Before you begin the interviewing process, it is helpful to have an idea of the type of career opportunity you are seeking and where you would most enjoy practicing. It is also good to gather information about national salary averages, managed care trends, and writing a persuasive CV. Take this quick Self-Awareness Questionnaire as it will help you identify locations and practice opportunities best suited for you and/or your family.

1. Where do you want to live? List the states/regions and or cities that best suit your needs. Your list may seem too long or too short at first, but after you answer these questions your list may change.
   
   
2. How close or far away do you want to be to family members and friends?
   
   
3. What type of climate is acceptable for you?
   
   
4. What type of recreational or cultural activities do you enjoy?
   
   
5. Are educational institutions important to you?
   
   
6. How close do you need to be near major airports?
   
   
7. Are there any special needs that you or your family should consider?
   
   
8. What size of community is acceptable? Do you prefer to live in the heart of a major metropolitan city, a suburban community or rural locale? This question is especially important in relation to your financial needs.
   
   
9. Where can your spouse/significant other find work?
   
   
10. What kind of practice setting(s) do you prefer (i.e. a single or multi-specialty group, solo practice, hospital-based, academic, etc.)? Are you flexible in basing your work setting around your personal needs? In other words, what’s more important; the work setting or the location? At times, this can be a juggling act and it’s up to you to decide where your personal and professional priorities lie in regards to your search.
    
    
11. What are your financial needs? Decide what the lowest salary is you’re willing to accept or the income range you would like to be within. Many times you will find that the most lucrative opportunities are in more rural locations, whereas the salaries in the more competitive, metropolitan areas are on the lower end.
    
    
12. Do you have a preference of inpatient or outpatient work or a combination of both?
    
    
13. What type of on-call schedule are you comfortable with?
    
    
14. How many hours a week do you want to work?
    
15. What type of patient population(s) do you prefer to work with?
    
    
16. Do you know the different types of compensation packages that are being offered, i.e. salaried employee, income guarantee, fee-for-service, and/or stipend? This is a very important question when deciding on your career. Call your recruiter to get more details on this.
    
    
17. What type of benefits do you need included in a compensation package?

The objective of this test is to give you the opportunity to make some allowances when deciding where to live and practice. If your list of locations is too narrow, such as one city or state, yet you have very specific job requirements, you may need to be more flexible in the job and/or your community choice. On the other hand, if your list is too broad, as in you are open to ANYWHERE or ANY type of job, hopefully this will enable you to be more cognizant of both your personal and professional needs, in turn providing you with more of a focused search.

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Always give yourself ample time to search for the 'perfect' job opportunity. We recommend that you begin your search eight to twelve months before you plan to begin employment. For instance, if you plan to relocate during the summer of 2004, you should begin gathering information about job opportunities as early as the summer of 2003.

Involve your spouse and/or significant others when looking for a new practice opportunity. Many employers will cover the costs incurred by you and your spouse to travel for a site visit (if not for the first, then definitely for a second interview). Make use of the potential employer's resources, especially if your spouse seeks employment as well. Since the employer is familiar with the market place, they can offer valuable insights to your spouse regarding his/her career choices.

When going on multiple interviews within the same geographic area, it is easier for everybody involved if the candidate pays for the expenses up front and is then reimbursed after the interviews. As most of our clients pay interviewing expenses, they typically prefer to reimburse you proportionately based on how many other interviews you arranged during that time. In other words, if a candidate goes on three interviews in the same week, then each client will reimburse you one-third of the expenses. **All of these arrangements MUST be agreed upon with the clients prior to going on the interviews.

An interesting survey completed recently found that 80% of graduating physicians did not ultimately accept job opportunities in the location to which they initially decided to relocate. Owing to this fact, MedSource Consultants® recommends exploring different opportunities outside of your desired locale. It does not cost you anything to interview and it's good practice!

Preparing for a phone interview is an important first step in securing an ideal career opportunity, both professionally and personally. Allow yourself 30 minutes to converse with a prospective employer and have interviewing dates in mind, especially if the conversation is going well. Remember that the goal of a phone interview is to secure a site visit by the end of the conversation. Your recruiter will facilitate in setting up phone interviews and site visits.

