Differentiating Recruiters in PA Job Search

This week we continue our series on the job search for PAs. I often get the question, “should I use a recruiter.” I think it can be helpful to work with a good recruiter for a job search. A misconception is that every recruiter is the same; however, there are different types of recruiters. To get your resume to the hiring manager, it is sometimes necessary to go through a recruiter.

Internal Recruiters for PA Jobs

The first type of recruiter that I want to discuss is the internal recruiter. Many large organizations, such as a hospital, will have an internal recruiting department. An organization might have a team dedicated to recruiting PAs and NPs, depending on its size. Other times, the recruiter might be recruiting all types of providers for the organization.

When you submit your application online, the first person that reaches out to you is often the recruiter. Their job is to make sure that you have all the credentials needed to perform the job. Sometimes they have specific instructions from the hiring manager – no new graduates, experienced with a specialty, several years of experience, etc. Usually, they will conduct a brief interview and present your information to the hiring manager to see if they would like to bring you in for a formal interview.

Once you make contact with an internal recruiter, it can be helpful getting into that organization. If the position you applied for does not work out, you can ask the recruiter if there are other positions available. It also gives you someone to follow up with if you see other jobs posted; if you applied for a cardiology position but find one in GI, ask the recruiter about that position as well.

External Recruiter for PA Jobs

External recruiters are not employees of the organization and often work with multiple employers to help them find talent. They can be compensated in different ways, but typically they will get paid once the applicant is hired and has worked for a set period.

I have most often seen small organizations use external recruiters. Smaller private practices might not have the resources to have an internal recruiting department. If the office manager is responsible for finding someone to fill a position, they might decide to contract with an external recruiting service to help them find job seekers.

Sometimes that is the best way to get your information to the hiring manager. The recruiter already has an established relationship with the manager, and they know what is they are looking for; this can also be a way to find out about other positions.

Recruiting Websites

The third type of recruiter is a recruiting website. The role of a human recruiter is to match applicants with jobs. They try to match resumes with a job description and the wants of a hiring manager. A recruiting website works in the same way; however, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to match the applicants with a job.

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Websites such as ZipRecruiter use this technology to match employers with applicants. Using the information that a hiring manager puts in, ZipRecruiter will scan resumes to find matches. If a resume matches a job description, the applicant will be invited to apply. When you get an invite from ZipRecruiter to apply to a job, sometimes it’s generated from the program and not an actual recruiter reading through your resume. This system is advantageous for organizations as they can reach more potential applicants. The downside for job seekers is that it’s not always one-hundred percent accurate, and sometimes jobs that don’t match your qualifications are sent out. Job seekers can also use ZipRecruiter as a job search engine to take a more active role in the job search.

Overview of Recruiting Services for PAs

If you’re actively looking for a new job, I recommend using all three types of recruiters. The more you send out your resume, the greater the chance of it landing on the right person’s desk. You can also reach out directly to hiring managers. If you know who the office manager is, you can email them directly to see if they are hiring; this sometimes can be a difficult strategy, as the office manager’s information is not always easy to find. Networking with other PAs in your area can help with this strategy as they might know the right person to talk to to get your foot in the door.

What types of recruiters have you come across in your job search? Has a recruiter helped you find a job? Please comment below the original post, sign up to receive future posts by email, and share with your friends!

This post was sponsored by ZipRecruiter