MAXIMIZING YOUR GRADUATE SUCCESS:

SECRETS FOR MILLENNIALS TO SUCCEED IN OUR CAREER

PRESENTED BY: LACEY A. CAMPBELL, MHS, MLS(ASCP)CM

ASCLS – NATIONAL NEW PROFESSIONAL AND NEW MEMBERS FORUM PAST

CHAIR, ASCLS-GA PRESIDENT, ASCLS – NATIONAL AWARDS COMMITTEE,

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE, AND MENTORSHIP COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE

AT THE END OF THIS SESSION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. Define professionalism and be able to portray the characteristics of a

clinical laboratory professional.

2. Show leadership potential in every aspect of your professional career.

3. Engage in opportunities for growth and development at work and in your

professional society.

“INFORMATION IS KNOWLEDGE” - ALBERT EINSTEIN

- GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

WHAT IS A CLINICAL LABORATORY PROFESSIONAL?

• Accountable for the quality and integrity of the laboratory services we

provide

• Maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and test results

• Strive to maintain a reputation of honesty, integrity and reliability

• Responsible for contributing from our sphere of professional competence to

the general well being of the community

• Seek to establish cooperative and respectful working relationships with other

health professionals

“LINK YOUR WORK

WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE.” – JOHN DONAHOE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF EBAY

BEING A PROFESSIONAL MEANS…

• Displaying all of these traits at all times, not just while you’re in the lab, but

everywhere you go share your passion for your profession!

TOP 5 SECRETS FOR MILLENNIALS TO SUCCEED IN OUR CAREER

1. MAKE YOURSELF COMPETITIVE

2. INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL SELF

3. LEARN TO ADAPT

4. PROACTIVELY BUILD YOUR NETWORK

5. TAKE INTELLIGENT OPPORTUNITIES

“FEAR IS THE

DISEASE,

HUSTLE IS THE

ANTIDOTE.” – TRAVIS KALANICK, FOUNDER OF UBER

1. MAKE YOURSELF COMPETITIVE

“TO WOW, YOU

MUST DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF AND DO

SOMETHING

ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT’S EXPECTED.” – TONY HSIEH, FOUNDER OF ZAPPOS

DURING SCHOOL…

• Focus on your GPA – keep your studies your priority as it is vital to your future

career.

• Find your best method of studying – make sure the information becomes a

part of your long-term memory.

• Don’t just learn the material for the upcoming test, learn the material for your

future patients depending on you!

“PLAYING IT SAFE WILL GET YOU

NOWHERE!”

– STEVE BLANK, AUTHOR OF “FOUR STEPS TO THE EPIPHANY”

DURING SCHOOL…

• Become active in campus activities, join your Student Clinical Laboratory

Science Association and become an officer to gain leadership experience

• Find the Student Ambassador or Student Government Association at your

college and become active to have a “voice” among your peers

• Participate in as much community service as you can find! Giving back to your

community is the most rewarding experience you can ever have!

“TAKE TIME TO

GET TO KNOW PEOPLE.

UNDERSTAND

WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM,

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.” -BETH

COMSTOCK, CMO OF GE

DURING YOUR CLINICAL ROTATIONS…

• Don’t be nervous, but also don’t be overly confident. No one likes a “know-it-

all!”

• Interview people you are working with, figure out what you want to do based

off of getting to know their personal stories

• To beat the competition, chart a career plan that sets you apart from other

professionals.

“THESE PEOPLE ARE

NOT SMARTER

THAN YOU, THEY JUST KNOW THINGS THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW

YET.” – JON STEINBERG, PRESIDENT OF BUZZFEED

DURING YOUR CLINICAL ROTATIONS…

• Remember your clinical rotations are your first interview! They are always

watching you!

• Your are creating a profile, reputation, a certain pattern of behaviors over

time…let the other departments talk about you in a good way, not dread the

day you come to their department!

“TAKE

ADVANTAGE

OF YOUR IMAGE

AND BRANDING

FROM THE BEGINNING.” – CRAIG

NEWMARK, FOUNDER OF CRAIGSLIST

DURING YOUR CLINICAL ROTATIONS…

• Have a lab pocket sized notebook and write in the notebook each day during the

breaks and after someone explains each procedure

• Learn by DOING, don’t just write it in your notebook, do the procedure, most people

learn by muscle memory, not just by listening

• Be very proactive, ask questions, show interest everything you are learning about!

• If you are interested in working at their facility, talk to them and let them know! They

will help you figure out if there will be a position available that you may be

interested in.

AFTER GRADUATION…

• Prepare your cover letter and make it specifically directed to the facility for

which you are applying

• Complete your Curriculum Vitae and make sure it includes your GPA,

achievements in school, community service, research and publications,

leadership positions held, etc. Demonstrate that you are extremely well

rounded

AFTER GRADUATION…

• Practice your interview skills by asking family members and friends to ask you

sample questions about your schooling, clinicals, qualifications, and

expectations

• Prep your professional portfolio that you will take with you to your interview.

Include your CV, copies of professional papers you wrote in school, any

research you performed in school, certificates you received from clubs and

organizations in school

“ALWAYS DELIVER

MORE THAN

EXPECTED.” – LARRY PAGE, CO-FOUNDER OF GOOGLE

2. INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL SELF

INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL SELF…

• Find a mentor! Whether your mentor is a professor from school or someone

who has been working in the profession, use them as a resource!

• Get involved in your professional society! Become a member of ASCLS to stay

in the know about new scientific technologies, instrumentation, and the latest

info of outbreaks covered in the media and how we should proceed in the

clinical setting

• Attend conferences, read professional journals, and serve in leadership

positions to find the most powerful influences to better your professional self!

