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Guide to finding physician jobs online

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Personalize your job application

Many sites allow you to apply to a job with the click of a mouse. While this certainly eases the application process, your efforts will go further if you attach a personalized message or cover letter to your application. While it does add an extra step to the job application process, it doesn't have to be time consuming. Spend a little time up-front writing a cover letter to introduce yourself. Save the document as a Word file and use it - with a few tweaks - each time you apply to a job.

It shouldn't take long to customize the letter for the position to which you're applying. Mention the reasons you're interested and why you feel you'd be a good match for that specific opportunity. Copy and paste the customized letter into the text field and submit your application.

Communicating with employers and recruiters

It's easy to hit the "apply" button and then forget all about your application, but aggressive job seekers may want to follow up a few days later. Depending on the site and/or job poster, you may or may not have the contact information of the employer or recruiter who has posted the job. Regardless of whether or not contact details are available, be sure to follow any instructions given in the job description regarding follow up. Don't bombard the hiring manager with phone calls if he or she has specified that they will contact you via the online message center. Respect the job poster's communication preferences.

Likewise, how the job poster replies to your application will largely depend on your preferences. If you apply to a job anonymously, the job poster can only contact you via the online message center. However, if you provide your personal email and phone number in your profile and/or medical CV, the job poster may contact you directly. Regardless, be sure to check the online message center frequently, as employers and recruiters may still opt to use this channel.

Online social networking for physicians: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter

Networking. You know the drill - having coffee with colleagues, past and present; looking up former classmates and professors; it can be as simple as getting a drink with friends or other physicians after work. You've been networking your whole life. After all, everybody knows it's not what you know, but who you know, right?

Even the internet can't change the fact that who you know matters, but it has certainly changed how you keep in touch with them. In fact, now you can "network" with physicians and hiring mangers without leaving the comfort of cyberspace. With the growing popularity of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; it's become apparent that online social networking is no longer just for teenagers. More and more professionals like you are using social networking websites to advance their careers.

 

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