Monday, February 12, 2007

Kicking Your 2007 Job Search in High Gear!

HOLY COW! YOU NEED A JOB.

Last you checked the calendar, your training ends SOON. You need to have a job in the next three to four months. How are you going to get that done?

Job Search Tips - Get it Done Quick and Right

Be sure your CV is in top form and your cover letter is compelling.

If you have any question about how good your CV or cover letter might be; get help. Ask someone to critique it. Do that first thing. The single most important documents in a search are these. If you have been searching and aren’t getting good results – suspect your CV needs work. Who to ask? a) The placement office at the school where you are training; b) invite the department secretary to proof it for you and offer formatting tips; c) ask a physician recruiter to make suggestions – recruiters look at hundreds of CVs each year and can give you good constructive feedback.

Get the word out.

Post a web appropriate CV on a specialty specific job board indicating your search parameters. Using job boards like the NAPR’s World Job Bank at www.napr.org ; or the NCHCR’s www.mdrecruiter.com are good options for getting your credentials in front of ethical, well qualified independent physician recruiters. Also you can, a) do a Google search for physician recruiting firms; b) using www.superpages.com search for physician recruiters in the geographic area you are seeking; c) check out the career center associated with your training program and find the names of recruiters who seem to have the kinds of jobs you are interested in; d) look for opportunities on any number of job boards including www.CareerMD.com .

Get your MOVE’N on! (Momentum; Options, Vetting, Evaluate, Negotiate)

Momentum refers to getting your CV and cover letter in front of hiring authorities within the geographic location where you want to live. a) You can do this yourself. b) You can hire a resume or CV distribution service to do it for you. c) or you can enlist the assistance of an independent physician recruiter who will market your credentials into hiring authorities in that area.

Options result from getting your credentials in front of hiring authorities and getting you into the telephone screening process. This enables you to learn more about practice opportunities getting to the stage where you can select from among three to ten possible employment options. Determine which options are your top priorities. Where do you want to spend your time? In other words, you aren’t going to marry the first person you date and you aren’t going to take or look at only one job option; but decide which options fit you best and prioritize how you work through the process with them.

Vetting happens as you do your onsite interviews and as you are selecting your top choices. It requires you apply due diligence assuring each practices you interview with meets your expectations on all levels, personal, professional and that the compensation is adequate to start. Talk with all the physician employees if possible. Talk with anyone you can find who might have recently left the practice to learn the reasons for leaving. Talk to the newest hire and examine how that individual’s expectation differed from what s/he anticipated. This stage of the process is your version of “reference” checking. Talk with everyone you can to learn the reputation and practice style and personality of the group.

Evaluate is the step after vetting where you have all your information in front of you and it is time to make a decision about which practice to join. Perhaps your options are obvious, but more than likely you might be torn. Take the time to evaluate the pros and cons of each situation. Please note that I do not advocate selecting a practice situation only based on the compensation. While that is an important aspect it is not the only feature. You can be very well paid and still be miserable. Think about how you feel when you are with your prospective colleagues. Is the practice an environment where you can flourish?

Negotiate with all the information in front of you it is time to decide which practice you want and negotiate for the compensation package that is appropriate. Here if you are working with a recruiter, I think you have an advantage. The recruiter certainly knows what is appropriate in the market where the practice is located. S/he knows how to take the “personalities” out of the process and to get to the most desirable outcome. A good recruiter will serve as your advocate and as the practice’s ally to assure that the outcome is win-win for both.

I wish you success with your search. Please know that finding and starting a new job are some of the most stressful activities you’ll encounter, but they can be well managed and are oh so rewarding. If you would like a free personal consultation about your job search, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to brainstorm with you.

Happy job hunting in 2007.

Lynden

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