Working to your advantage with a search firm. (Career RX)

KEY CONCEPTS * Search Firm Consultants * Evaluating Search Firms * Career Counseling * Career Stewardship * Making Connections * Developing Relationships with Search Firms Executive search consultants have become [...]
Search firms provide a vital national linkage between great organizations and excellent executives--and they have become an integral part of the health care industry. How physician executives manage and develop this relationship is a key aspect of their overall career stewardship. It's important to start working on this critical contact area. Keep in mind that executive search is a relationship-driven discipline, and relationships are what will determine career successes from here on out. Some ideas are presented to help physician executives learn more about search firms and develop relationships with them: (1) Be available--take (and return) calls; (2) accept interviews whenever possible; (3) ask for career counsel; (4) look at their record; (5) examine the firm's organization; (6) realize that there is no unimportant link; (7) make sure that they want to know who you are, not just what you can do; and (8) listen to your instincts.