Finding a recruiter who you connect with and trust can start your travel career on the right track. There are plenty of companies out there that can place healthcare professionals in temporary needs, but it’s the one-on-one relationship with your recruiter that often impacts whether you have an enjoyable experience or a poor one.
Take time to investigate and ask probing questions to each recruiter that you speak with. Think of it as an interview process. They’ll be interviewing you to determine how serious you are about traveling. You should determine how serious they are about helping you find the right assignments, in the right places and at the times you need them.
Weed out the “robot recruiters” from those who will have your best interests in mind by asking a few standard questions.
How much experience do you have? The lifetime of a recruiter can be short (they deal with a lot of rejection!), so if you find a recruiter who has been in the industry a long time, you know you’ll be working with a professional who can handle the ups and downs and is serious about connecting you with opportunities.
In what areas do you specialize? You can identify the numbers-focused recruiters by their answer. If they manage therapists, nurses, lab techs, doctors, dieticians, radiologists and a dozen other professions, they are likely more interested in meeting company minimums or bonus requirements than taking time to match you with the right assignment. It’s best to have a recruiter that specializes in your industry.
How does the process work? If their answer starts with something like “I’ll send your resume around” and ends immediately with “and we’ll see what happens”—move on. They either don’t know enough about the process, or they don’t want to “waste time” explaining it to you. Good recruiters prepare you by fully explaining everything from licensure expectations to the application process, contract acceptance, travel, housing and the typical traveler experience.
Other flags to look for. Is the recruiter smiling over the phone or just going through the motions? If you were submitted for an assignment, did you receive a courtesy call even if you didn’t land the job?
Be perceptive and you can identify the good recruiters who will help set you up for an enjoyable and successful travel therapy career.