Reprinted from Unique Opportunities,The Physician's Resource, Jan/Feb 2008
A quick review of the most common mistakes candidates make when working directly with the in-house recruiter can make a difference in your own job search. The "in-house" recruiters are employed by the hospital system or medical group. Unlike agency recruiters who are external vendors paid for a service, in-house recruiters consult on every phase of the hiring process.
Be careful with the "send" button
E-mail is forever. In 2006, a Merritt Hawkins and Associates survey of final-year residents found that 77 percent considered the Internet one of their best resources for finding job opportunities. The old saying "you only have one opportunity to make a first impression" has an added nuance today. That first impression is permanently documented in recruiting databases and can be read by many recruiters and forwarded.
Be polite, be prudent
Does it really need to be said that rude, threatening, or inflammatory e-mails are a bad idea? Every recruiter has received e-mails dashed off by frustrated, exhausted residents at 2 a.m. The e-mail is saved letter for letter as a permanent and unflattering reflection of your judgment and temperament.
Money shouldn't lead
Follow the recruiter's lead and wait until compensation comes up in the natural flow of the conversation. "In talking about how the compensation system works, it's perfectly okay to ask what the base+bonus compensation range is expected to look like.
Tailor your geographic target
"When asked to specify geographic preferences on line, pick a region or a few states rather than just one city," says Tony Stajduhar, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for HEALTHeCAREERS.com. The stated preferences help a recruiter gauge whether its hospital's opportunity might be a fit for you. "If you get tunnel vision and don't visit several areas that meet your basic criteria, you might miss out on an ideal location that will give you an even better mix of lifestyle, work environment, and community than you expected," Stajduhar says.
Proofread and spell check
The beautifully crafted CV and cover e-mail in October is tempered by the first 3 am cryptic note, "snd more info. Do u know $$?" Use the spell-check option as the way you present yourself on the CV and cover letter is interpreted as a reflection of your detail orientation.
Phone Etiquette 101
Don't talk if you shouldn't
Nobody makes their best impression when exhausted, and even good reasons (like busy call) don't fully offset that flat affect and slow uptake. Lastly, don't take the call if you have a 2-year-old just winding up a tantrum.
Leave a good voice-mail
Speak clearly and spell your last name. Mention your specialty and refer to the ad that prompted your call. Reference the job location or ad header rather than an identification number.
Know your geography
If you don't recognize a city name or don't know the area, Google before you talk to the recruiter. If your reason for responding to the ad is grounded in faulty geography, you're wasting both your time and the recruiter's.
Paint a verbal picture
Early in your job search, come up with a brief explanation of who you are and what you want. It should mirror your standard CV cover e-mail text and it should be so internalized that you can deliver it in your sleep. The more succinctly you can give us what we need to know, the faster we can let you off the phone and get things moving.
Finally Face-to-Face
Exhibit booth etiquette
Conferences and other events where hospital recruiters are invited to exhibit and entertain prospective candidates are a common first meeting place. It's a great time to chat and learn more about an opportunity that interests you-as long as there are other recruiters covering the booth.
Be "on" from the moment you land
One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is not realizing that the interview starts the minute they arrive. Anything you say might be reported in the interview summary. Nobody Put in-house recruiters around a table and eventually you'll hear stories about candidate entertainment expenses. The usual budget for a recruitment dinner is $50-60 per person when the hospital is hosting.
Congratulations, you got the job!
Once you've successfully run all the gauntlets and settled in the community, there is nobody cheering and singing your praises louder than the hospital recruiter who first introduced you. Your happy, busy practice is our good outcome.
To read the complete news article in the Jan/Feb 2008 edition of Unique Opportunities, The Physician's Resource, please click here.
