Last year, more than 28,000 medical school graduates entered the workforce. Add in the scores of other people with medical training of some kind — nurses, technicians, allied staff, and so on — that are also entering the workforce, and it’s apparent that careers in healthcare remain competitive.
At the same time, more and more healthcare organizations are leaning on recruiters to find new employees. These recruiters are tasked with sifting through thousands of résumés in search of good candidates for their clients. That makes it important for everyone seeking work in the healthcare industry to know not just what recruiters are looking for, but also how to catch their eye.
So how can you stand out? Beyond the standard boxes that need to be checked off — education, experience, core competencies, etc. — here are a series of questions you should answer about yourself in order to improve your chances of getting noticed.
1. Determine your professional context
The first set of questions is all about figuring out where you fit in.
- What do you know you do best?
- What’s missing in my skill set? How can I be even more effective?
- What is on my professional bucket list?
- What prevents me from achieving what I want?
2. Determine your worth
Once you know where you fit in, you need to focus on what you believe you’re worth in the industry.
- What am I worth in the marketplace?
- What are others with my skill worth?
- Where am I willing to work geographically?
- What tradeoffs am I willing to make?
3. Determine how you’ll put yourself out there
Finally, decide on the best way to get the word out about yourself and your skills.
- How solid are my résumé and cover letter?
- What networks (personal, professional) have I explored?
- What companies should I aim for?
- How can I leverage my personal brand via social media and other channels?
Go forth and conquer
Once you have completed this exercise, you will discover that you not only have a better understanding of your own worth in the healthcare industry, but you’ll also be in a better position to successfully market yourself. Good luck!
Interested in joining our team of dedicated professionals working to transform America’s healthcare? Check out our current job openings.
