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No matter what field you are in, it is important to work toward professional development and personal growth in order to feel happy and successful in your career. This fact especially rings true for healthcare professionals working in emergency response. Most EMTs and paramedics do not stay in that position on a long-term basis, as the job is physically and emotionally demanding. It is important to know how to leverage your experience, plan ahead and be flexible in order to continue to advance your career.

Make a vision statement

The first step toward personal career growth is recognizing what you want to accomplish. There are many factors to consider when planning your EMT career path, including the variety of EMT careers, salary considerations, level of responsibility, required certifications and more.

A good way to identify your goals is to create a vision statement. Think of exactly what you want from your career, and write it down. Do you plan on working in emergency care long term? Do you aspire to be a supervisor? Does a certain specialty area pique your interest? Putting your aspirations into a concise statement will help you keep your goals in sight.

Make a plan

Once you have identified your career goals, you can identify tactics and make a plan in order to achieve them.

• Update your résumé – having a current résumé allows you to quickly pursue new career opportunities the moment they arise.  
• Ask for new assignments at work – rotating through different roles allows you to gain more experience and skills that can benefit you in the future.
• Attend conferences and seminars – there are an abundance of resources available outside of your workplace. Take advantage of these opportunities.
• Keep up with certification requirements – working in the healthcare field means that you will be required to pursue additional certifications, such as advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). Many continuing education courses are offered in convenient formats (for example, you can get your ACLS recertification online).

Learn from others

As you plan your EMT career path, you might consider finding a mentor. Whether it’s your supervisor, a veteran co-worker, or any other experienced professional within your field, the best way to learn about your career is to ask someone who has already done it. You can learn from their first-hand experience, and apply it to your personal goals.

Implement, evaluate, repeat

Once you have identified your goals and made a concrete plan, all there is left to do is set that plan in motion. It is equally important that you constantly evaluate the work you have done, reflect on how it has helped you, and identify what you can do differently in order to continue your efforts in a productive way. 

Health Ed Solutions

Health Ed Solutions offers courses for ACLS and PALS certification, as well as ACLS and PALS recertification online. HealthEdSolutions.com additionally offers basic life support (BLS), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) training classes.