Sara McKean, Team Lead/Recruiter, Aureus Medical
People choose a career in travel healthcare for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want to experience different parts of the country. Maybe you’d like to help facilities in remote locations that serve a community that just doesn’t have the medical staff living nearby to help. Perhaps it’s so you can save money for a down payment on a house or pay off your student loans. Whatever your reason, you want to travel! To be successful, you’ll want to find an assignment that matches as many of your preferences as possible — and the best way to achieve this is to set yourself apart from other candidates. With that in mind, here are some great tips for how to stand out as healthcare traveler.
Be Flexible
We all have our wants and needs in a position. Maybe you love third shift. Or, maybe you love the culture, food, and music scene in the Austin, Texas area. Sometimes, those jobs are difficult to find! So, my best advice to travelers is to be flexible. Every job may not be your first choice, but your flexibility can lead to great experiences. I know many travelers who were “meh” about a location or facility at first only to discover a hidden gem and make great memories there.
I encourage you to consider what some of your back-up preferences are. Sure, the night shift is where you shine, but are you able to adjust your schedule to a first or second shift to try and help out a facility in need? That kind of flexibility is invaluable to a hiring manager. I’ve seen a number of positive evaluations in my career, and some of the most enthusiastic comments I see from directors and supervisors are about how flexible a traveler has been. This can be a dealmaker on whether you’re offered an extension or whether you’re chosen for a position versus another candidate who has the same qualifications that you do. Flexibility is key when it comes to traveling. Sometimes in life — as well as in travel careers – things don’t go according to plan. Being able to roll with the punches will help you stand out and potentially help more people. And even if every assignment is not your fave, you can be on to the next adventure in 13 weeks with great experience to show for it!
Helping People Should be Top Priority
My next tip is to diversify your resume regarding job skills. This is something that will naturally happen over time — the longer you travel and the more contracts you take. It’s always a good idea to accept positions at facilities that are willing to train you in new areas. There are exceptions to this, of course, but if there’s an area in which you need just a bit more training to be considered “expert level,” that could open up more opportunities in the future. Sometimes, you’ll notice in job descriptions that the managers or staff are willing to train a contractor on a new instrument or skill. This is a huge opportunity! If you see jobs that offer additional training, I encourage you to take advantage of that. It can help tremendously in finding that perfect fit assignment in the future.
I’ve worked with several travelers who also offer to help in new areas in the laboratory they do not have experience in. Sometimes, there isn’t enough staff around to help train in an area, but other times, this kind of “let me help out” attitude can show how much you’re willing to help and can help diversify your skill set, pad your resume, and lead to even more opportunity.
Extend When You Can!
This is not always possible (or desirable in some cases — hello, upper Minnesota winter?!). But extensions show your level of commitment to assisting a facility. Hiring managers love when their travelers and contractors extend. It can be an indication of a person fitting well within a workplace and it means the manager doesn’t have to take the time to hire and train another new person. If a manager sees on your resume that you’ve extended in the past, it will show them that you’re reliable, a quick learner, and reliably there to help out a facility when they’re in a staffing bind.
Ultimately there are so many ways to stand out as a healthcare traveler. Remember, everyone has their own reason to travel and each reason is valid. Keep your reason at the front of your mind and do what you can to stand out. If you can stand out enough, chances are you will always have a place to work and you’ll be exactly where you want to be in no time at all. Be flexible, diversify your resume, and extend if you can. These things can only help you on your career journey!