Recently the CEO of LinkedIn vlogged about how we need to live in constant beta. This applies to both our professional and personal lives. People are constantly seeking ways to improve themselves; this is evident with the size of the self-help section in bookstores.

Professionally, though, how many of you know someone who is stuck? They are content with doing the same job day in and day out until they retire? This used to be the norm for the baby boomer generation where thirty or more years were spent at the same company.

Times have changed and if you’re not actively improving and expanding upon your skill set, then you are going to be left behind.

Map out your goals. Where do you see yourself in two years, five years, etc…and what is it going to take to get there? Think of it as a business plan and your career as the business. Running out and enrolling in an advanced degree program may or may not be the answer. There are other ways to achieve your goals.

Look at your current skill set to determine where your strengths lie. Is it consulting, project management, teaching, implementation, or clinical applications? Build upon these strengths by finding a mentor, stay current on trends and news impacting your desired industry and attend webinars/live conferences.

Explore what opportunities are available by using niche job boards, like HIMSS JobMine. Two weeks ago I highlighted an emerging health IT position. Roles are constantly evolving. You don’t even have to look far; there could be an opportunity at your current workplace. If there is an element missing from the workflow or a process just isn’t working – come up with a solution. Not only are you proving you’re a creative problem solver, but you’re taking initiative and your value as an employee just went up.

Just like with a business plan, one of the most important components is the marketing plan. How do you market yourself? What does your image and resume say about you? Your references might not be the right ones. Look at your professional circle to see if there are better choices and ask. The worst someone can say is no.

There really isn’t a ceiling to your professional career unless it’s self-imposed. Executives don’t sit back and rest on their laurels. Many become thought leaders in their industry. They become mentors, teachers, speakers and authors or lend their expertise to other areas, like policy and legislation.

I know where I want to be five years from now, how about you? 

E.J. Fechenda is the Audience Data Manager for MedTech Media. Since 2008 she has helped manage Healthcare Finance JobSpot and Healthcare IT JobSpot - now merged with HIMSS JobMine. She is not a Human Resources professional, nor a healthcare expert, but over the years she's accumulated a lot of feedback and insight from both job seekers and employers alike. Each week E.J. will deliver a blog based on this information. One week will be employer focused and the next week, job seeker focused.