of your employment journey. And these strategies can help you do just that.

• Take initiative

Schedule a time to meet with the supervisor/head of the department/HR director to discuss your interest in current and future job opportunities. Share your short-term and long-term goals and discuss how they fit within the company's staffing needs.

In a confident but not boastful way, review the skills and characteristics that comprise your unique skillset. Note your recent and past accomplishments and contributions to the organization. Let the meeting end with a clear understanding of what you're seeking and a timeline for accomplishing it.

• Make social media work for you and your career, not against it

Social media can open doors to more opportunities and possibilities than pounding the pavement ever could. But if you're not cautious, it can also hinder your career advancement. While many people see their personal and professional lives as distinctly separate entities, the reality is that when it comes to social media, they overlap and intertwine in complex ways.

As you explore what's next in your employment future, review your social media accounts, scrutinize your posting habits, and calculate the overall impression the sum of your online presence gives. Next, assess the amount of time you spend daily and weekly interacting across the various platforms. And then honestly determine how much of that time benefits your career. Finally, adjust accordingly to ensure that social media benefits rather than harms your career goals.

• Go the extra mile on LinkedIn

Are you taking full advantage of LinkedIn's professional networking and career development capabilities? There's no better or more important place to showcase your compilation of skills and experience than on the largest business-related social platform. By uploading photos, videos, and various files into your profile's summary and experience sections, you've unlocked the perfect opportunity to "show" rather than "tell" your career story.

Review your profile's first-impression factor. Does it wow or get lost among the millions of other profiles? To keep your profile bobbing where it will get noticed—

• Utilize all 50 slots in the skills section
• Choose strong, creative words across the entirety of your profile
• Stage yourself as a thought leader
• Actively promote the unique brand that is you

Building your professional brand via these strategies can propel your career to the next level.