The average American spends 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime.1 That staggering figure illustrates why it’s important to find work with passion and purpose and develop a plan for career advancement.
While stagnancy in the workplace can bring frustration and boredom, setting your sights on a leadership position will motivate you to find new areas of fulfillment and advance your career. With hard work, dedication and time, career advancement opportunities in healthcare—such as roles in healthcare administration or advanced nursing, are achievable.
Let’s consider the why and how of career advancement, focusing on strategies for healthcare professionals. You can jump to the visual “How to Prove You’re Worthy of Career Advancement” for additional tips and insight on job advancement.
What Is Career Advancement and Why Does It Matter
Definition: Career advancement is the upward trajectory of a person’s professional journey. Examples of professional advancement include progressing from an entry-level position to management and transitioning from one occupation to another.2
An individual’s job advancement can also signify one’s professional development. Many working adults strive to advance their careers by gaining new skills and knowledge they can apply. One person’s goal may be to become CEO of a company. Another may regard earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree as the ultimate indicator of successful career advancement.
Each person’s career path may vary, but the potential for career advancement is a valuable tool in motivating and retaining staff.3 Opportunities for advancement may manifest in various ways, from a job promotion to specialty training for a specific position to a single assignment with increased responsibility.
Benefits of Career Advancement
There are multiple benefits to career advancement. You can expect to earn more money as you progress in your career. As the chart above illustrates, investing time and money in education has a direct impact on the average American’s salary.4
Improved take-home pay may also translate to an improved quality of life. A study revealed that when people paid for time-saving services, like ordering takeout or hiring a housecleaner, they experienced a higher life satisfaction than those who didn’t.5
What Are Opportunities for Advancement?
The benefits of career advancement extend far beyond financial gain. An upward career trajectory opens the door for fresh opportunities and the excitement of new challenges. Potential examples of advancement opportunities include:
- The chance to travel for speaking engagements
- Becoming a published author
- Participating in cutting-edge research
- Refining skills and expertise
Some may seek opportunities for advancement out of a desire to explore new professional interests or to avoid boredom and mediocrity in their current job.
12 Tips for How to Advance Your Career
Creating a strategy to advance careers requires focus, energy and time. Follow these steps to climb the career ladder.6, 7, 8, 9
1. Define your goals for job advancement.
Given that 70% of employees are not reaching their full potential each day, it’s good to closely examine what you hope to achieve in your career so you can truly excel.10 Gaining clarity about what drives and inspires you in your work life will help you create a personal roadmap to workplace success—or offer an escape route if you find yourself in an unfulfilling job.
Once you have identified your career advancement goals, share them with others, especially with those who may have an impact on your plan. You can begin thinking about this step as a way to develop a solid, honest response to the classic interview question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” What you determine will influence each step of your journey.
With so many specialty areas in healthcare, professionals should evaluate which focus area aligns best with their strengths and aspirations when establishing long-term goals for professional advancement.
2. Understand your options.
Learn about the advancement opportunities within your company or industry. Discover potential opportunities for advancement through human resources (HR), colleague referrals or digital research. Ideally, conversations about potential career growth begin during the job interview process. At every step, pay attention to the workload and career advancement opportunities presented to those who have held your dream position to identify the strategy that fits your goals.
Job advancement does not always require moving up to get ahead. Lateral moves within your company or industry can offer opportunities to do something new—especially for those working in a position that has no direct opportunities for advancement.
Healthcare career opportunities are expanding, thanks to new technology11 and ongoing workforce challenges, such as the current nursing shortage. Connect with HR leaders, industry organizations, medical news apps and colleagues to stay updated on potential career paths.
3. Examine the bigger picture.
Step back from the daily grind to focus on your big-picture goals you strive for in your career. A clear vision will guide you toward advancement opportunities that align with your career aspirations.
Maintain a balance between the critical details of your work and your broader healthcare career goals.Strategic decisions you make along your path should be strongly influenced by your long-term goals.
4. Level up your learning to advance your career.
Improving your educational foundation can boost your opportunities for advancement. 72% of Americans believe that “a lot” of responsibility falls on individuals to ensure they have the right skills and education to be successful.12 Show your employer that you’re willing to invest in gaining new knowledge and skills to benefit your career and the company.
Committing the time and energy to earn a graduate degree can directly impact salary expectations. Exploring on-the-job training, online certifications and continuing education classes can also benefit you.
