For most physicians, finding an ideal career opportunity is not a quick and easy task. In every specialty competition is keen for the most lucrative positions. What can speed up a job search is the help of competent medical recruiters who know the industry and are attuned to your long-term career goals.
Types of Recruiters
When discussing how helpful recruiters can be, it's important to keep in mind the different kinds of recruiters and how they operate.
Retained recruiters work on behalf of clients who pay for specialized recruitment services. Such clients advance a monetary retainer to the recruitment agency to initiate a search assignment according to specific hiring criteria and objectives. The search effort includes careful sourcing and screening of potential candidates, presentation of finalist candidates, coordinating interviews, and assistance in compensation negotiation.
In essence, retained recruiters work on behalf of firms who pay them to find the best candidates for specific employment opportunities. As such, these recruiters do not typically market individuals who seek a career move.
Contingency recruiters, by contrast, represent individuals who are actively looking for better employment opportunities. Rather than having an exclusive relationship with clients-as retained recruiters do-contingency recruiters actively compete to obtain, and fill, employment job orders.
In the world of contingency recruitment, time is money. For all practical purposes, therefore, contingency recruiters are trained to make the easiest and quickest deals. No placement-no placement fee-no recruiter commission. (Most contingency recruiters work largely or exclusively on commission.)
Mentioning this is not an indictment of contingency recruiters' professionalism or thoroughness in doing their job. it's simply an indication of the style of business operation that characterizes the world of contingency recruitment.
What You Can Expect
Keeping these distinctions in mind will better enable you to frame your job search goals with what you can reasonably expect from recruiters. In working with retained recruiters, the key question is how closely do your background and qualifications match their client's profiles for the ideal candidates to hire. Reputable recruiters will level with you as to whether there is a good match. They will only present you for opportunities that have strong odds for an ultimate hire.
Responsible contingency recruiters are similarly concerned to make a good match of qualified candidates with appropriate employment opportunities. To make an actual placement, though, contingency recruiters need to "play the odds." The more clients they present your credentials to, the greater the odds are of placing you.
The positive aspect of this approach is that if you are an exceptional candidate, contingency recruiters will work harder on your behalf. Their efforts will generate increased interviewing activity, which allows you the chance to weigh additional placement opportunities.
In a very real sense, contingency recruiters are working for you-and only get paid when they help meet your career objectives. That's why it's essential to establish a good working relationship based on trust and open communication
Rules of the Game
Whether you work with retained or contingency recruiters, certain things are expected of you as an active job candidate. Here are a few helpful pointers:
1. Clearly communicate your career objectives and promptly inform your recruiter if any significant changes occur. Recruiters need to know your practice preferences, geographical limitations for relocation, and flexibility concerning compensation matters. If, for instance, suddenly you want only a rural practice-or New England instead of the Southwest-- inform the recruiter of your modified interests. That way no one will be spinning wheels in making a recruiting mismatch. Similarly, if important family or household matters change the dynamics of your search activity, let the recruiter know without delay. For example, if your spouse receives a promotion with a large salary increase, chances are your search may be put on hold a while. Your recruiter would appreciate knowing you're now more of a "back burner" candidate than active job seeker.
2. Keep the recruiter informed of all interviewing activity. This includes both interviews arranged by yourself or through other recruiters. There's nothing worse than having a recruiter arrange for you a first interview with a client, only to be informed that you're preparing to return elsewhere for a third interview at which time an offer will be made. Such lack of communication is a real turn-off to recruiters, who must stay in the good graces of clients who pay their fees.
3. Appreciate the recrui
