As July gets closer, many final-year residents and fellows will begin their job search. For the past 5 years, I have had physicians ask a multitude of questions about recruitment and the job search. One common theme that came up was, “Well my attending said….” Or, “I talked to my friend that graduated last year, and they said…”. Reaching out to colleagues is great, but this can lead to some confusion about physician recruitment.
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I shouldn’t review job postings until I’m ready to apply
I often have residents ask when they should start their job search because they don’t want to start too early. The truth is you can start as early as your intern year. Even though you can do this, doesn’t mean that you should be looking at jobs every day or applying to opportunities. Review job postings in your specialty and desired geographic area to determine what may or may not want in an opportunity. Then, once you are ready to actively search and apply for jobs you will have a head start! -
Jobs with higher pay are the best jobs to pursue
Money is an important part of our lives, but a high-paying job does not mean it’s a better job. Before you begin applying to jobs, find out what the average salary for your specialty in that geographic area is. If you notice that a job posting is offering significantly more than the average salary you may need to take a closer look. Some organizations will use a high salary to distract physicians from red flags or known issues. A higher salary can equate to a difficult physician to work with, lack of staff, bad company culture, or lack of resources. Don’t let the money cloud your decision making and look at the whole situation to determine if the money is worth it. If it seems too good to be true, reach out to the recruiter to discuss the position more in-depth as well as ask questions. - Networking isn't a big part of physician recruitment
It used to surprise me at conferences or career fairs when I would see physicians huddled in groups talking to other physicians and ignoring recruiters. Make sure when you attend events that you do spend a portion networking, which can be as simple as connecting with the recruiter on LinkedIn or exchanging emails. Networking can present new opportunities that you wouldn’t have known of because some recruiters will reach out to their connections first before heavily sourcing for the position.
Looking for more job search tips? Download the Physician Career Guidebook!