Defining your career goals as an orthopedic surgeon is essential to achieving career satisfaction and finding your ideal position. Without being clear about what you want and need to be happy in your career, you can’t make an action plan that’ll put you on track to reach your goals.
And that is why we highly recommend that job seekers take some time to clearly define their goals before making a career change. This one step plays such a crucial role in helping you attain long-term happiness. And really, it’s quite a simple exercise to do!
Get out a notebook and a pen or open a Google doc on your laptop and start by answering these questions…
- What initially inspired you to go into orthopedics?
- What do you want to accomplish as your career legacy?
- What does a successful career in orthopedics look like for you? Are there any career milestones you are chasing?
- What values are most important to you and/or your family?
- What does your ideal work-life balance look like? What activities do you wish to partake in outside of work?
- How much money do you need to make to feel financially stable?
- Does clinic culture matter to you? And if so, what cultural aspects do you need to thrive?
- What geographic locations interest you the most and why?
Give yourself the time and space to think through these questions without feeling rushed or like you have to think of everything right now. The purpose of asking yourself these questions is to lay the foundation for an action plan to help you reach your goals.
Also, knowing what you truly need and want from your career means you won’t waste time exploring opportunities that lead to a dead-end on your journey to career satisfaction.
If you’d like expert-level assistance with defining your career goals and kickstarting your orthopedics job search, reach out to one of our experienced recruiters today. Give us a call at (636) 900-7142, or feel free to send us a message!