If you’re nearing the end of your training, you may have had recruiters reaching out to you about interviews and open positions at their organization. If you’ve seen an organization for which you would enjoy working or a position you think would be a great fit, and you haven’t been contacted about it, why not try reaching out to physician recruiters?
Why you should contact a recruiter
You’ve found a job posting that seems perfect – and you would really want to work in this role – but there are some aspects of the position that may be unclear, or you don’t want your CV to pile up with the hundreds of other candidates applying for the same job.
One way to get more details about the position or make yourself stand out is to contact the recruiter, who might be listed on the posting. It’s one of the tips that has been shared by physicians following their job search.
Recruiters can share additional information about a job or the organization, conduct screenings and interviews, and can even extend job offers. By reaching out to a recruiter, you can form a personal connection and learn more about a role or facility than you might through your own research. You can also ask about other openings that may not be posted. They may even recommend you for a future opportunity they know will soon be open.
When to make contact
When a recruiter contacts you, you should respond and ask any questions you might have for them. This is your chance to get more information about the organization and available positions for which you may be a good fit.
As far as being the first to reach out, if the recruiter’s information is listed on the job posting and you’ve either applied for the opening – or have questions about it – you can contact the recruiter to make it a little more personal. If that specific position doesn’t work out, you can ask them to keep you in mind for upcoming opportunities in your field or specialty.
How to initiate contact
Most recruiters will have their contact information listed on job postings or sometimes on the organization’s page. On PracticeLink.com, the recruiter’s details will not only be listed on the job posting, but you can also view a recruiter profile to see if there is other information to help when communicating with them.
If the recruiter is not listed on the job posting, you still want to make sure you contact the correct person for the position or specialty, so it’s OK to search social media and contact the organization to see who the proper person would be.
You don’t want to just send your CV to the recruiter since they will see that when you apply; instead, briefly introduce yourself, express your interest in the organization and position, and share other relevant information to the opportunity.
If there isn’t a specific opportunity, but you still want to build a relationship for future openings, you can reach out and provide general background information and your interest in the organization, what you like about the practice and ask about the best way to stay in touch.
This might say, “I see you work with (specialty). I will be completing residency/fellowship soon and have started looking for my first role after training. I am interested in (organization) because of the focus on patient care/environment/culture and would love to learn more about available opportunities you think would be a good fit with my skillset.”
Correspondence like this will get you in front of the recruiter and hopefully keep you top of mind when they are looking to fill open positions.