“Davey, ask them to say their name and number… (silence)… say “hi” Davey… (a loud clatter as the phone drops to the floor)… Beep.

Sure, such messages are adorable, endearing—all things precious. They are not, however, professional. And as a physician searching for a job, it is your responsibility to maintain the highest degree of professionalism in all facets of your life a prospective employer might come in contact with. Voicemail messages are one such facet; they should be simple, direct, and preferably left by someone over the age of five. And they should clearly state your name and the frequency that you return calls.

Which do you think sounds better:

1. “Hi, leave a message.”
2. “[automated voice]The person you’ve dialed at XXX-XXX-XXXX is unavailable. Please leave a message.”
3. “Hi, you’ve reached the phone of Dr. Suresh Gupta. I’m unavailable right now, but if you leave a message, I’ll return your call within the next day. Thank you.”

One and two give no idea if the person is calling the right number. #3 is professional, courteous, and will result in a better response from a physician employer.

In The Doctor Job’s quest to help all physicians be more professional, here are some additional tips that will help to make you an attractive, professional applicant in the eyes of your potential employer.

• Brush up on your phone etiquette. Few things are more frustrating for a department head trying to fill a position than a rude doctor. You can be professional while still being friendly to your prospective employer. After all, you want the department head to get the impression you’re glad they called.

• Create a professionally named email account, if you haven’t already. JaniceLovesCats@yahoo.com just won’t do. A simple suggestion is to use your first and last name with an underscore. Of course, you might have to do a slight variation if that account name is already taken.

• Dress the part for any interviews. Stick with something traditional like a pants suit. Power colors like red are best used as an accent; for example, a black shirt with a red tie. Also, you want to have the general appearance of cleanliness (brushed hair, ironed cloths) given the profession. The expression “dress for the job you want” applies perfectly here.

• Make sure your resume and cover letter follow the guidelines of professionalism. Resumes should be one page (2 pages max and only under special circumstances), simple to read, and visually attractive. Your cover letter should be a brief, one page statement that highlights your resume.

If you follow the above tips, and mix in a dash of common sense, you should be able to dazzle potential employers with your professional prowess.

When considering a new practice locale, I recommend a hefty dose of introspection first. Your likes/dislikes and interests are all serious factors to consider before taping up those moving boxes and relocating across the country. Do you like larger cities, smaller cities, or something in between? While big cities often offer a more diverse patient population, they can be overwhelming for some physicians. These doctors would rather work in a close-knit community, the kind where you walk down the street and Johnny the postman calls out your name as he waves. Of course, there is a middle ground here: You could always live in the suburbs and commute to your practice in the city.

Now, consider your interests and determine if a particular city will cater toward those interests. For example, are you a physician who enjoys international travel or has family overseas? If so, then proximity to an international airport is crucial. Also, living on the east coast often makes traveling to international destinations much easier. It’s also a good idea to assess what you like to do during your free time. (Okay, if you’re fresh out of residency/fellowship you might have forgotten what you like to do during this elusive “free time.” Don’t worry. It will come back to you.) If you enjoy going to the theatre then you should research what sort of performing arts venues a city offers. If grilling out before the big game is your idea of a good time, then finding a locale with a sports pocket might be a good fit.

While serious introspection should definitely play a role in your decision making process, the two most common factors physicians should consider when moving are career and family—and rightly so. While every city needs doctors, some cities might be a better fit for your career in medicine based on your specialty. For example, if you’re a neurologist who is looking to study a rare, degenerative disease, a certain research-oriented institution might be the best choice for your neurological career. Or, you might be drawn to a city due to work alongside a renowned physician in your field of practice. Sacrificing sunny weather or living on the coast might be a worthwhile price to pay when compared to the knowledge/experience you’ll gain while working in the right clinical or academic environment.

And let’s not forget about the family. Perhaps the single largest reason doctors relocate is in order to be closer to family. (Sure, they can drive you crazy but few motivators are as strong as family ties). If you have young children, it’s particularly nice to be closer to grandma and grandpa—also known as free, eager, top-notch babysitters. If the same city is a bit too close, consider finding a nearby metro area within a quick drive, or plane ride, to the folks.