Some companies may cover the cost of new training, and some may assist with tuition. Speak with your HR representative to learn more about the policies at your workplace.
A wide array of advancement opportunities through education exists for healthcare professionals. Growing your skills and knowledge through advanced nursing degrees, post-professional physical therapy and occupational therapyprograms and doctoral healthcare education can open up doors to new levels of your career.
5. Reveal your character and confidence every day.
Think of your career advancement journey as an extended job interview, where you want to put your best foot forward every day to impress decision-makers. Self-confidence is critical to getting others to believe in you and value what you have to offer. Consider every workplace interaction as an opportunity to demonstrate your honesty and integrity, qualities desired by most leaders.
Consider your outward appearance by dressing for success each day. Demonstrating consistent reliability and professionalism can significantly impact how others perceive and take you seriously.
Engaging with patients and colleagues in a professional and confident manner is a must for success and career advancement in the healthcare industry. Be mindful that healthcare professionals must protect patient confidentiality, which requires integrity and vigilance.
6. Make yourself resourceful to colleagues.
Volunteering to assist other teams or departments within your company can lead to diverse advancement opportunities. It’s a quality that shows you are a team player willing to jump in when necessary.
Engaging in projects with other parts of the organization allows you to experience firsthand how departments function. Such experiences can help you make more informed decisions along your career trajectory. A study by the O.C. Tanner Institute revealed that when employees feel connected to their team, they report a 131% increase in feeling like they continuously learn new and valuable things.13
A readiness to offer help or support to colleagues can go a long way toward career advancement in a busy healthcare environment. Share credit when appropriate. Your accountability when mistakes occur will show staff and leadership that you are responsible and trustworthy.
7. Explore opportunities for advancement through mentorships.
One of the top opportunities for advancement is through mentorship. Establish a mentoring relationship with someone who has achieved the level of success you aim to achieve.
Their accomplishments and experiences can inform your actions and decisions, helping to minimize mistakes and advance your career. Research shows that mandatory mentorship programs can produce valuable gains for employees and their companies.14
Be selective when choosing a mentor. Just because they hold, or held, the position you seek does not mean they did it well. To maximize advancement opportunities, seek out someone you both respect and can connect with.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance from one or more trusted professionals. Remain open to working with two or more mentors representing different aspects of your field and area of expertise. Having one mentor from administration and another with a clinical degree, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) role specialty, will give you a mix of perspectives that can support your growth as you advance your career.
8. Challenge yourself by requesting new responsibilities.
Meet with your manager to request more challenging projects and tasks. Share your plan for career advancement with them so they are clear on your goals. Research shows that when an employee is empowered, you’ll find a 78% increase in engagement.15
Taking on new responsibilities shows your hard work and ability to manage the new challenge and the workload. Proving your dedication and work ethic to your direct manager might inspire them to become a champion for you when you have opportunities for advancement.
Seek respectful interaction with your manager to communicate your desire for new challenges—and use these advancement opportunities to grow your leadership skills. Stay on top of your regular duties if you take on extra projects.
9. Learn about the power of sponsorship.
Within the world of work, a sponsor is a person in a senior leadership role who becomes your champion and advocates for you in the workplace as you explore career advancement opportunities. Your sponsor will help you build relationships with influential individuals, recommend you for projects and have your back when you take on riskier ventures.
Sponsorships require developing a strategic workplace partnership between an individual with leverage and one seeking it. They can also provide advancement opportunities for those who typically don’t have equal access to leadership opportunities, such as women and people of color.16
Leadership roles in healthcare often require administrative skills that some staff haven’t developed yet. Take the time to find a manager or executive in your organization who is willing to assist and support your career advancement through sponsorship.
10. Seek internal opportunities for professional advancement.
It’s up to you to stay abreast of internal job listings that align with your skills and interests. Internal hiring is six times more effective than all other sources of hiring.17
Set weekly calendar reminders to review internal career advancement opportunities that will move you either toward a higher position or laterally to a position with future possibilities.
Monitor your organization’s staffing shifts and personnel movements to locate potential internal jobs. Stay in touch with your HR representative to let them know you are open to new opportunities for advancement.
11. Volunteer with industry organizations
Showing a commitment to your broader field of work allows you to network and build a positive reputation in your community. It also signals to colleagues that you have a big-picture perspective on your professional life, showing your passion and respect for the field through your commitment to it beyond office hours. Lastly, some people you’ll meet in these organizations with industry status can pave the way for advancement opportunities.
