Now That I Have Graduated What Do I Do Now

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Now That I Have GraduatedWhat Do I Do Now?

• By James Cary, PA-C, MHA
• President
• Florida Academy of Physician Assistants

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Objectives

• Understand How To Begin Position/Job Search
• Know When To Begin Preparation of Curriculum
  Vitae
• Have A Good Understanding of the Various Types of
  CVs

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Objectives

• Understand the Importance of the Professional
  Organization
• Florida Academy of Physician Assistants
• American Academy of Physician Assistants
• Others
• Understand Well the Interview Process

4
Position Preparation

• Begin Early
• Do Not Wait Longer than Mid-Clinical Year
• Formulate Your Curriculum Vitae Early

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Goals of the CV

• Illustrate Your Assets
• Place Assets That Have Greatest Impact for the
  Situation
• Use The Most Accurate Type of CV For Your
  Situation
• You May Merge Prototypes
• Make It Work for You

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Importance of the CV

• Helps You Stand Out From the Others
• This Is Only a Tool
• You Are Trying To Stimulate Interest
• Shows Where You Have Been
• Shows Where You Are Going
• Creates the Vital First Impression
• Keeps You from Being Rejected

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Importance of the CV

• Used as a First Step To Weed out Undesirables
• Good Candidates and High Achievers Make Sure That
  They Are Considered
• Must Know the Rules of the Employment Game

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself From Job/Position
Consideration

• May Be Eliminated Even Sloppy CV
• If You Are Good
• Others Will Take the Time to Make a Professional
  Presentation

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Dont Follow Directions For Submission
• Miss Deadline
• Forget References, if Requested
• Forget Transcript, if Requested, others

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Be Unqualified for Job
• Do Not Show That You Are Qualified
• Fail To Read the Advertisement
• Not Possess Proper Degree, Training, Experience

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Be a Negative Standout
• Mimeographed CV
• Unpersonalized Cover Letter
• Spills, Stains, etc., and Send It in Anyway!
• Write-in Corrections and Cross-outs

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Be a Poor Communicator
• Too Much Fluff
• Too Long (gt2 pages)
• Run-on Sentences
• Unable To Make Your Point

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Be Overqualified
• Vastly Overqualified for Position
• Salary Requirement Too High for Position
• Degrees and Work History Inconsistent with
  Position

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Ways To Eliminate Yourself

• Be Technologically Inept
• Bumbled and poorly sent e-mail
• Inability To Access the Company or Practice Web
  Page
• Produce CV with Dot Matrix Printer

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Tips for CV Writing

• Think of Yourself as a Product To Be Sold
• Make Your Information Believable
• Use Only Words Needed To Convey Message

• Avoid Big Words
• Avoid Philosophical Statements
• Only Give Essentials
• Leave White Space
• Avoid Voluntary Extras Such as Your Photograph

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Tips for CV Writing

• Use Headings, Bullets, and Bold Type
• Do Not Distract
• Refrain From Too Many Type Faces
• Limit Document to One or Two Pages

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Tips for CV Writing

• Refrain From Making Document Too Long
• Avoid Use of Gimmicks
• Exception Compelling Reason
• Keep Content Relevant
• List Only What Is Required

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Tips for CV Writing

• Goals/Objectives Should Fit The Job
• Avoid Listing Life Goals
• Avoid Listing Life Values
• Show You Know Something About Practice

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Tips for CV Writing

• Avoid Listing Skills, Interests Not Required for
  Job
• Let Prior Achievements Speak For Themselves
• Dont Embellish Your Accomplishments

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Tips for CV Writing

• Give Brief Summary Statement
• Embraces Overall Qualifications
• Becomes a Qualification Statement
• Avoid Second Resume

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Tips for CV Writing

• Avoid Listing Salary Requirement
• Determine if Position Meets Your Needs
• Salary Requirement and Potential Should Be
  Investigated Before You Apply

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Tips for CV Writing

• Have List of References Available
• Do Not List in CV Unless Prior Request
• Do Not State Available on Request, as That Is
  Obvious

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Tips for CV Writing

• Do Not List Personal Data
• Your Hobbies
• Number of Children
• Your Health
• Your Spouses Background and Occupation, etc.

