Have you ever met a physician candidate ill-equipped to handle a job search in the digital world?
Their CV is an organizational mess. They haven’t cleaned up their social media profiles. And they freeze on a virtual interview.
If that sounds familiar, you’ll likely appreciate a recent article in PracticeLink Magazine that helps residents and
fellows up their game in a virtual-first job search world. Here are some key areas to consider as you review your
own candidates.
Is their CV easy to read and process?
For starters, producing a CV that’s easy to process is paramount. Since physician candidates will be interfacing electronically with a myriad of job boards and organizations, they also must be concerned about security. Yes, hiring teams want to see their education and residency info along with contact numbers and even visa status.
"But that’s as private as it should get," says Candace Ash, CPRP, physician recruiter for CommonSpirit. That
means no Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses or pictures on a CV.
As for accessing what they have, experts put the onus on candidates to ensure that their CV can be opened and
viewed. That usually means transmitting it as a PDF, which offers the best option not only for ensuring that
a recruiter can read it, but also that the formatting and content are secure.
As Emily Davidson, CPRP, senior physician recruiter for Indiana University Health, notes: "A pdf really keeps
anything from happening to your CV, so no one can accidentally delete or change anything."
Do their social media profiles align with their personal brand?
To be savvy job hunters in a digital world, readers also learn that they need to focus on their social media
profiles - and be proactive in ensuring they match their real-world values. It can be helpful for recruiters to remind candidates that hiring teams aren’t just buying their skill sets; they’re buying their brand. In other words, who are they as people, and will they fit well into the organization’s culture? Candidates can start with a quick Google search to see what’s attached to their names. If there’s something confusing or unflattering, a candidate can get ahead of it through their cover letter or by sharing with a recruiter.
Eric J. Sedwick, MBA, CPC, CPRP, system director for physician and App support services and recruitment at
Premier Health, notes: "The team greatly appreciates it because we know upfront that we’re all on the same page,
whether we can move forward or not with the process and not waste anyone’s time."
Did they handle the virtual interview well?
Even tech-savvy candidates can experience a learning curve when it comes to interviewing online.
Encourage candidates to plan time well before the session to check and troubleshoot their equipment. They
should verify that they’ve downloaded the most recent version of the interview platform and test audio quality
and camera capability.
"You really have to think through all of the potential barriers that technology can bring," says Stephanie
Ostrander, vice president of human resources and physician recruitment for Corewell Health. "It’s back to that old
saying, ’Technology is good until it isn’t.’"
Be attuned to how a candidate reacts if there’s a communication glitch. Hopefully, it’s another way to show they are calm under pressure. They can increase their chances by setting up the session in a quiet, designated
space where neither they - nor their interviewers - will be sidetracked.
Beyond being in an appropriate environment, experts encourage readers to come prepared with questions that
not only clarify their priorities, but also demonstrate that they’re engaged. What’s more, show a little personality. It may be difficult with a camera in between, but candidates should take advantage of every opportunity to shine.
"People want to work with people they see themselves getting along with," says Marjorie Alexander-Vermeulen,
mbA, cpr, managing director of physician recruiting for ChenMed. "Will you be able to connect with them? Will
you be able to connect with your peers?"
Chris Hinz
