As autumn approaches, many residents and fellows will begin their physician job search to find their perfect job post-training. Unlike pre-COVID job seekers, there isn’t a known process for how the hiring process will look. There are dozens of news articles every day with states going back and forth on mask mandates and social distancing restrictions. The job search can be stressful enough, so let’s take a retrospective look at what we’ve learned from the past year.
- Start your search sooner than you think you should. It is a general guideline to start your physician job search approximately 12-18 months before your desired start date. How early you should start will depend on your specialty and geographic preferences as well. If you are unfamiliar with the city/state that you are job searching in, do some research to find out how in-demand your specialty is. If you notice that there is not a high demand for your specialty in that area, you will also need to develop a plan of how you will pivot your search. This may include widening your job search radius or looking in a new area entirely. Starting your physician job search early allows a cushion period if you need to adjust, or if there is a hiring freeze for your specialty as we saw in 2020.
- Become familiar with virtual interviews and the technology involved. You may have received tips from colleagues on how to prepare for interviews, but if you are not a tech-savvy physician, or just unfamiliar with using a virtual platform, fear not! Most platforms used for virtual interviews like Zoom or Skype will have directions on how to download and provide videos on how to use them. You may need to also invest in some hardware like a headset, microphone, or camera. You do not need to have a full YouTube blogger set up with ring lights or high-end microphones, but you do not need to have a mic and camera that function. If you do not have an office that you can use for your interview, some platforms will offer an office background filter or a blur filter, so the focus is on you and not your apartment/home.
- Be prepared for the unexpected. It seems like each year during flu season we see offices go down one at a time as it spreads through, and it is doing the same for the COVID. Be prepared to have your interview possibly rescheduled or moved from an in-person to a virtual one. Even though we cannot predict or control what will happen, knowing that there is a possibility the interview can change will save you from the shock when it happens.
Don’t put your search off until the last minute only to be frustrated with hiring freezes or the lack of opportunities available in your area. This also gives you time to negotiate your contract and not start later than you planned. Start your search today with PracticeMatch!
Hayley Woszczynski - Physician & Program Relations Manager. You can stay connected with me on LinkedIn for all of the latest PracticeMatch articles and upcoming events.