Not less than one week before the interview, make certain that you have received an itinerary, airline tickets, and any kind of necessary travel directions from the employer and/or recruiter. Always insist on having a real estate tour of the community. The employer arranges for a real estate tour and will schedule it during your site visit.

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Presentation is your best asset in securing the job that you desire. Here are a few guidelines to follow on an interview:

• When in doubt, always dress conservatively. There is a reason why the traditional dark blue suit is still highly recognized.
  
  
• Make sure your hair is neat and if it is long, consider wearing it pulled back and away from your face.
  
• Bring a few professional copies of your Curriculum Vitae. On an interview, you may see as many as 10 different interviewers who may not have your CV on hand.
  
• Always maintain a professional stature. An interview, whether via telephone or in person is a fundamental element of any hiring process.
  
  
• Be prepared! Have a list of questions memorized that you want to ask about the job. There's nothing worse then scrambling to find answers about the opportunity after you have left the interview, especially when trying to identify which job is best suited for you. Some questions that you will want to ask are:
  
  1. Number of patients you are required to see daily
     
  2. Details about the on-call responsibilities
     
  3. With whom will you be working
     
  4. The role played by managed care
     
  5. If the financial package is an income guarantee, what is the percentage of overhead, payor mix, bonus incentive structure, etc.
     
  6. Recent statistics regarding staff turnover
     
  7. Reason for opening and length of time position has been vacant

  
  *Ask your recruiter to help you compose this list in detail*

• Do not bring up discussions about money, benefits and compensation, unless you are asked FIRST. 90% of the time the employer will take the initiative at some point during the visit to outline the financial details of their compensation contract.
  
  
• BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE INTERVIEW, ASK FOR THE JOB. IT IS ALWAYS EASIER TO TURN DOWN A JOB OFFER THAN IT IS TO ASK FOR ONE 'AFTER THE FACT'. In other words, if you feel positive about the interview/opportunity, SAY SO. If a prospective employer does not get a sense that you like the opportunity or the community, they will not offer you the job. Weeks later, when you try to ask for the job, it may be too late.
  
  
• Always send a personal thank you and follow-up letter to the employer(s).

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Negotiating a contract is the last step in securing your 'ideal' career opportunity. It can be left for you to do personally with the potential employer OR through a third party, such as your recruiter. Recruiters are often instrumental in negotiating the best contractual compensation packages for physicians. Even if you want to negotiate yourself, it is wise to seek the advice of your recruiter and/or counsel. Don't forget, recruiters and counsel have vast experience in negotiating contracts. Some helpful tips on how to secure the best financial package are listed below:

• Bring the contract to a lawyer for his/her review. Set a deadline for your lawyer to reply with his written or oral comments.
  
  
• Know which terms are negotiable and which are not. For instance, most state facilities and CMHC are not flexible in negotiating salaries. However, some are to negotiate CME and vacation time instead.
  
  
• Utilize a third party to act as your negotiator. This decision can save you a great deal of effort and awkwardness. If you are at all uncertain about negotiating, utilize your MedSource Consultants®s recruiter as a negotiating agent to assist you in securing the best financial package possible.
  
  
• Negotiate a contract only once. Continually going back and forth with new negotiations is a deal killer.
  
  
• Do not negotiate more than one contract at a time. Decide which opportunity you like best and then ask yourself what it would require for you to sign the contract. It's a small world and administrators know one another. If you are negotiating with more than one at a time, it could cause needless resentment between you and your prospective employer(s) or conceivably, loss of the position.
  
  
• ONLY NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT THAT YOU ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT. This is the most important unwritten 'rule' in negotiating. The SUREFIRE way to obtaining the FINEST overall compensation package is to offer the client your acceptance of the job if your terms are met.
  
  
• Time kills all deals. Turn around time for negotiating a contract should take no more than 2-4 weeks.

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