Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

F I E L D N O T E S “CVs themselves can be rather standardized with nothing unique about them. I look for a candidate to “paint a picture” of their candidacy with their CV and cover email/letter. If the candidate can highlight awards/positions (chief resident, etc.) or certifications, that is helpful. Providing a list of professional interests and/or a case log” with numbers and types of procedures during training also adds value.” The cover is where the candidate can really articulate the true wants and needs of their search (type of position, income needs, community needs, lifestyle issues, reason for geographic preference, etc.). When this is done effectively, it has a strong impact on the interest of the potential employer. – Todd Hewett, Regional Director Community Health Systems Although job boards have made it easy for you to apply to a position, physician recruiters generally receiveyour CVwith an automatic informalmessage, such as, “Enclosed is CV for ABC Job”. When candidates apply directly to a position, the physician recruiter’s inbox is filled with informal inquiries, such as, “CV attached”, “per your job posting on healthecareers”, “Interested” and “call me”. Most physician recruiters manage multiple searches and receive dozens of CVs each week. Todd Skertich, Managing Partner of Arlington HealthCare, states, “some days, I receive an overwhelming number of candidate inquiries, and unfortunately, we do not always have the time to review each CV on a timely basis. I scan each email quickly to decide whether I review CV in the next day or two or move the candidate to my folder marked ‘Potential Candidates for Future Review’. Often, the candidates who include a compelling cover letter are candidates who make it to my review-today list”. The good news is by simply write a cover email with easily differentiate you from those who do not. But, how do you separate yourself from those who are including good cover letters? Through storytelling. Why do we read books? Go to the movies? Watch TV dramas? Because human beings love stories. They move us, inspire us, transport us and above all…they entertain us. Why should a cover letter be a flat, unemotional document? Who decided they should exist only to regurgitate your resume? Each time you apply for a position, imagine that the employer received ten candidate inquiries that day for the same position and share your unique story with enthusiasm. Your cover letter has to stand out. The more competitive the job is, the more candidates you’ll be competing with for a single position within an organization. Your Guide To Writing The Perfect Letter 201 WWW.PHYSICIANCAREERPLANNING.COM