US Master Swimmer Cover Girl: Competing with Cancer

On May 1, 2008, I published a blog on Victoria Chidester who competed in Austin, Texas at the U.S. Masters' Swim Competition. It is no small feat to be swimming on a national level at age 51. But Victoria has raised the bar to an awesome level, she is undergoing treatment for Stage IV Colon Cancer.

Victoria is now on the the front cover of the July/August 2008 USMS Swimmer Magazine.  It is well deserved recognition!

Click here to read Victoria's interview about her life as a swimmer, coach, mother, and cancer patient.  She illuminates life and is an inspiration to all.

~ Blessings,

Jessica Bond

Medical Careerist 

Time to ride on down the road…

Often loyal, high performing employees agonize over why they are not being promoted or paid equitably despite high performance. A professional associate of mine was told by colleagues at work to stop working so hard (i.e. hint, hint he was making them look bad). Finally, he compiled all his project accomplishments and comparable market salary data and titles. He thought that this would be useful in building his case to justify a well-deserved promotion. It is also worth noting that all of his annual employment reviews were top rated. 

To his surprise, his boss (the CEO), took the report he had carefully compiled and threw it across the room. In hearing this story, I felt very sorry for him as no one deserved to be treated so disrespectfully. The CEO was bullying the employee…into submission. The same employer was notorious for making employees counter offers after they had given notice of accepting another position. 

Once a person has made up their mind to move on, it serves no one for the employer to try to “buy” them back. If an individual has been under-appreciated or under-paid, it is too late to recover the working relationship once the employee has given "notice." I have always lived by the standard that if someone must find another job in order to get an equitable pay or title - it is time to ride on down the road.

- Remember jobs are business - not personal. 

- If you allow it to become personal or your employer tries to make it personal by emotional manipulation, you will end up doing things that are not in your best career or personal interest.

All the Best,

Jessica Bond

quiting
bullies
bosses

I’m late, I’m late…for a very important work date!

A few years ago, I was traveling to Austin, Texas for a job interview. Exhausted from long work hours at the hospital and an early a.m. red-eye flight, I somehow did not change airplanes in Dallas. It was very strange that the airline stewards did not notice the extra passenger inbound to Houston. I thought they counted passengers before take off?

About an hour later to my horror, I heard the pilot say “prepare for landing in Houston.” I remember asking the people next to me…”What did he say?” Looking out the window, it clearly was not Austin. Talk about an adrenalin rush….I could not believe what had happened.

It was a “being late nightmare” that I hope to never experience again. I called the recruiter and explained that I had missed my connection to Austin and was now in Houston. I began flipping out the credit cards to purchase a flight from Houston to Austin. Although I was incredibly late for the interview, my interview went very well and was eventually offered the job. This whole incident could have blown the interview fortunately a cool head and knowing exactly what they were looking for in a candidate payed off.

As for being exhausted, whatever you have to do – get plenty of rest before important meeting. Strange things happen when people are exhausted!  And always check your flight itinerary!

~ Jessica Bond, Medical Careerist


job interview
time management

Secret Salaries?

In Donald Trump’s Blog, Italy Posts Salaries Online, he explores whether or not salaries should be made public. Apparently, it was a disaster when Italy posted the salaries.

Typically, financial matters of the company are a "need to know" basis. Employees entrusted with payroll information are held to a high standard of confidentiality and if breeched often face termination. In academic medicine (government institutions), salaries are a matter of public record. Anyone can make a trip to a certain Medical School Library (or through public records request) and ask for the state budget and spend more hours than you could possibly endure....looking up everyone's salary.  

In the private sector, salaries should be confidential. Certainly, employees are curious, but you may discover information that will make you miserable and ruin working relationships.  My advice is to know the market rate for your skills and ensure that you have a career strategy that moves you along with a competitive salary. 

Remember, good employees can always find better jobs - focus on doing your best and keeping your skills sharp. 

If an employer is not paying market rate, there are plenty of other options for high performers. 

All the best (and the highest salary),

~ Jessica Bond, Medical Careerist

salary
personal finance

Divorce and Your Career

Penelope Trunk’s recent article in the London Guardian gives London’s readers some great advice about maintaining your professional image while enduring the divorce process. I remember the first day at work after I filed for divorce. I was unlocking my office door around 8 a.m. sharp and the telephone was ringing as I walked in. 

In my city, divorces are printed in the legal notice section in the newspaper along with all the other lawsuits. As I soon learned, people in healthcare read the legal notices daily as physicians and hospitals live in a litigious world and keep abreast of all the newly filed lawsuits. Not only was my divorce listed upon filing but for a second time months later when the divorce was final.

Below are few tips that I found helpful in balancing my career and divorce:

- Divorces are a private matter. You are not obligated to share any of the details with anyone at work.

- Politely thank people for their concern, but keep personal matters private in the workplace. This is tough as you are emotionally vulnerable and need supportive people to talk to you.  Try very hard to seek that support through family members, close friends, and better yet a counselor.

- Focus on your health get adequate sleep, healthy diet, exercise, and a vacation. This is not the time to revert back to your college days of bar hopping and partying.

- Begin planning your new life. Divorces often open up new career possibilities such as moving to a new city or trying a new type of career. Visualize the life you deserve and believe that it will happen. Our thoughts become actions and move us in ways that we do not understand.

Most of all, I hope that you never have to endure a divorce.  If divorce happens, be good to yourself and allow it to be a private matter at work.

~ Jessica Bond, Medical Careerist

divorce

You're Fired (The Patient)

This week “Rural Doctoring” blog “Firing a Patient” reminds me of my days as a Physician Practice Administrator. I was shocked the first time that I was asked by a physician to assist them in firing a patient. After all, we are in the business of providing care for patients. I wondered how this could ever happen.

After a few times in assisting various doctors in “patient firings,” the unfortunate reasons became clear that it was the appropriate, inevitable decision. Here are some examples of what will get you fired as a patient:

- Drug seeking: Doctors are not drug dealers!

- Non-compliance: Patient refuses to follow physician orders which creates a detriment to their health.

- Abusive Language: Patient uses abusive language with the physician and/or the staff. This creates a hostile work environment that must be addressed from the employer’s perspective.

- Physical Threats: If you threaten bodily harm to your physician and/or staff, not only could you be fired, but the police may be called.

Have you ever fired a patient or been fired as a patient?



~ Jessica Bond, Medical Careerist


physician
firing patient

In the beginning, bras were burned….now there’s hosiery.

In the sixties, women burned their bras. In the year 2008 (and a few years earlier), women are trashing their hosiery. A Wall Street Journal article by Christina Binkley titled “Bare-Legged Ladies: Hosiery 
Reveals Office Divide” published on June 5, 2008 has created quite an up tick in Internet traffic. As for me, I have been a “die hard” hosiery woman since - forever it seems. Hosiery never bothered me, but for some strange reason this summer I woke up in a new world and ventured bare legged into work… Maybe, it was that trip to the jungle in April that did it. Now that all my insect bites are healed, I emerged from the jungle with a light tan on my legs.

It’s been a couple of weeks getting in the habit of not wearing hose. I suddenly realized that I much cooler and comfortable. It still feels weird. I was looking around in Starbucks this morning and ladies of all ages in suits and office attire for the most part were not wearing hose. Just checking to ensure, it is really o.k. to be bare legged.

As for the response at work, I have caught a few more looks at my legs. I am very serious about my professional image so I’m not quite sure about some of those looks. For now, my legs are bare and the hosiery is headed to the trash.

What do you think about bare legs at work?

~ Jessica Bond, Medical Careerist

hosiery
dress for success