In about a month, tens of thousands of healthcare IT professionals are going to be gathered in Las Vegas for HIMSS12. With a small city’s worth of talent in one place, this is a great opportunity for the 1,000+ exhibitors to recruit.

This is also a great opportunity for job seeker.  If you’re attending HIMSS12 and looking for job openings, here are a few tips to get the most out of the event:

1. Screen potential employers. Talk to the employees at the booth to see how they like working for their organization. Pick up literature on the organization to learn more about the products and culture.
2. Learn. In addition to the numerous education sessions, take advantage of product demos at vendor booths. If you aren’t familiar with a certain product, this is a chance for you to gain some knowledge and ask questions. You never know when this information will come in handy.
3. Be prepared. Bring copies of your current resume and have them readily accessible. (Scrambling through your bag to produce a wrinkled document isn’t the best first impression.)
4. Network. All the sponsored receptions and parties provide ways for you to network the heck out the conference. VPs are likely to attend these events. When people are in a social environment, they usually become more approachable and loquacious.
5. Plan in advance. The HIMSS12 Career Services Center features organizations that are holding onsite interviews. Some are there for the entire event or for one day. Check himss.org and HIMSS12 show publications to find out which organizations are participating as well as other exhibitors planning on have recruiters onsite so you can schedule an interview.

There is one final tip: be discreet and make sure your current coworkers aren’t in the vicinity. Last year, at HIMSS11, I witnessed one job seeker have an awkward encounter with a co-worker. Since they were both doing a HIMSS JobMine demo, I don’t know who was more embarrassed. Another job seeker didn’t realize his company was participating in the pavilion and conducting interviews. He made a hasty retreat before being discovered.

I guess there is some risk involved, but if navigated properly, HIMSS12 is a land of opportunity and your odds of making a career connection are good - probably the best odds in Vegas.

E.J. Fechenda is the Audience Data Manager for MedTech Media. Since 2008 she has helped manage Healthcare Finance JobSpot and Healthcare IT JobSpot - now merged with HIMSS JobMine. She is not a Human Resources professional, nor a healthcare expert, but over the years she's accumulated a lot of feedback and insight from both job seekers and employers alike. Each week E.J. will deliver a blog based on this information. One week will be employer focused and the next week, job seeker focused.