How a Behavioral Health Recruiter Can Help You Find Your Next Job

WARMING TREND

We’ve been keeping track of trends in the healthcare industry for decades. The most current trends to catch our attention are the increasing career opportunities for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in the behavioral health field. Given the upcoming shortage of physicians, specialized clinicians like NPs and PAs will be highly valuable assets to all healthcare organizations, and mental and behavioral health clinics are no exception. However, given the highly specialized nature of this field, the world of behavioral health tends to be a small one that hires from within. Jobs are not always broadly advertised but job seekers in the field benefit greatly from using professional recruiters.

PREPARE YOURSELF

If you specialize in Community Mental Health, are a Crisis Clinician, or work in the Chemical Dependency field or other area of mental health, a general recruiter is not the best choice for you. Job seeking in these fields requires a behavioral health recruiter who is deeply familiar with the industry and skills required for these positions. Such a recruiter will begin not with the job search, but making sure you are ready for the job search. They will make sure your resume highlights the skills needed for a job in this healthcare area, which is an especially important step if you are just entering the field. Next, they will prep you for interviews by having you practice the typical questions that arise during behavioral health interviews and those specific to the job you want.

INSIDE ADDITION

Next, the recruiter will begin the job search for you, which is where the benefit of having a recruiting partner becomes most apparent. An established firm often has long, trusted relationships with organizations looking to hire the best talent and they usually have the inside scoop on opportunities that aren’t even posted on job boards yet. In fact, they may have a job in mind for you already. The other benefit here is that the recruiter can get your information into the hands of decision makers, rather than lost in a pile of other candidates. An invested recruiter will have established relationships with hiring managers and can present your experience and skills.

THE REAL SCOOP

Given that a good behavioral health recruiter knows the hiring organization well, they can brief you on the company culture, work environment, and goals, allowing you to focus your interview responses on the skills and experience that best match their needs. After the interview a recruiter is usually privy to feedback non-represented candidates don’t get. If you didn’t land the job, this will help improve your next interview, and if you did land the job, it will help you focus your work efforts in the areas they found most valuable.

ALL THE WAY

Finally, a behavioral health recruiter will advocate on your behalf with regard to salary and benefits, and act as a go-between for negotiations. Remember, healthcare recruiters are committed to the success of you as a candidate and to the industry at-large. They want to place candidates in a job that they love, in an organization in which they can flourish, and have that candidate benefit the organization (and ultimately the industry). So they will work to make sure you and your new employer are happy for the long term.

LeaderStat recruiters have a great track record: 95% of the candidates we place are still in the position two years later, and clients give us a 94% satisfaction score. Want to be part of these numbers? Call us today: 877-699-STAT.