At this time of year, many doctors are completing years of specialist training and attaining their Fellowship. Firstly, congratulations for achieving this amazing career milestone. You’ve taken steps to move up into consultant or staff specialist roles, which is no small feat. Secondly, well done on knowing what you want to achieve in your career and doing something about it.
The next step is to put yourself out there and start applying for roles. Whether you’ve already started or are about to, you should be aware of the challenges that you, as doctors, need to overcome to get through job applications with ease. In this article, we cover the main challenges and what you can do to give yourself the best chance at securing a role as a new Fellow.
The Consultant mindset: Embracing your journey to Fellowship roles with confidence
Applying for Fellowship roles can make you feel like you’re just starting out. You’re no longer a registrar or trainee, so how can you deal with that? It’s about mindset, confidence, and taking action:
- Ensure other people, including your current seniors, see you at the same professional level as them. And to be able to do that, you need to tell them what you’ve achieved
- You are now a Consultant / Staff Specialist, and you should start thinking and acting like one. Drawing on your self-confidence, even if you don’t really feel confident, is a great start
- Look at how your previous managers act. Watching how they present and communicate can be a great lesson is how to act confidently
- Believe in yourself. You haven’t completed years of speciality training to give up now. You deserve a promotion, you’ve earned it. So do everything you can to get the role you want
- Leverage your existing network. Contact people you’re connected to or have worked with in the past. Make sure they know you are now a Fellow. They won’t necessarily know if you don’t tell them, and they may know of upcoming roles that haven’t been advertised yet
Preparing for success: Essential steps to stand out in Consultant role applications
It’s no secret that in the medical industry, there are often more applicants for available roles. But if the competitiveness was a real deterrent, then you wouldn’t have gone through years of training.
So, here are some suggestions to help you get a Consultant / Staff Specialist role:
- Don’t worry about who else is applying for the same roles. Even if some of them have been consultants for years, it doesn’t guarantee they will get the job. Focus on you.
- Check your CV is up to date with your latest training and experience. Find out what organisations are looking for in job applications and CVs.
- Practise your interview skills, including how to talk about yourself and your achievements. If you haven’t applied for a role for some time, then find out how organisations are conducting interviews.
- Be prepared to promote and sell what you bring to the role. It’s all about you and what you can contribute. Organisations want the best fit, and that could be you if you know how to present yourself.
Conclusion
You’ve come this far, so don’t give up now. All your hard work can now culminate in you moving up in your career path to reap the rewards.
I can’t emphasise enough how big a part mindset plays in taking the next steps, and sometimes you need some help from someone who understands what you’re going through. I’ve helped many doctors transition into consultant roles, so if you find you’re procrastinating and not moving forward, contact me at [email protected] for a confidential discussion.
