If I Had My Career to Do Over Again . . .
Mike Carver’s Top 10 ListHaving spent nearly 40 years in the clinical engineering field, Mike Carver, CCE, CBET, has learned a thing or two about what it takes to be successful. In this edition of Tech World, the recently retired Carver shares the 10 best tips he has learned for thriving as a biomed.
There are a lot of things I know today that I wish I had known 40 years ago. And if I had my career to do over again, I’d be happy if I had these lessons in my back pocket on day one. I came up with this list of tips with the biomed in mind, but professionals in other fields just might find value in it too.
1. Written and oral communication skills are vital. In the healthcare setting, you can have the best ideas of anyone in the building, but you have to be able to present those ideas appropriately. Otherwise, your ideas will be ignored. So many people seem to be oblivious to this. But to be appreciated and to have an impact, you must be able to present yourself clearly, succinctly, and on a level compatible with your audience.
2. Go as far as you can, as soon as you can, with your formal education. You often hear people say they’re “not ready for college,” or that they plan to go back to school “someday.” So they wait until after they have a family. This is the hardest way to go. Get your education — whatever level that might be — while you’re young and unencumbered. The demands on your time and money only increase as you get older. Your degrees are a badge of credibility, and they give you a seat at the table. And don’t forget your certifications — the same rules apply.
3. You can eat a very big elephant if you just keep nibbling at it. Most of us could accomplish a heck of a lot more in our lifetime than we actually do. Nothing of great value is ever easy, but nearly everything is possible. You just have to be persistent and keep nibbling away at it.
4. Steer clear of the “know-it-all” syndrome. Most biomeds have no fear of technical challenges — it is what we do best. But in our profession, we often come across others who don’t have that same level of technical competence. If you see someone handling a piece of equipment in a way that you think is improper, handle the situation tactfully or you could end up burning bridges. We’ve got to use good judgment and people skills in these situations. I’ve had clinical managers tell me, “BiomedX is a great technician, but if I see him on my floor again I’m going to kill him.”
5. Listening skills are some of the most important skills you can develop. We all know people who, in a meeting, always feel they have to say something and shoot from the hip. These people miss so much and lose credibility, because they’re so busy thinking about what to say that they don’t hear what others say. You’ve got to hone your listening skills to pick up subtle clues and inferences that you may have missed before. Listening can also help make you a better technician. Asking what the operator was doing when the device went down can help you learn whether the problem was simple operator error or an actual device failure.
6. Take ownership of whatever you are assigned to do. Great biomeds take pride in their equipment, and do a little extra instead of just enough to get the job done. Send the equipment back looking better than it did when you received it, or supply some additional instructions that might prevent a simple problem from recurring.
7. Be responsive to e-mails, phone calls, etc. Don’t get a reputation as someone who doesn’t respond. Big projects naturally get attention. But being responsive to little things sets you apart from your peers and gives you a leg-up. Establish a reputation for yourself as someone who will follow up when called upon.
8. Take your concerns upward and remain positive with peers, customers, and others. A negative attitude can spread like a virus. If you manage people, you grow to appreciate those who bring their problems to you, rather than starting fires and creating problems among the staff. Don’t sour everyone around you.
9. Always try to make others look good. As a general rule, pass credit to those below you and take blame when things go wrong. Sure, once in a while some credit may be deflected to someone else when you actually deserved it. But in the long run, if you do this, your staff and your peers will make you a hero. The whole world is “me” oriented. If you pass credit to others, you will stand out and it will make quite an impression.
10. Strive to be known for your integrity and guard your honesty with your life. We all know people who can’t be trusted. Trust is hugely important in the healthcare industry. When doctors make the news for falsifying degrees, people simply don’t tolerate it. Always hold yourself to an extremely high standard of integrity, and the reputation you build will serve you well throughout your career.
—Mike Carver
SOURCE: AAMI News: Vol. 43, No. 5, May 2008