How to Turn Your Job Into a Career You’ll Love
When I entered the field of ophthalmology, I didn’t know anything about eyeballs. But as I started to fall in love with my job, I realized that I needed a plan to turn it into a career.
The difference between a job and a career comes down to two things: planning and development. You will never turn your job into a career unless you plan for the future and consistently engage in professional development.
First, let’s talk about planning for the future. So many of us are great planners when it comes to our kids and our homes, but when it comes to our careers, we struggle to find a way to make our professional dreams a reality.
So, let me ask you a question: how would you eat an elephant? No, really. Let’s say that there was an elephant in front of you and for some reason you had to eat all of it (sorry, Dumbo). You’d probably feel really overwhelmed. Elephants are huge! But then you’d come up with a plan, right? And that plan would involve a bunch of little steps. These might not seems like much on their own, but over time they add up. This exercise is meant to show that any goal, no matter how large, can be achieved by breaking it down into smaller steps.
I recommend having a six month goal, a 1 year goal, and a 2+ year goal. Here are some realistic goals:
Six months - Mastering refracting or retinoscopy
1-2 years - Prepping and passing the COA or COT exam
2+ years - Passing the COMT exam
2+ years - Become comfortable managing personnel
Now let’s talk professional development. You won’t be able to achieve all of your professional goals on your own—its just not possible. All the people you admire got to where they are because they were supported by mentors and colleagues. That’s why I always suggest sharing your goals with your manager. Not only are you letting them know that you take your job seriously, they’ll also be more likely to inform you about continuing education classes and other development opportunities.
Our field’s certification process is one of the most important ways to grow your value as an employee and transform your job into a career. I recommend that EVERY person who wants ophthalmology to be their career get certified. Eye Tech Training’s COA, COT, and (new!) COMT prep courses are great tools for those considering taking a certification exam.
We offer courses online and in-person, so if we’re not going to be in a city near you anytime soon, don’t fret!
Click the buttons to find out more about each prep option! The COMT prep course is online only. Let us help you achieve your goals!
Ultimately, turning your job into a career comes down to what you decide to do each day when you get to work. Will you just slog through it, or will you see the potential that’s inside of you and act on it?