𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝗪𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐁 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝗪 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐒.
Over the course of 5 months, I submitted at least 100 applications online and only received 2 leads. One practice manager said that the lowest number of applications they had for one position at that time was 50. Chances are a majority of those applicants had prior experience practicing as a PA. Unless a physician specifically preferred a new grad, why would they choose a new grad over someone who would require less training?
𝐈 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐄𝐆𝐆𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓.
I had set my sights on working with one specific group prior to PA school. I had worked with them as a nursing assistant and eventually rotated with them during my clinical year. We were scheduling interviews. It seemed like my dream job was within reach. But then life happened. They were forced to make scheduling changes within and went from hiring to not hiring in the blink of an eye.
𝐈 𝗪𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄.
After realizing that plan A had failed, I ramped up my search. I included more specialties and increased my radius. Still no interviews. I printed off CVs and hand delivered them. I received a couple calls and went for an interview, but still no promising job prospect. I decided to reset. I reached out to former preceptors, a practice I had interviewed with during PA school, and PAs that I had shadowed in the past. Like magic, I set up 4 interviews within a couple hours. Even more opportunities presented themselves over the next few weeks. I began the interview and shadowing process with multiple potential employers. The job that I had originally banked on opened back up for hiring... then #COVID19 happened.
𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: Take the job market into account before you start applying, only put one egg in each basket, and went all else fails, go back to square one. Also, life happens and apparently pandemics happen too. Go with the flow.
Nothing worth having comes easy. What lessons have you learned the hard way?
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