Whether you just graduated or are a veteran healthcare provider looking to take your career to the next level, hunting for a new job can be time-consuming, overwhelming, and stressful. Where do you start? How do you identify the right places to look? How do you know what potential employers are looking for? Read on for seven helpful tips for landing your dream allied health position.
1. Narrow down your search
Many employers in the Allied health field are looking for a candidate like you. For this reason, consider defining exactly what you are looking for before you begin your job hunt. This will help you narrow your job search to an ideal fit, saving you and your potential employer time. Here is a guide to help you narrow down to best-fit roles:
- Determine what kind of setting you want to work in. Do you want to work in a nursing home, a hospital, or a doctor’s office?
- Establish what type of population you want to help. Do you want to work with children, seniors, or the general population?
- Identify your ideal working hours. Are you willing to work part-time or full-time? Do you prefer working during the day or at night?
- Ask yourself whether you would consider relocating
- Determine the amount of money you want to make
- Evaluate the kind of culture and environment you would thrive in
- Determine whether you want to work behind the scenes or hands-on with your patients
By assessing your priorities, you can tailor your resume to a specific role, increasing the chances of landing an opportunity that fits.
2. Update your resume
A fewthings can lower your chances of landing your dream allied health job, like sending an outdated resume. A resume helps you create your first impression. For this reason, consider crafting a resume tailored to a specific employer instead of sending the same generic version to all your potential employers.
When drafting your resume, remember that your potential employer receives dozens of resumes daily. This means they will only scan through your resume before moving on to the next one. Ensure your best info, including relevant skills and experience that align with the job description, stands out.
Consider rearranging your resume to put the critical qualities a specific employer is looking for at the top. Including the same terminologies, a potential employer used in their job description in your resume can also help you stand out as it creates the impression that you pay attention to details. Be sure to also update any upskilling training, qualifications, and additional education you may have completed in your resume.
3. Highlight your experience and accomplishment
Most people solely describe their experience when drafting their resumes. However, you should also highlight specific accomplishments within your past roles to increase your chances of landing a great allied health job. Ensure you use an active voice to describe your milestones instead of a passive voice.
For instance, you could write, “ The new treatment plan I helped develop improved customer satisfaction and outcomes,” instead of “ I created a new treatment plan for my employer.”
4. Build your professional network
Connecting with the right people can significantly help your allied health job hunt. If you just graduated from your allied health studies, you could reach out to former students already in the industry, your instructors, and your school advisor to help with your job hunt.
If you are already in the field and want to expand your career, you could contact your former colleagues or the people you know in the hospital and doctor’s office. Even if your network is not in a position to help you land a job, they could provide helpful insights that could help you win a position or connect you to people who can set up interviews.
5. Do not neglect social media
Today, most potential employers review social media profiles before hiring. For this reason, consider creating professional social media profiles to help you land a job. Linkedin in particular is the primary network for professionals, so if you do not already have a LinkedIn account, consider creating one. Be sure to update your bio, and include a professional-looking profile photo. Avoid adding avatars or pets as your profile pictures. You should also attach an updated resume to your LinkedIn account.
Be sure to send invitations to professionals, former colleagues, and instructors to build a solid social media network. You could also join groups, organizations, and companies of interest to help you land a job quickly. However, be careful about what you post on your social media profile. You do not want to create content that gives potential employers a negative impression of you!
6. Prep for interviews
The interview is the most critical stage of your job hunt. The following are tips for preparing for your job interviews.
a) Research
Before attending an interview, conduct in-depth research on the hiring company. Ensure you know the company’s name, what it is known for, its culture, patient profile, and its care reputation. Leverage Google and the company’s social media profiles to simplify the research process.
By familiarizing yourself with the company’s details, you show the hiring managers you are attentive to details, which significantly boosts your chances of winning the job.
b) Work examples
Researching the company, job advert, and description is not enough. You should further develop instances from your previous placement or study that show how your skills and competencies align with the critical job responsibilities and requirements. For instance, you could use examples highlighting your understanding of occupational security and safety, how you provided a solution to a challenging scenario, or how you’ve demonstrated teamwork skills.
c) Practice
While every interview will be different, there are common questions you will be asked in an Allied job interview. Research such questions and prepare your answers. You could even hold a mock interview with a colleague, family member, or friend to best prepare for the interview. Below are common allied health job interview questions:
- Tell us more about yourself
- Why do you want to work with us?
- Why are you a good fit for this position?
- What is your achievement?
- What is your biggest weakness?
- What are your strengths?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- Have you ever experienced a conflict at work? How did you handle it?
- Why did you leave your previous position?
- What are your career goals?
d) Prepare your questions
Your interviewer will likely ask whether you have any questions at the end of the interview. Show them you are the right fit for the role by asking relevant questions about the position. Prepare yourself in advance to help you ask appropriate questions. Here are some questions you could ask at the end of the interview:
- What type of training and technology accompanies this position?
- Will you be replacing someone else, or is this a new position?
Avoid asking questions about salaries and bonuses.
7. Volunteer
Volunteering is an excellent way to show potential employers your dedication to your work, work in different environments to determine your perfect fit, and provide hiring managers an opportunity to monitor your skill set. Identify ideal places within your field and volunteer for a couple of hours to improve your chances of landing a job,
Endnote
Landing your dream allied health job does not have to be daunting. Narrow down your search, update your resume, build your professional networks, prepare for interviews, and volunteer to find your first allied healthcare job.
Photo: Unsplash