Get active in healthcare associations to broaden your scope and knowledge. There is a wide variety to serve your needs, whether you are a nurse, healthcare administrator or another healthcare practitioner.
12. Strengthen your networking skills
LinkedIn reports that 80% of professionals consider professional networking to be important to career success.18Knowing how to market yourself is a valuable asset at every stage of your career. Attending a mix of in-person and online networking events will help new colleagues and business leaders recognize you and give you a chance to demonstrate your work ethic, knowledge and skills.
Build connections with other healthcare professionals across specialties. Colleagues and associates tend to be great resources when it comes to discovering the latest job or research opportunities for advancement.
Initiative is the name of the game when it comes to career advancement – employees in managerial positions report improved job satisfaction.19 You can be part of that number through planning, reflection and hard work.
Salary data may not reflect starting pay for recent graduates.
Sources
- Susan Peppercorn, “Why You Should Stop Trying to Be Happy at Work,” Harvard Business Review, July 26, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/07/why-you-should-stop-trying-to-be-happy-at-work.
- Dawn Rosenberg McKay, “A Simple Guide to Career Advancement,” Live About, September 18, 2018,https://www.liveabout.com/advancement-525653.
- Tim McElgunn, “Workers are looking–and leaving–for career development,” HR Morning, June 11, 2019,https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/career-development-in-demand.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Career Outlook: Education pays, 2023,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2024, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2024/data-on-display/education-pays.htm.
- Chris Courtney, Elizabeth Dunn, et al., “Does More Money Really Make Us More Happy?,” Harvard Business Review, September 14, 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/09/does-more-money-really-makes-us-more-happy.
- Susan M. Heathfield, “5 Tips to Improve Your Career Development,” The Balance, September 13, 2022,https://www.thebalancemoney.com/improving-career-development-4058289.
- We Mean Career, “7 Tips to Advance Your Career,” We Mean Career, 2024, https://wemeancareer.com/tips-to-advance-your-career.
- Reed Global, “Mid-level Career Progression Tips,” Reed Global, 2023,https://www.reedglobal.com/blog/2017/07/mid-level-career-progression-advice
- Michael Rochow, “8 Career Advancement Tips From 8 Wildly Successful People,” Noomi Career Blog, 2016,https://career.noomii.com/8-ways-rapidly-advance-career/.
- Marcel Schwantes, “Research: Why 70 Percent of Employees Aren’t Working to Their Full Potential,” Inc., November 22, 2017, https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/research-why-70-percent-of-employees-arent-working-to-their-full-potential-comes-down-to-1-simple-reason.html.
- destinationone Consulting, “The Future of Healthcare Employment: How Tech is Transforming Roles and Opportunities,” April 17, 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-healthcare-employment-how-tech-transforming-dz2sc/.
- Pew Research Center, “The State of American Jobs,” Pew Research Center, October 6, 2016,https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2016/10/06/the-state-of-american-jobs
- O.C. Tanner, “Leadership: traditional vs. modern – Global Culture Report,” O.C. Tanner, 2020,https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report/2020/leadership.html.
- Harvard Business Review, “Why Your Mentoring Program Should Be Mandatory,” Harvard Business Review, September 2022, https://hbr.org/2022/09/why-your-mentoring-program-should-be-mandatory.
- O.C. Tanner, “Employee & Business Success – Global Culture Report,” O.C. Tanner, 2019,https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report/2019/success.html.
- Herminia Ibarra, “A Lack of Sponsorship Is Keeping Women from Advancing into Leadership,” Harvard Business Review, August 19, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/08/a-lack-of-sponsorship-is-keeping-women-from-advancing-into-leadership.
- Pat Brothwell, “2024 Hiring and Recruiting Stats to Help You Plan Your Year,” HiringThing, 2024,https://blog.hiringthing.com/crucial-hiring-and-recruiting-statistics.
- LinkedIn Corporate Communications “Eighty-percent of professionals consider networking important to career success,” LinkedIn, June 22, 2017, https://news.linkedin.com/2017/6/eighty-percent-of-professionals-consider-networking-important-to-career-success.
- Rémi Colin-Chevalier, et al. “Stress and job satisfaction over time, the influence of the managerial position: A bivariate longitudinal modelling of Wittyfit data,” PLoS One, March 4, 2024: 19(3), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10911592.
