Career Tip: Take Charge of Your Career; Don’t Wait to Be Noticed

No one cares more about you and your career than you do. What are you going to do today to move your career forward? Hear from an ASCP pathologist and a laboratory professional about how they kept track of their achievements throughout the year to prepare for their annual evaluation.  

Pathologist

“Keep track of your achievements all year round in real time in a Word document or diary, or even in your CV. This means when you achieve something positive, present at a national meeting, receive an award, meet a goal, publish something significant, teach a class, mentor someone, or do something innovative, make a note of it. If you don’t do this, you risk forgetting significant achievements when your performance review comes up.”

Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, MD, FASCP

Laboratory Professional

“A mentor once told me, no one cares more about you and your career than you do. Take ownership for your career; don’t wait to be noticed and rewarded. Evaluations seemed to be about what I had done most recently.  Given the opportunity to contribute, in such a stressful situation, I couldn’t remember all that I had accomplished, either.

“I created a file and every time I did something, I dumped it into the file.  Everything notable I did went into the file: email correspondence, CEs, procedures I wrote, committee meetings and trainings, near misses caught and corrected, extra shifts and holidays, proficiency testing, competency results, special projects, ideas, and anything I volunteered to do. A month out from my review, I went through my file to refresh my memory using the eyes of an evaluator, and I prepared myself with goals, growth, missteps and contributions. I was ready to ask for what I wanted in the year ahead—always ask for something—and to justify my requests. 

“My leaders appreciated my preparation and support, as reviews are challenging. They also admired my organization and professionalism. The process was far more satisfying to me, I knew what I was contributing and could take pride in my growth. No longer were my reviews about the last or worst things that could be remembered about my past year.”

Terese M Abreu, MLS(ASCP)^CM