Only after considering family, career goals, and your personal preferences, is it time to get that cover letter and resume ready. Bring on the boxes!

• Keep it concise. Unlike its European counterpart (a CV), a resume should not be a lengthy document. The ideal physician resume is one page. The somewhat less than ideal (but still acceptable under certain circumstances) resume is two pages. Period. There are no circumstances that accommodate for the twenty-page resume. An easy way to edit down your document is to remove any personal interest sections or references, as these are no longer appropriate on a professional resume.
• Highlighting versus elaborating. Let’s say you are a physician with an extensive research background in your respective field. Naturally you’d like to explain each study; after all, you invested a significant amount of time researching. Fight this instinct. A resume is designed to highlight professional experience, not to explain it in detail. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employer. You’re tired, you’re busy, and you have a stack of physicians’ resumes to flip through. Would you rather look at a simple, neat list of research studies or chunks of paragraphs describing the laboratory setting? Highlighting. It’s a beautiful word. Wow them with snapshots of your experience; do not overwhelm them with a narrated slide show.
• Reverse chronological order. In each section, begin with your most recent experience and move backwards. Not only will this aid your potential employer in creating a mental timeline of your professional history, it tends to show you in the best light. Typically the most relevant experience you have is also the most recent. For example, if you had a section on your resume for Education and Training, your fellowship (most relevant) would be listed before your residency (still relevant) which would be listed before your medical school (less relevant) which would be listed before your undergraduate school (barely relevant), according to reverse chronological order.
• If you’re a foreign medical graduate, potential employers like to see your citizenship/visa status. And it actually works toward your advantage to be upfront about this regardless of your status. If you are a U.S. citizen, you can include this information if you went to a foreign medical school – otherwise, if you did your undergrad, medical school, and residency in the US, it will be assumed. Likewise, including your visa status shows a potential employer that you are upfront and honest, ready to make the visa process as smooth as possible for them.

These are just a few tips, but they will help you make sure that your resume is cleaner, easier to read, and more likely to get you interviews. For further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at The Doctor Job!

Are you posting resumes all over the physician job bards, and can’t understand why you’re not getting interviews?

Have you sent resumes to all of the doctors and hospitals you know personally – and not getting responses?

Take 5 minutes and a few easy steps to improve your search for a physician job!

1. Open your resume. Where is the contact information? Is it at the top of the page where it can be found easily? Your contact information should be included on your resume (not just on the cover letter) and should be very easy to find. It needs to include your phone number and email address.
2. Check the email address on your resume. Is it correct? Is it an email you check at least once a day, if not more often? Many of your potential employers are busy physicians themselves. One of the easiest ways for them to contact another doctor about a job is through email. If you are not in the habit of checking your email every day, get in the habit – at least until you find a job.
3. Check the phone number on your resume. Who will be answering that number? This is the number one mistake we see doctors make in their job search. Is the phone number correct? Is it a number that you can actually be reached on? When you leave your number on your resume, be sure you are not making these common mistakes:
   • Don’t leave your home number if your 93 year-old grandmother who barely speaks English is the person who is most likely to answer the phone during the day.
   • Don’t leave your office number if you don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for a job.
   • Don’t leave the general number to the hospital that will the caller feeling foolish because they don’t know your personal extension.
   • Don’t leave a number that you’re only available on 1-2 hours out of the day. The goal is to make it EASY for a potential employer to call and offer you a job.
4. Check the voice mail on the number you have on your resume. Is your voice mail set up? Is it full? If a potential employer calls you and is unable to speak to you, they will want to leave a message for you to return their call. If they are unable to leave a message, chances are they’ll move on to the next doctor looking for a job. They can’t hire you if they can’t talk to you.

By doing these simple things, it will be easier for other doctors to call and offer you a job. While this advice may seem obvious, all of these are mistakes that we see physicians make on an alarmingly regular basis.

Remember, if an employer can’t reach you – they can’t hire you.