A Degree is Not Enough
Your Degree is Not Enough to Land
a Non-Clinical Career
Sorry if I scared you with that title. Yes, you are qualified for many non-clinical jobs just because you are a doctor. So don’t run out to obtain another degree. No matter what your specialty, experiences and current situation, the fact that you are a doctor will open many doors.
But with more and more unhappy doctors, you will have competition in your search for a non-traditional medical career. When a potential employer opens the door of opportunity, how do you make sure YOU are the one strolling through the door and not left on the porch?
All the other physicians arriving to this party are wearing the same party clothes as you. They are dressed in their best C.V., touting their medical school, residency training, awards, research papers, publications, and public service. You are all wearing designer garments – very impressive – but you are all wearing pretty much THE SAME dress/suit. Embarrassing. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
Employers can quickly and easily read through your C.V. to see if you are qualified. Past that, what will make you stand out to them and want you on their team?
The answer is Your Likable and Personable Image. What makes you different from everyone else? Why are you unique? Who are you outside of being a doctor? People will only want to work with you if they LIKE you. So you have to learn to show your personality.
Doctors are used to giving very succinct, objective, and to-the-point information. And so their C.V.s, Resumes, Business Cards, etc. usually give the same structured information that tells about credentials but say nothing about personality.
When Physicians look for new careers, they often only sell themselves as “doctor.” Perhaps you have been so totally immersed in Doctor-hood for so long you don’t even know who you are outside of the exam room. My job is to see how strangers see you, and convey the picture back to you. We all know ourselves very well, so it is difficult to know what impressions we give to other people. Those impressions are crucial when searching for a new job; we only have a brief moment to catch someone’s attention and to sell them on our greatness. You will be surprised that you likely aren’t showing an accurate picture of yourself, and revealing The Whole Person.
One of the first things I tell my clients is I need to spend time getting to know them as a friend would. I need to know what makes you unique and special so this message can be conveyed to get you hired. When I first meet a client, I study and write down my initial impressions so I know how potential employers are seeing that doctor. My first impressions are pretty much the same for all – you all look like very intelligent doctors. You are all qualified. The story usually ends there.
It can be very difficult to crack open your Nutty Physician (oh wait – those movies were actually The Nutty Professor, weren’t they…) exteriors and see who you really are. But that is the fun part. Through conversations and writing assignments, I slowly get a peek into the person behind the otoscope. I always manage to dig up really cool things about each doc I get to know. It’s the smallest of details, like the fact that you write poetry or are a bow-hunter or collect Japanese art or play the piano – that help me understand who you are.
So do I then take a photo of you surfing and put it on your business card? Of course not. There are creative and subtle ways to show your personality in a professional manner. Once I have a clear picture of “You” – we can then make sure it is very easy for others to quickly get to know you, too. There is a huge difference between selling your C.V. and selling YOU. Employers in the Non-Clinical world don’t want to hire a doctor. They want to hire an energetic, creative, passionate, team-player who is funny and interesting and who happens to be a doctor.
Your degree, along with the correct image of who you are as a person, will help land your next dream career.
Assignment: Make a list of all your hobbies and interests, whether or not you are currently active in them.
– Dr. Julia
You can contact Dr. Julia Right Now regarding Physician Career Change by visiting this webpage: https://physiciancareeropportunities.com/contact-dr-julia-kinder