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Tips for CV Preparation

• List Honest Reason for Leaving Previous Position,
  Unless Better Opportunity
• Avoid Negative Comments Previous Practice
• Avoid Negative Comments Previous People
• Show Evidence of Hard Work, Dedication
• Refrain from I am dedicated
• Dont say I am hard working

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Tips For CV Preparation

• Prepare Document Professionally
• Quality Word Processing
• Professional Appearance
• No Long Words, Sentences, or Paragraphs
• Proofread Carefully

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Tips For CV Preparation

• Use Quality Paper That Fits Position
• Send CV to Specific Person, Decision Maker
• Do Not Send to Personnel or Resource
  Management

• Provide Reliable Telephone Number with
  Business-Like Answer
• She No Longer Works Here
• This Number Has Been Disconnected
• List Most Recent Position First

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Three Types of CV

• Competency Cluster
• Functional CV
• Skills/Qualities Grouped in Headings
• Constitute Important Functions of Particular Job

• Work History
• Chronological History of Work and Personal Data
• Itemized as It Occurred
• Focused
• Targeted CV
• Shows Capabilities and Achievements
• Caters to Particular Job

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Tips for Position SearchBecome an Expert

• Expert in the Proposed Practice
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Emergency Medicine -Dermatology
• Nursing Home -Pediatrics
• Rural Health -Pain Management
• Subspecialty (CV Surgery, Ortho, Plastic, etc)

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Become an Expert

• Expert in the Proposed Practice (cont.)
• Reimbursement Issue in Specialty
• Pros/Cons in Using PAs
• Post-Graduate Training Availability
• Salary Ranges/Specialty
• Local Area vs. US Region
• State and National
• Formulate High Salary and Low Salary

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Become an Expert

• Become Expert in the Practice (cont.)
• Learn Issues Peculiar to This Practice
• How Do MD/DO Relate to Each Other?
• Relation with Previous PAs Turnover
• Relation with Previous NPs
• Relation with Office Staff, Business Manager
• Billing Agent One Study Of Every 1 Generated
  By PA, 384 Goes to Salary

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Become an Expert

• Learn About State Laws
• How Get License
• Reimbursement Laws/Rules of Jurisdiction
• Managed Care, Medicaid, Self-Insurance
• Local Credentialing
• Prescriptive Practice
• National Laws
• Medicare and Rural Health Laws

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Become an Expert on PAs

• History of Profession
• Where Start
• Number of Programs
• Length of Training, Scope, Trends
• Numbers of PAs Trained
• Historical Perspectives

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Be an Expert on PAs

• Philosophy of PA Practice
• Difference Between PA and NP/ARNP
• Learn State and National Issues Relating to PAs

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Become an Expert State Issues

• PA/Physician Team Approach
• Availability of Jobs
• Foreign Medical Graduate Relations
• Reimbursement
• Prescriptive Practice
• Member Apathy
• Relation With Medial Establishment

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Be Expert in National PA Issues

• Proliferation of Training Programs
• Medicare Reimbursement
• Funding PA Programs
• Use of Federal PAs

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Become a Good Speaker

• Volunteer for Oral Presentations
• Ward Rounds
• Journal Clubs
• Legislators
• Community Leaders
• Church Groups

• Record Your Presentations
• See What You Look Like
• See What You Sound Like
• What You See and Hear Is Same as They do!

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Become a Good Communicator

• 15 of Success Is Knowledge
• 85 of Success is Communication
• Appearance
• Enthusiasm
• First Impression

• Importance of Physical Touch

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Become a Good Communicator First Impression

• Dress for the Part
• Know What You Want
• Dress for Where You Want To Be
• Dont Dress for Where You Are Now
• You Never Can Make the First Impression Again!

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Be a Good Communicator Know Where To Find
Answers

• AAPA Office and Its Web Site, Fax-on-Demand
  Service
• State Chapter Resources and Web Sites
• NCCPA Office and Its Web Site
• Local PAs at Meetings and Everyday Experienced
  Contacts
• Academy Leaders, Legislative Consultants

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Tips for the Interview

• Set Stage with CV and Cover Letter
• Offer To Do Rotation
• Offer Six-Month Trial
• Less Threat to Practice
• Either Can Get Out
• Take Less First Six Months

• Great Idea!

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Tips for the Interview

• Know Your Job Market
• Establish Common Ground
• Be Open, Engaging
• Good Eye Contact
• Value of Touch
• Follow-Up Letter

• Common Ground

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Where To Find Positions

• AAPA Conference
• Chapter Conference
• Chapter Newsletter
• Chapter/AAPA Web
• Word of Mouth
• Local CME
• Talk to Everyone

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Where To Find Positions

• Clinical Rotations
• Preceptorship
• PA Program Listing
• Internet
• Placement Firms
• Federal Government
• Bureau of Prisons
• VA, Armed Services
• State Department

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Conclusions

• Read a lot
• Talk a lot
• Prepare in advance
• Keep current and accurate CV
• Most Importantly Join your organizations

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THE END

• Good Luck in Your Job Search!