How to jumpstart your medical job search in 2019

 

The demand for physicians is at an all-time high, but that still doesn't mean you can just walk into a desirable position. Hospital leaders and in-house recruiters take time to screen and qualify skilled professionals while taking into consideration cultural fit and soft skills. According to the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters 2018 Benchmarking Report, the average time to fill a position in 2017 was just over 200 days.

To speed up your physician job search, consider the following tips:

Utilize online physician job boards

We live in a digital world, so it should come as no surprise that online job boards represent the most common way recruiters fill medical positions, as revealed by ASPR. Not only do job boards account for the most overall filled positions, but they also serve as a highly significant source of hires for a number of specialties. For example, 36 percent of all preventive medicine roles are filled this way. If you're not using these boards, you could be missing out on more than a third of the available opportunities.

Leverage your professional network

In most industries, networking is one of the best ways to get a job. Recruiters and hiring managers prefer candidates who are referred by a current or past employee because the referral has a deep understanding of the organization's cultural and professional needs.

ASPR found that 11 percent of all medical positions are filled through referrals. Connect with your previous coworkers and academic peers to identify organizations that are searching for professionals with your unique set of skills.

Attend physician career fairs

Though much of the job search process has been digitized, there's no substitute for face-to-face interactions. Recruiters want to know how you will interact with patients and coworkers on the job, and career fairs represent one of the best ways to glean this information prior to making a hiring decision.

Importantly, career fairs give job seekers the benefit of being able to meet with representatives of multiple organizations. This gives you the ability to judge which type of employer you are most likely to enjoy working with. Plus, fairs provide a platform to expand your professional network.

A physician job search can take months to complete, but yours doesn't have to. Find all of the resources you need to succeed at myHealthTalent.com today. To speed up your physician job search, consider the following tips.