Have you ever had someone say they would get back to you at a certain date and time but they didn’t? Didn’t it make you feel like you or your time wasn’t important? In today’s world everyone is so busy going a mile a minute, it is understandable why things can sometimes slip through the cracks. In the healthcare travel world, time is everything and can make or break desired opportunities for travelers. Clients typically need travelers for immediate coverage or plan ahead for future coverage so they can make schedules and move around the necessary people in order to make sure the patient level of care is not affected.
With several opportunities presented to you at once, it can be hard to keep straight what you are looking for. This factor may cause you to be sent for consideration to positions you aren’t really interested in which in turn may lead to unnecessary time spent by the client to review, coordinate, and interview you. When this happens no one wins. You wasted your time interviewing for a position you were never interested in and the client could have been supervising staff or treating patients during the time they set aside to interview you. Below you will find some tips on how you can avoid this from happening:
Know your top priorities
Are you more interested in setting, location, or pay? When you know what is most important to you, it will help rule out opportunities that don’t match up to what you are looking for.
Research locations you are contemplating traveling to
Time of submittal can also make or break your chances as needs can fill quickly, but a quick search of the location is always helpful before being sent over for consideration. If you know you are not a fan of snow or heat, don’t be sent out to locations where these typical weather patterns occur during the time period you would be on assignment. If you just don’t like the location or what is has to offer, it’s okay to say you aren’t interested.
Have a realistic pay expectation in mind and know it up front
There are several factors that can affect pay such as: experience, urgency of need, and the budget of the facility. The Account Manager can tell you if your pay expectation can be met. The can also advise you on what is the typical wage for the area for your level of experience. If it does not meet your expectation then don’t have them send your profile over for consideration.
Scheduling interviews
Once you have been sent over for consideration there are also other professional courtesies to be considered. One of the most important of these courtesies is giving accurate availability times for phone interviews. It can be hard for both sides to find time to set aside for interviews. If something comes up and you are not able to interview at the set time, tell your Account Manager immediately. The Account Manager can let the client know and help coordinate another time that will work for both parties.
Follow up
After your interview, let your Account Manager know that you were able to connect with the client. They may follow up and get feedback. If the client makes an offer, it is customary to answer within 24-48 hours from the time the offer was made. However, this could change based on the guidelines the client has set with the Account Manager. Having an answer within that time frame lets the client determine whether they will need to offer the position elsewhere. Or, they may need to continue interviewing other candidates.
If you know you will need to have extra time to make a decision, communicate with your Account Manager. They can then make the client aware. Mentioning that you need extra time for a decision is a good idea to bring up during your interview. The client can let you know if they are able to work with the timeline you have in mind.
By keeping in mind these few suggestions on professional courtesy you will not only be a better clinician but a better employee.
Lori Flahive is a Team Lead for the Rehab Therapy division of Aureus Medical Group.