JPS Recruiters Live: 3 Things Residents Need to Know to Land a Great First Job

You can watch the recording of JPS Recruiters Live: 3 Things Residents Need to Know to Land a Great First Job on our Facebook page. (10 mins.)

What you need to know, before we get started, is that now is the time for you to be preparing yourself for the perfect job opportunity.

Why Now?

• Credentialing process: On average will take 90 – 120 days
• Phone interviews and site visits: 30 – 45 days, longer if considering multiple offers
• Decision making: Some organizations move faster than others but prepare for a 30-day process
• Contract review, revisions, and signing: At least 30 days

When things are going smoothly, you are looking at a process that will take six to eight months from the first date of contact.

Things to Consider

1. Play the Long Game

• • Finances – The financial aspect of your first job can be broken down into the immediate monetary value (salary, sign-on bonus, loan forgiveness, etc.), and more importantly, the long-term wealth-building opportunity of the position. Consider how the job will set you up for your future including buying a home, starting a family, living within the lifestyle of your choice, and even potentially retiring early.
  • Impact – Your career choices have an impact on every aspect of your life. Internally, you should consider what type of impact you will be able to impart on the practice and setting you choose. From an external perspective, consider the impact you can have on the community and patients you will serve. Finally, it is important to consider how your career choice impacts yourself, your family, and your future.
  • Experience – Think about how this first job is going to set you up for the future. What types of experiences will be provided for you and what do you want to gain from this job.

 

2. Embrace Your Brand

1. • Millennial Pride – Yes, you are a millennial and with that comes an intrinsic set of positive attributes. As outlined in Entrepreneur Magazine, millennial employees are naturally curious, very tech-savvy, care about important social issues, and among other things, are great working in teams. Own your “millennial-ness!”
   • Promote Your Brand – Healthcare organizations have finally begun embracing the concept that finding employees who fit their culture and values are their best hires. The same applies to residents who should be looking at opportunities with organizations that match their own values. Embracing the things that you are passionate about and understanding what unique traits you bring to the table will help you make the right choice.
   • First Impressions – You’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point. Be proud of the fact that you are no longer a resident and are stepping out into a fresh start. You are skilled, prepared, and ready to make a difference – Use these attributes to present yourself during the interview process.

 

3. Utilize Available Resources

1. • Don’t Go It Alone – In your profession, most of the time, you are left to your own devices when treating your patients. Sure, you have a team of nurses and others to help, but the decisions come from you. Your first job search doesn’t have to be that way. Finding an established, experienced recruitment partner, like Jackson Physician Search, can open up doors and information that you might otherwise miss.
     • Resources, Access, and Reach – A trusted career partner has resources and established connections throughout the industry that will help you access the right opportunity.
     • Experience, Data, Mentoring – Establishing a relationship with an experienced recruitment firm allows you to tap into a team that has been in the industry for decades. The right firm will provide you with quality, real-time market data showing you where the best jobs can be found.
     • Contract Negotiations – Physician compensation offers can be a tricky, complicated process. Your recruitment partner can help you navigate the hills and valleys of contract negotiations and help keep your mind at ease.
   • Blogs and Articles – There is a lot of information available to any physician who is willing to take the time to stay current on things that are happening in the employment side of the industry. You are already perusing articles through the New England Journal of Medicine, but at this stage of your career, it is also important to stay focused on the job search. Subscribing to professionally presented blog articles, like those found through Jackson Physician Search provides you access to compensation information, industry trends, data analysis, and much more. Other sites and applications we would recommend include Doximity and LinkedIn.

If you want to connect with a trusted, experienced physician recruitment firm with a national presence, contact the professionals at Jackson Physician Search today.