“ALIGN YOURSELF

WITH THE BEST

POSSIBLE PEOPLE

AT THE START

OF YOUR CAREER.” – KEVIN CHOU, CEO OF KABAM

INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL SELF…

• NEVER STOP LEARNING! Even though school is over, your mind still desires to LEARN!

• Purchase study books that will help you in the clinical laboratory. I highly recommend,

“The Bottom Line Approach,” by Patsy Jarreau

• Read laboratory magazines, professional journals, scholarly articles online to learn

about new findings, technologies, and practices to stay ahead of your peers

• Purchase a specialty book once you near your three year mark. Find the area of

interest in the lab that speaks most to you and study to prepare for your specialty

test in that area. Getting your specialty will enable you to show your supervisors and

director you are serious about your future in the clinical laboratory.

“YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW

VALUABLE YOUR EXISTING SKILLS ARE TO THOSE WHO

DON’T HAVE THEM.” – REID HOFFMAN, FOUNDER OF LINKEDIN

3. LEARN TO ADAPT

LEARN TO ADAPT…

• Instrumentation changes so rapidly! Be proactive to learn about the new

instrumentation that your laboratory purchases.

• Ask to become a “super user” to be trained on that instrument to learn

everything you can about it.

• Procedures change rapidly, don’t approach them with negativity. Find the

positive aspect that this procedure is going to change to help your laboratory

be more effective and efficient.

“IT IS NOT THE

STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT

SURVIVES, NOR

THE MOST INTELLIGENT, BUT THE ONE MOST RESPONSIVE TO

CHANGE.”

– CHARLES DARWIN, FATHER OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

LEARN TO ADAPT…

• Ask to volunteer to help with updating SOPs from your supervisor/director

• You learn the SOPs as you review through them and in turn you’ve shown

leadership in doing so!

• Be the “VOICE” for change! As millennials, we have to be the ones to lift up all

of the “more seasoned professionals” who are discouraged by the changes in

the lab!

“SUCCESS WILL COME TO THOSE THAT CAN GET IN FRONT OF THE TRENDS, MOVE QUICKLY AND WORK TOGETHER TO

DELIVER RESULTS.” – JEFF IMMELT, CHAIRMAN AND CEO AT GE

4. PROACTIVELY BUILD YOUR NETWORK

PROACTIVELY BUILD YOUR NETWORK…

• Attend every conference you can! Walk around and introduce yourself to

people during breakout sessions. Find networks that you may want to implore

one day as a possible future career move! Get their business card! You never

know when you may want to reach out to them one day.

• Ask your supervisor if you can attend lunch and learns at your hospital. Most

Pathologists will hold a weekly meeting to discuss current patient’s in a case

study fashion to explore options for treatment. The Pathologists will identify

your presence and discover how important you view your career!

PROACTIVELY BUILD YOUR NETWORK…

• Go to laboratory response network workshops to learn new procedures and

take them back with you to your lab. Most of these workshops are held at

your state’s Health Department and are usually FREE for Medical Laboratory

Personnel.

• Bring back your workbook and share with all of your co-workers to establish

this new way of practice in your laboratory! Bring your fellow employees

together as a TEAM to bring the most up to date care for your patients!

“YOU NEED A TEAM

THAT’S GOING TO

CARE ABOUT THIS

THING AS MUCH AS YOU DO.” – SCOTT HEIFERMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF MEETUP

PROACTIVELY BUILD YOUR NETWORK…

• Don’t stop within your state! Use this new age of social media to your

advantage! After all, we millennials created this world of information at our

fingertips!

• Join social media sites, blogs, online forums, and any other possible network

that can help you be knowledgeable about new procedures, technologies, and

instrumentation. In these sites, you will be able to make connections that can

possibly provide you with desired career changes in the future!

“UNCERTAINTY

IS THE ONLY SURE THING. IT MEANS THAT THE FUTURE IS

YOURS TO SHAPE.” – JIM KIM, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BANK

5. TAKE INTELLIGENT OPPORTUNITIES

TAKE INTELLIGENT OPPORTUNITIES…

• If you can INTELLIGENTLY take on risks, you will find OPPORTUNITIES others

will miss!

• If a job presents itself that will enhance you professionally, take it!

• If you are not sure what direction you want to take with your career yet, find

internships and/or fellowships in areas that you believe might be of interest!

“MAKE CAREER CHOICES THAT OTHERS VIEW AS

RISKY, BUT THAT

YOU KNOW HAVE LIMITED DOWNSIDE.” – SAM SHANK, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF HOTELTONIGHT

TAKE INTELLIGENT OPPORTUNITIES…

• Volunteer for everything you can handle!

• Lab week – Volunteer to be organizer of all of the food for the week, the gifts that

the lab purchases for employees, games to keep the morale up, put up posters in

common areas of the hospital to show your pride to other healthcare personnel and

patients

• Organize a team formed of laboratory employees for local walks/runs for American

Heart Association, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, etc.

• Ask to be on an Employee Engagement Committee in your hospital to have the lab’s

“VOICE” be heard! Be the FACE for our PROFESSION!

“IF YOU’RE OFFERED A SEAT ON A ROCKET SHIP, DON’T ASK WHAT SEAT!

JUST GET ON! – SHERYL SANDBERG, COO OF FACEBOOK

THINK TWO STEPS AHEAD OF YOUR PEERS, WHAT NEXT MOVE WILL MAXIMIZE THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF

OPPORTUNITIES YOU MAY RECEIVE?

“THE ONLY WAY TO BE

TRULY SATISFIED IS TO DO WHAT YOU

BELIEVE IS GREAT WORK.” – STEVE JOBS,

FORMER FOUNDER AND CEO OF APPLE