How to Use Connections to Land Your First PA Job

Networking is key folks! Whether it is with your preceptors during your rotations, using LinkedIn, or chatting up physicians that you know personally. Several of my classmates went to school with a safety net. They had a job lined up after graduation. Must have been nice. I did not have that luxury, but I commend them for having their life figured out too that degree! While my story may be very different than yours it can still have nuggets of actionable steps you can take to ensure you are set up for success. If I could land my first PA job in a state where I don’t know a single soul, in the middle of a pandemic, then you can definitely secure your first job too! Let’s talk about steps you can take to make that happen.

Preceptors and faculty

If you are planning on living and working your first PA job in the same area you went to school, then you are at an advantage. Reach out to the sites where you had your clinical rotations and ask if they are hiring. You may need to be persistent in order to get an answer. Chances also are if you went to school in a specific area then your faculty members likely have connections. Talk to them about what you are hoping to do and use the connection you have built with them to ask if they have any insider tips on who you should contact.

Prior job experience

This one may seem obvious but stay with me. Most PA programs require a certain amount of clinical hours prior to attending school so you likely worked in a clinical setting. Did you like where you worked? Was it a practice that obviously needed more help? If you don’t care to work in that same medical specialty but want to work in that area then ask the providers at that clinic if they have any connections nearby in the specialty you want to be in. For example, if you worked in family medicine but want to work in dermatology then ask who they normally refer to. Are they friendly enough with the office they refer to that they wouldn’t mind asking them if they would be willing to hire a great new PA? You have to be willing to put yourself out there and sometimes ask for help.

Physicians you personally know

Do you have a friend whose parent is a physician? Or maybe your dad’s golf buddy is a physician. Reach out to them. They are going to be more emotionally invested in helping you succeed. If you don’t want to work for them then ask if they have any colleagues that are in need of a PA. No colleagues in the area? What about their classmates from medical school or residency in other locations? They will have a network of some kind. 

Set up an elective rotation in the area you want to work

If your school offers you the opportunity to set up your own rotations then take it! If you know where you want to work after school then do your best to charm your way into a clinical rotation. This may be the only foot in the door you need. Make sure you let them know from the beginning that you are interested in the possibility of working in that area following your rotation. If you land that rotation, make sure to work your butt off to be noticed. Get there early, stay late, and be helpful, not just a shadow. You can read more about clinical rotations in PA school: how to choose your electives here.

I hope these ideas are helpful and get you thinking of ways you can find your first PA job besides using indeed.com or a similar site. Have you used a connection in a different way to secure employment? If so, comment below and let me know how!