Practice Makes a Career

With summer jobs on the horizon, professionals recall the first jobs that launched their careers. Read more, then write your own #CareerLaunch post.

More than 30 years ago, I was accepted in a graduate student residency program for hospital administration at our Kaiser Permanente facility in San Francisco. I remember being excited about the opportunity, and I dove in head first.

I was honored to work for a wonderful leader and mentor, Ms. Alva Wheatley, and this student residency led to a full-time job. I continued to be promoted, and over the years I steadily rose in the organization. Three years ago, I was named CEO of Kaiser Permanente and I became Chairman of the Board in January 2014. I hope that’s an encouraging story for people considering internships in 2016. Take that first job seriously, and you never know where it can lead!

This year more than 600 interns will join Kaiser Permanente in all areas of the company — medical residents, undergraduate and graduate interns in every business function and region, and high school seniors, who have the chance to try out a career in health care. Historically, more than 40 percent of those interns are hired after completing their degrees following an internship. Internships are an important first step and give you the opportunity to demonstrate your motivation and knowledge. Use the time well, and you will be recognized as a potential employee who will be entering the work force. Every individual has the potential to become a future leader or contributor.

Since the days of my residency program, I’ve thought quite a bit about what advice I have for incoming interns and young professionals. It’s simple: practice your chosen profession. Improve constantly. Seek out people who are willing to mentor and teach you. Express your freedom of speech and also understand your obligations.

I love to watch sports, and I see athletes like Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors constantly practicing, doing drills, and then practicing some more. Yet, many of us don’t think about our careers in the same way.

That’s why I share the importance of becoming a business athlete with the interns working in our organization. Every day I work at getting better: delivering results, executing with precision, studying new ideas and innovative theories, and thinking strategically.

You can do the same, whether it’s communications, technology, accounting, or more. Over time, your dedication to practicing will show, and you will be more confident in — and respected for — your proven area of expertise.

What’s also important is that you find an organization that resonates with your north star, or personal passion. It’s much easier to practice your craft if you know that your efforts are somehow making a contribution to what you believe is important.

I’ve been in health care since I decided as a young boy I wanted to focus on making lives better. Even in my current role, I still practice and go home every evening appreciating the opportunities I’ve had — and the great start I gained — by joining Kaiser Permanente as an intern more than 30 years ago.

More posts on this topic:

• “Here’s the Scoop: Why My First Job Mattered” — President Barack Obama
• “How Winning This Contest Changed My Life” — Oprah Winfrey
• “My First Job Lasted One Summer — But It Changed the Way I See the World” — Katie Couric, Yahoo Global News Anchor  
• “Dream Big But Be Humble: Lessons That Led Me from the Factory Floor to the Executive Floor” — Ralph de la Vega, Vice Chairman of AT&T, Inc.
• “Before I Became a Stylist, I Sold Shoes at the Mall. Here's What I Learned.” — Rachel Zoe, CEO, Rachel Zoe, Inc.; Editor-in-Chief, The Zoe Report
• “What Designing a Shampoo Bottle Taught Me About Business” — Meg Whitman, CEO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• “Just Starting Out: The Life-Shaping Potential of Our First Jobs” — Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief at The Huffington Post Media Group
• “What I Lacked in Qualifications I Learned to Make Up with Courage” — Suze Orman, television host and motivational speaker
• “What I Gained from Choosing the Rocky Road” — Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
• “Summer Jobs Are Your First Shot at the ‘Grown-Up World.’ Soak Up as Much as You Can.” — Adena Friedman, President and COO at Nasdaq
• “Everyone Should Have Access to That First Job” — Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama
• “Remember Your First Job?” — Tom Perez, Secretary of Labor at U.S. Department of Labor
• “Employers: Young Workers Are Your Diamonds in the Rough” — Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator at US Small Business Administration