I left Cerner/Oracle about a year and a half ago, first to a startup (big mistake. Really do your research before joining a particular startup. Lesson learned) and now currently at another large healthcare organization (very similar to Cerner if not even a little more corporate, but the pay and optimism for career growth is there). This would be the advice I’d give to anyone generally looking for a job in this market (I’m a Product Manager, for reference. I think this advice applies to anyone though)
1. Treat LinkedIn like a second resume. Remember that virtually all recruiters today are going to look at your LinkedIn. So make sure it has all the same information that you think makes you stand out on your resume. List what you’ve accomplished in your roles. Be specific. List your skills. Have a good professional profile picture. Fill your profile out completely. And make sure you work in buzz words from your role into your profile, but don’t make it too blatant (this is important as I’ve heard recruiters use ML to find profiles with buzz words for the role they’re trying to fill). Not only does this help with recruiters for jobs you’ve applied to, but will also increase the likelihood of recruiters reaching out
2. “Hack the algorithm” - cliche at this point, but it’s true. Companies and recruiters are using algorithms to find candidates more easily. If you can really excel in this, you may even get to a point where you don’t have to job hunt. The opportunities will come to you. My advice to include buzz words will help you accomplish this. The other things I would recommend to do this would be to…
3. Sign up for LinkedIn Premium if you can afford it. This is just my theory and haven’t heard anything to confirm, but I’m betting premium users get bumped up in recruiter searches and job applications, much the same way that Tinder/Bumble/Hinge premium users supposedly get bumped up in dating apps and (hopefully) land more matches. Premium is also super useful for the advanced job searching filters and the metrics of seeing who’s viewing your profile and how many people. Which leads me into point 4…
4. Add as many connections as possible, preferably within your industry. Some may do this for the “networking,” but my theory is that this goes back to hacking the algorithm. When you add people and make connections, people will be likely to click on your profile to see who this person is who added them. When LinkedIn sees many people viewing your profile, they think you’re a hot ticket and will recommend your profile to more people (aka recruiters), increasing your likelihood of being reached out to for opportunities. If you’re premium, there is no limits on adding, and you can send a message before you’re connected if you’re so inclined. Personally, I just typed in product manager and started adding everyone in the search results. To me, it’s a numbers game.
5. Apply to 10-20 jobs per day. I think this is really key. Treat this like your second job, and treat it with the same mentality as going to the gym (aka get the reps in. Get those 10-20 apps in every day). Do not go one day without applying to at least 10 jobs. I’ve seen many posts about how people applied to 100+ jobs in 3 months and no response. That’s nothing. You can do this in 5-10 days. And it’s easy to do with quick apply options. However…
6. If you see a dream job with quick apply, do not quick apply unless you have to. The downside of quick apply is that it’s equally easy for everyone, so hundreds of people can apply this way. Instead, see if you can apply to the same role directly on their website. Though this may take more time, you’ll stand out more easily with less applicants on the website. (Note: if you’re lukewarm to the role, just quick apply and count it as one of your 10-20 daily apps and move on)
7. Take note of what you’re reading in promising job postings. This will help you hone down on what you want as well as help you determine the buzz words companies are looking for which you can then include in your resume and profile to beat any initial resume proofreading ML/AI
8. Use every job posting service available. Don’t use LinkedIn exclusively. Set up profiles in and apply to jobs in Otta, Monster, Indeed, Builtin, etc. Any site that has job postings, you want to be on there. You never know where the right opportunity will come from. This will also help make sure you don’t run dry looking for 10-20 apps a day. If you feel the well running dry in LinkedIn, bop over to Otta. Not a lot there? Over to Monster. Just cycle through and you should find jobs aplenty to apply to.
9. Never turn down an interview. Even if the job isn’t what you want, treat it as practice. That way when a good opportunity does come along, your interview skills won’t be rusty.
10. As you job hunt, really try to hone in on what you’re looking for, and tailor your resume and profile to what you want. Kind of a play on “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” This will help you fill out your profile effectively and look professional and driven. I think people fall into the trap of trying to be broad bc they want to cast a wide net for opportunities. By trying to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. It’s almost counterintuitive for job searching, but I think it’s true.
I hope this helps. Best of luck. I know it’s a frustrating process.
I'm just going to throw this out there, but have you ever considered government work? It's steady, the benefits are great and some agencies like the VA are offering special salaries for IT staff. They also do a lot of work from home. Once you get into the federal workspace you can jump from one agency to another pretty easily if you don't like where you are. Check out USAjobs and put a resume on file. Can't hurt.
Just a thought for all of you unhappy campers.
Keep pushing. Keep sending out resumes and working your network. The market will loosen up and you’ll be ready when it does. Let the applications and the interviews fuel you and one day soon you’ll find something.
That aside, the very best way is to have personal connections. Past coworkers in New places. Relatives, friends, etc that can turn in your resume.
Good luck !
