During your job search, you will read through countless physician opportunity postings describing the position and giving you information about the organization. Some opportunities are going to be the right fit for you, but before you apply, there are a few things you will need to do:
Create or update your CV.
Your CV is often the first glimpse into you as a physician. Your CV should promote you as a viable candidate, so make sure to tailor your CV to the opportunity. The type of opportunity you are applying for will determine how you describe your past positions, as well as the information you need to include. For example, if you are applying to an academic position, you will have more information about your research, publications, and teaching experiences than someone who is applying to a hospital position. Your CV should reflect the type of opportunity you are applying for, so before you submit it make sure you have updated it to do so.
Prep your references.
You more than likely already know who you will ask to be a personal or professional reference for you. Once you have found an opportunity that you are going to apply for, you should prepare those references to write letters for you and let prepare them to potentially receive a phone call regarding the opportunity. You can let your references know about what type of opportunity it is, who the opportunity is with, and what type of skills or experiences you would like them to highlight. You do not want to spring this on a person at the last second, so give them plenty of notice.
Clean up social media.
This is one step many applicants forget about. Social media is a necessary evil for many, so make sure that your social media represents you in a positive light. Check your privacy settings to see if those who are not connected with you can see your information or can tag you in posts and pictures. Make sure that your personal and professional accounts have the appropriate security settings. You should also make sure that you do not have inappropriate pictures or postings that may take you out of the running as a candidate.
Prepare additional materials.
You may have only posted a selection of your research, presentations, and publications, so make sure that you are preparing a document that includes all of the information. Doing this before applying will save you from rushing to create the complete bibliography at a later time.
Taking the time to prepare the items that are needed before you apply will save you the stress of rushing to complete the documents. Once you have started the application process, you do not want the recruiter to have to wait on you to create and send over documents. This will give you time to focus on more important items like preparing to answer interview questions and read more about the organization.