Posted by Jackie Farley
In any industry, there are certain traits recruiters seek. Without exception, employers want candidates who are reliable, positive, ambitious, inquisitive, humble, industrious and determined.
However, as a physician recruiter, you are looking at a pool of candidates who have successfully completed medical school. It’s highly likely all the boxes above have already been checked. So, now what? Where do you find that something extra that makes one candidate stand out from another? The answer: It all seems to come down to that important CV.
A CV should tell a physician’s story. An effective CV should list a candidate’s contact information, training, work experience, licensures and certifications, research, publications, presentations and other skills and proficiencies. Even more importantly, it should do so in such a clear and concise way that it gives you a reason to give it closer look - then, perhaps, serious consideration. When creating a CV, objectivity and clarity about a candidate’s experience and credentials are essential. Even the appearance of any embellishment should be avoided at all costs.
One thing a candidate can do to set their CV apart and get your attention is to tailor their CV to convey their interest in a particular position. This can be done by omitting work experiences that may be irrelevant or nonmedical. For instance, when applying to a private practice, including every paper they have had published may send the message they are more interested in academia than patient interaction.
Ben Kornitzer, M.D., Chief Medical and Quality Officer of Aglion Health in Boston says, "You have to understand your audience. If you’re talking to a private practice, you may want to give them a very succinct resume. But if you’re going for a hospital or academic setting, you absolutely should keep the longer form [of a CV]. For most people going into non-academic medicine thought, the CV will be relatively short."
Some physicians chose to add a personal statement that includes their professional goals. While not all employers look for this on a CV, it gives the recruiter an excellent opportunity to see if the goals of the candidate and the employer align. Some also choose to include personal hobbies and interests, which can give you insight into what type of lifestyle a physician desires.
It’s important to remember there are questions you can ask when reviewing a CV that are so stunningly simple, they are often overlooked:
- Has the candidate paid attention to detail?
- Is the CV attractive?
- Did they proofread their work and edit for typos?
- Did they include too much personal information?
- Have they listed salary requirements that could create a problem during negotiations?
Answering these questions can give you additional bits of information about a potential candidate’s attentiveness, flexibility and humility that may make the difference between finding someone who is merely qualified and finding someone qualified who is a good fit.