By: Shelly Noyes, Partner
Shelly brings two decades of experience finding the right talent for clients and helping hundreds of individuals transition into positions in the MEDITECH consulting market. 

I have spoken with several individuals who have been displaced by industry right sizing recently.  Some are interested in exploring consulting opportunities, some want to learn about gig work, and more are simply interested in networking and understanding the market.  Below is a summary of the advice I have shared with these candidates.

First, let us recognize what a challenging time this is for those impacted by recent industry layoffs.  As a community, we should support them and shorten the time required to secure new opportunities, when we can. For those impacted by recent layoffs, I am sorry you are going through this.

Despite layoffs in several industries this year, the national unemployment rate remains low, and many industries are facing staffing shortages. Shortages are especially pronounced in healthcare. There are many exciting opportunities available and hopefully this provides insight into positioning yourself for those.

If you are specifically interested in consulting and have not worked directly for a healthcare organization, I would encourage you to consider taking advantage of the EHR training you have received to date and investigate roles with local or national healthcare providers. This experience would be an advantage when working toward a career in consulting and will allow you to:

• Continue building and broadening your application knowledge and expertise

• Gain operational experience and strengthen your overall background, with a better understanding of healthcare workflows, how the software is used, and the impact it can have on care

If you have a solid foundation, you can build on that and translate your expertise into a variety of applications or EHR vendors, providing value to healthcare organizations and helping you to gain a broader view. These roles will allow you to work more closely with users and enhance your ability to see challenges through their eyes. This experience will also increase your marketability to prospective clients and consulting firms. In addition to having an impact on your community and building broad application and integration knowledge, focus on building skills in:

• Workflow analysis

• Leadership

• Project management

Before applying, inventory and document your skills, as well as projects you have completed and their outcomes.  This will build your confidence, putting talking points at your fingertips and help you market yourself to potential employers (and later clients). 

Keep in mind, when applying to any position, attitude and soft skills are everything.  Be someone you would like to work with… a team player, with a can-do approach, who is detail-oriented and can be counted on to follow up on tasks and initiatives.

For prospective employers, this is an opportunity for healthcare organizations to hire talented individuals with strong knowledge and customer service skills, which can benefit their team and facility. Eased onsite hiring requirements in recent years have allowed many organizations to access a broader pool of talent and provide flexibility and satisfaction for team members.

Lastly, as a community, how can we help those who have been displaced? By providing support, sharing job posts, making introductions, and providing quality, detailed references. Even if you or your organization are not hiring currently, these actions can have a big impact.  If you are interested in talking further about consulting in the MEDITECH market, please reach out.