Healthcare is not just a highly rewarding profession but a lucrative one, too. The United States is currently facing an acute physician shortage thanks to many professionals leaving after the COVID-19 pandemic due to burnout and low matriculation from medical training programs. This means it is easier than ever to get a job, but this does not necessarily mean that every job will be the perfect fit for your specific needs.
As such, it is important that medical professionals know how to find the best jobs in their specialty that will lead to the greatest work-life balance and satisfaction. Today, we will explore the hottest job search tips for healthcare professionals so that you can find your dream job in no time.
Define Your Needs First
With so many positions available, dredging through pages of results can quickly become overwhelming. This is why it is important that you clarify what you are looking for in a position, which will help you narrow down your options before you apply.
Think about things like compensation, benefits, patient demographics, and responsibilities, which you can then plug into search engines to find roles that match what you want. You might decide that you want to serve in a rural hospital, or that you need a specific type of health insurance; by knowing this, you can disregard anything that doesn’t match your standards and not waste your time reuploading your resume for every open position.
Use a Physician Recruitment Service
Despite the acute physician shortage, finding a good role on the typical job board can be difficult. There are often extraneous or mislabeled job descriptions that cause you to wade through pages of useless results, growing more frustrated each time.
This is why doctors and other healthcare workers turn to physician recruiting services, which run specialized job boards and connect professionals to hospital systems that need their work. These boards only provide healthcare roles, and they are meticulously categorized by qualifications, location, and even perks like student loan repayment benefits. Each listing is more detailed than you would find on a more generalist board, providing the exact information that a physician would need to know, such as the patient volume, duties, and licensing requirements. You can also sign up for job alerts for the times that you are casually looking for your next opportunity and want to see what else might be out there.
Network With Other Professionals
Whether you’re a surgeon or a nurse practitioner, becoming a healthcare professional takes a long time and requires extensive on-site training. During this period, you will have connected with numerous other students, staff, and academics who share your vision of a better healthcare system.
Far from just being study buddies or mentors, your fellow physicians can direct you to new roles that may suit your needs. They may steer you away from a hospital system known for difficult colleagues, and they can put in a good word for you with doctors and administrators when you’ve decided to apply, boosting your chances of success.
The healthcare profession, though diffuse, is also tight-knit, and word gets around quickly about a physician’s acumen and reputation. If you have a larget network of others who are willing to direct you to resources and share your strengths with those who may hire you, you will soon find yourself with more job offers than you can count.
Sometimes, though, you may be brand new to your specialty and unsure of where to turn. At these times, you can join professional associations in your specialty to gain insights into the area and meet others who will be able to assist you. Many times, recruiters attend conferences in hopes of snatching up great talent exactly like you.
Broaden Your Search
If you are still not finding what you need in your current area, relocation might be your best bet. Many rural hospital systems are desperate for physicians and are willing to provide great benefits in order to attract top talent; these areas also have a lower cost of living, so even a minor pay cut may still work out in your favor.
Specifically looking at nurses, travel RN positions have become incredibly popular since the pandemic, often offering a better work-life balance and greater pay because of the shortages in specific area. While you may need to relocate more frequently, staying at a position for only a few months, you will also broaden your horizons, work with different patient populations, and enjoy excellent benefits. This is a great option for those just starting out in their careers who don’t have other responsibilities, like children or ailing family, that may make it difficult to move from place to place.
Conclusion
Finding a great healthcare position does not need to be difficult, as there are numerous resources available to help you get the perfect job for your circumstances. Physician recruitment job boards, fellow physicians, and casting a larger net will all assist greatly in getting an amazing position that provides great pay, excellent benefits, and a deep sense of satisfaction.