Ask Dean

Dean Medley is Medical Method's Therapy Recruiting Manager. He was chosen by Healthcare Traveler Magazine as the Recruiter of the Year, for 2006 and 2007. Each month, Dean shares his wit and wisdom on the healthcare traveling industry in "Ask Dean." Got a question? An opinion? A story to share on healthcare traveling? Write to Dean! Dean.Medley@medicalmethods.net.

Dear Candidate,

Like you, I was also once a candidate looking for a new job. My first search was many years ago, but I've been in similar circumstances many times since then. I know many therapists who have had, and are having, remarkable careers. Likewise, I know many strong therapists with enormous upside potential who aren't accomplishing their goals. In many cases, this is because they have made wrong career decisions along the way.

I don't think putting together a job search strategy in rehabilitative medicine and achieving it is that difficult. In fact, with the demand for therapists exceeding supply, you're actually in a pretty good situation. There are a lot of exciting therapy opportunities out there, and it's easy to get swayed one way or the other.

Nonetheless, I'd like to offer you some career advice as you explore therapy opportunities in your area, whether it's a traveling position, permanent placement, PRN, or full-time contract position. Perhaps we'll even be able to offer you an exciting option at Medical Methods that best suits your interests. Regardless, you have a rare opportunity at this moment, if you choose wisely.

First, pick one recruiter to represent you and work with this recruiter exclusively. Find one that you can trust, that will represent you well, and that can handle the challenge of finding you a position that will be consistent with your career goals.

Second, don't get lulled into a compensation-driven strategy because you think it's the cool thing to do. Ultimately, if Medical Methods finds you a position that makes you an offer of employment, I would hope you would accept it because it was the best job with the most significant upside potential, not because it offered the highest salary. In fact, we've implemented a compensation strategy at our company for our contract therapists that is competitive, but it's purposely not at the top of our industry. We focus on long-term potential, not short-term gains.

Also, a lot of open jobs aren't ever listed on job boards or advertised. When looking for therapy positions at our company, check out our website at www.medicalmethods.net. They describe the job, the setting, the location, and the requirements. While a lot of information is listed, quite a bit of it is pretty broad-based.  As we review your background, we'll focus on what you've accomplished and work within the guidelines that you give us (setting, schedule, commute, etc) to find you the best options available.

Even if you don't think there's an obvious specific match, submit your resume anyway. Applying this way will take no more than two minutes! If something is available that directly matches your interests and our needs, Medical Methods will make you aware of it immediately. While we can't guarantee that Medical Methods will find you a position, we can guarantee that if we do make you an offer it will be one that clearly provides significant career stretch and growth in combination with a competitive compensation package.

To me, this is a very fair trade-off. Whether you receive a job offer or even choose to accept, I'd like to hear about your experiences during this process. We believe that hiring the best therapist is critical to our company's long-term growth. Everything we do, including how we design our career site and how our recruiters and clients treat you through this process, is an important component. Don't hesitate to email me with your thoughts and comments about our unique approach to matching great therapists with our great opportunities. Regardless of what happens, I personally wish you the best of luck as you pursue your career goals.

Until next time-

Dean