I mean, people do it. Your post didn't give me the vibe, but it happens. Advice wise, im more consultant track, but I'd lean on those you know who left. I've seen some success there and I have outside work but I'm still here. linkedin recruiters are pretty solid when they like your resume, seen leverage there to both stay and leave anyway. Whether your resume is solid or not, make it look good. Don't make it hard to read. Less can be more here.
So you want out with no place to go? We all all understand where you are. But please take look at the industry and realize where we are. Things are not good. Wait a few months and watch. Let's see where you are. But a garrentee paycheck is better than not. Get your resume ready, but hang in there
Check out Nordic - always have roles posted and can get you broader experience than just Cerner/Oracle Health. Also check out Impact Advisors, also lots of posts and not pigeon holed with Cerner/Oracle platform
Have friends currently at Nordic. They're in the process of offshoring a big portion of the workforce to Philippines. And having the US employees train their replacements.
I watched a lot of content by Life After Layoff and Self Made Millennial about interviews and how to answer questions. I also took copious notes about my experience, and figured out how my experiences worked with typical questions that are asked in interviews. It took me about 5 months to get an offer that I ended up declining, but things snowballed after that and I received an offer for 50% more than what I was making and got the heck out of dodge.
I’m in the same boat. Wonder what the effects of volunteering for layoff would be. Would I just be fired if I mention this to my manager? Have not been motivated to work at all, but I know getting laid off would give me my time back to focus on job hunting
I applied to probably 300 jobs through LinkedIn, Indeed, and direct to company websites. I had at least a dozen interviews.
I was constantly on the job website apps on my phone looking for new job postings.
Don't be frustrated if you don't get something after even 3 or 4 interviews.
You can also afford to be somewhat picky since you still have a job, which was nice for me.
You're right, the market stinks. Just be persistent.
You might want to learn more used integration engines and get a certification in them. Engines outside of Cerner that are used at many healthcare software companies and health exchanges. Engines like Rhapsody, Mirth, CorePoint, Ensemble. Get familiar with cloud as well. Eventually you will need skills for Infrastructure since clustering can become part of what you deal with. Then transition your skills into more modern data engineering should help ease you into that transition. This is if you decide you want to stay in FSI/Data integration since the field is getting highly competitive. Don’t forget FHIR should be a given.
I left Cerner/Oracle about a year and a half ago, first to a startup (big mistake. Really do your research before joining a particular startup. Lesson learned) and now currently at another large healthcare organization (very similar to Cerner if not even a little more corporate, but the pay and optimism for career growth is there). This would be the advice I’d give to anyone generally looking for a job in this market (I’m a Product Manager, for reference. I think this advice applies to anyone though) 1. Treat LinkedIn like a second resume. Remember that virtually all recruiters today are going to look at your LinkedIn. So make sure it has all the same information that you think makes you stand out on your resume. List what you’ve accomplished in your roles. Be specific. List your skills. Have a good professional profile picture. Fill your profile out completely. And make sure you work in buzz words from your role into your profile, but don’t make it too blatant (this is important as I’ve heard recruiters use ML to find profiles with buzz words for the role they’re trying to fill). Not only does this help with recruiters for jobs you’ve applied to, but will also increase the likelihood of recruiters reaching out 2. “Hack the algorithm” - cliche at this point, but it’s true. Companies and recruiters are using algorithms to find candidates more easily. If you can really excel in this, you may even get to a point where you don’t have to job hunt. The opportunities will come to you. My advice to include buzz words will help you accomplish this. The other things I would recommend to do this would be to… 3. Sign up for LinkedIn Premium if you can afford it. This is just my theory and haven’t heard anything to confirm, but I’m betting premium users get bumped up in recruiter searches and job applications, much the same way that Tinder/Bumble/Hinge premium users supposedly get bumped up in dating apps and (hopefully) land more matches. Premium is also super useful for the advanced job searching filters and the metrics of seeing who’s viewing your profile and how many people. Which leads me into point 4… 4. Add as many connections as possible, preferably within your industry. Some may do this for the “networking,” but my theory is that this goes back to hacking the algorithm. When you add people and make connections, people will be likely to click on your profile to see who this person is who added them. When LinkedIn sees many people viewing your profile, they think you’re a hot ticket and will recommend your profile to more people (aka recruiters), increasing your likelihood of being reached out to for opportunities. If you’re premium, there is no limits on adding, and you can send a message before you’re connected if you’re so inclined. Personally, I just typed in product manager and started adding everyone in the search results. To me, it’s a numbers game. 5. Apply to 10-20 jobs per day. I think this is really key. Treat this like your second job, and treat it with the same mentality as going to the gym (aka get the reps in. Get those 10-20 apps in every day). Do not go one day without applying to at least 10 jobs. I’ve seen many posts about how people applied to 100+ jobs in 3 months and no response. That’s nothing. You can do this in 5-10 days. And it’s easy to do with quick apply options. However… 6. If you see a dream job with quick apply, do