In 2020, the world felt like it had closed down. I graduated in August 2020. Due to the pandemic, my classmates and I were terrified of the job market. We knew from our clinical rotations that major hospitals had hiring freezes. To make matters worse, I was moving to a rural area in a state I had never been to, where I didn’t know a single soul. This is all part of marrying a guy in the military. I am going to share my story on how I landed my dream job 6 months before graduating from PA school. If I can do it, then you can too!
Related: 6 Things to Do When You have 6 Months Remaining in PA School
What you can start doing prior to graduation
I did my due diligence and started reaching out to medical offices and hospitals way in advance of graduation. I sent my resume along with a carefully constructed email and followed up with cold calls if they didn’t respond. The locations either told me they weren’t hiring, I didn’t qualify since I wasn’t yet certified, or they just didn’t respond at all! If you are finishing up your didactic year and about to choose your clinical rotations read more here on what to consider, which may help you with future job opportunities.
I increased the distance I was willing to travel
After a few months of this, I increased the radius of where I was applying. They say you can only have 2 out of 3 of the following: the specialty of your choice, the location of your choice, and a good salary. In my case, I did not get the location of my choice. For the first year and a half of my career, I commuted approximately 90 minutes one way in order to get my foot in the door. I believe that at times sacrifices need to be made. Anyways, I digress. I reached out to what felt like every medical office within an hour and a half drive and that’s when the magic happened. I finally started receiving responses from people interested in potentially hiring me.
My first job interview and the unexpected connection made
One day while at school, I received an email from a dermatology office. The email said they were interested in setting up an interview! I was ecstatic! I anxiously prepped (instead of studying) for a full week. When the time came for the phone interview the dermatologist immediately asked if knew Dr. so and so. I sat there confused. The dermatologist she was mentioning worked in my hometown at the dermatology office I worked at as a medical assistant 18 hours away from where I was applying. Apparently, they had gone to medical school together! I didn’t catch this connection, but she did when she saw my resume and saw where I used to work. She had called that dermatologist prior to asking me if I wanted to set up an interview. The reference from her colleague is apparently all she needed.
The importance of connections and networking in the medical field
Flash forward to a year later. My fiancé at the time (now husband) had received his next duty location, Memphis, Tennessee. Ironically, this is where my collaborating physician had gone to medical school. She very kindly reached out to her connections in the area, helped me land an interview and here we are today. Once you get your foot in the door you are set! If it isn’t working organically then use your connections! This is why networking is key and also why you should never burn bridges. Since my husband is in the military, I am in a position where I expect to move to a new state every few years. If I don’t put my best foot forward ALWAYS then I am risking future employment opportunities. I recommend thinking with this mindset because you never know what may happen.
Do you have a story of how you landed a job before graduating from PA school? I would love to hear it! Share it below in the comments!
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