AHIMA 2009: The Next Generation
My first day at the 2009 American Health Information and Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit is off to a great start. I attended the Student Academy this morning, where Barbara Black, director of human resources, and Gwen Hughes, director of eHIM, Care Communications, shared the dos and donts of writing cover letters and resumes.
"Your resume should reflect your next job, not your current job," Black said. Be concise, factual and positive, she added, and focus on what your skills can do for the company, not the other way around. Instead of listing an "objective," try a "positioning statement" that summarizes your unique talents. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn, Black said, but never lie; a simple fib can come back to haunt you. Misrepresenting yourself can also land you a position you're not ready for, which only adds to stress and makes employer relations difficult down the road, Hughes added.
Addressing Generation Y in particular, Black urged students to Google themselves and remove any information online that could be unattractive to employers. Keep ringback tones and e-mail addresses appropriate, and rid your Facebook account of any incriminating photos, she said. But Black didn't forget those pursuing second careers or returning to the HIM field, either. Make sure your credentials are up-to-date, she said, and ditch the "References upon request" line at the bottom of your resume. Instead, hand potential employers a "Professional References" sheet before you leave an interview; hiring managers will be impressed with your initiative and you'll have more time to alert references that a phone call might be coming their way.
Despite the early morning start, students had plenty of energy and asked thoughtful questions throughout the session. I had the chance to sit with a few during the lunch break; they're excited to get into the field, but many said it's tough to find information about the industry. They turn to mentors, associations and other resources (hopefully ADVANCE!) to get the nitty-gritty on what it's really like to be in HIM. Career goals ranged from management to consulting, but no matter what direction they head, they'll likely encounter HIT. Luckily, they're prepared--every student at my table has worked with EHRs, and said they foresee the technology succeeding in the future.