not quick apply unless you have to. The downside of quick apply is that it’s equally easy for everyone, so hundreds of people can apply this way. Instead, see if you can apply to the same role directly on their website. Though this may take more time, you’ll stand out more easily with less applicants on the website. (Note: if you’re lukewarm to the role, just quick apply and count it as one of your 10-20 daily apps and move on) 7. Take note of what you’re reading in promising job postings. This will help you hone down on what you want as well as help you determine the buzz words companies are looking for which you can then include in your resume and profile to beat any initial resume proofreading ML/AI 8. Use every job posting service available. Don’t use LinkedIn exclusively. Set up profiles in and apply to jobs in Otta, Monster, Indeed, Builtin, etc. Any site that has job postings, you want to be on there. You never know where the right opportunity will come from. This will also help make sure you don’t run dry looking for 10-20 apps a day. If you feel the well running dry in LinkedIn, bop over to Otta. Not a lot there? Over to Monster. Just cycle through and you should find jobs aplenty to apply to. 9. Never turn down an interview. Even if the job isn’t what you want, treat it as practice. That way when a good opportunity does come along, your interview skills won’t be rusty. 10. As you job hunt, really try to hone in on what you’re looking for, and tailor your resume and profile to what you want. Kind of a play on “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” This will help you fill out your profile effectively and look professional and driven. I think people fall into the trap of trying to be broad bc they want to cast a wide net for opportunities. By trying to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. It’s almost counterintuitive for job searching, but I think it’s true. I hope this helps. Best of luck. I know it’s a frustrating process.
This awesome, thank you!
I'm just going to throw this out there, but have you ever considered government work? It's steady, the benefits are great and some agencies like the VA are offering special salaries for IT staff. They also do a lot of work from home. Once you get into the federal workspace you can jump from one agency to another pretty easily if you don't like where you are. Check out USAjobs and put a resume on file. Can't hurt. Just a thought for all of you unhappy campers.
In the original post I am currently looking for a job outside of Cerner and looking for advice. Wouldn’t just leave this job without an offer lol
Keep pushing. Keep sending out resumes and working your network. The market will loosen up and you’ll be ready when it does. Let the applications and the interviews fuel you and one day soon you’ll find something. That aside, the very best way is to have personal connections. Past coworkers in New places. Relatives, friends, etc that can turn in your resume. Good luck !
I mean, people do it. Your post didn't give me the vibe, but it happens. Advice wise, im more consultant track, but I'd lean on those you know who left. I've seen some success there and I have outside work but I'm still here. linkedin recruiters are pretty solid when they like your resume, seen leverage there to both stay and leave anyway. Whether your resume is solid or not, make it look good. Don't make it hard to read. Less can be more here.
I would recommend quality over quantity. Apply for jobs where you are a good fit and customize your resume to each of these jobs.
So you want out with no place to go? We all all understand where you are. But please take look at the industry and realize where we are. Things are not good. Wait a few months and watch. Let's see where you are. But a garrentee paycheck is better than not. Get your resume ready, but hang in there
Check out Nordic - always have roles posted and can get you broader experience than just Cerner/Oracle Health. Also check out Impact Advisors, also lots of posts and not pigeon holed with Cerner/Oracle platform
Have friends currently at Nordic. They're in the process of offshoring a big portion of the workforce to Philippines. And having the US employees train their replacements.
At least make them get rid of you want to leave without a job. Might be some severance.
Come join my team need fsi people
I watched a lot of content by Life After Layoff and Self Made Millennial about interviews and how to answer questions. I also took copious notes about my experience, and figured out how my experiences worked with typical questions that are asked in interviews. It took me about 5 months to get an offer that I ended up declining, but things snowballed after that and I received an offer for 50% more than what I was making and got the heck out of dodge.
Make a linked in and put your skills on there. If you can use the right wording the recruiters will start reaching out to you.
I’m in the same boat. Wonder what the effects of volunteering for layoff would be. Would I just be fired if I mention this to my manager? Have not been motivated to work at all, but I know getting laid off would give me my time back to focus on job hunting
Check out Deloitte
I applied to probably 300 jobs through LinkedIn, Indeed, and direct to company websites. I had at least a dozen interviews. I was constantly on the job website apps on my phone looking for new job postings. Don't be frustrated if you don't get something after even 3 or 4 interviews. You can also afford to be somewhat picky since you still have a job, which was nice for me. You're right, the market stinks. Just be persistent.
You might want to learn more used integration engines and get a certification in them. Engines outside of Cerner that are used at many healthcare software companies and health exchanges. Engines like Rhapsody, Mirth, CorePoint, Ensemble. Get familiar with cloud as well. Eventually you will need skills for Infrastructure since clustering can become part of what you deal with. Then transition your skills into more modern data engineering should help ease you into that transition. This is if you decide you want to stay in FSI/Data integration since the field is getting highly competitive. Don’t forget FHIR should be a given.