The interview remains the most important aspect of any hiring process. A prospective employer gets to see candidates in person and watch how they react during a stressful situation — a vital trait for any healthcare professional. If you are a generally shy person, performing well during an interview becomes a challenge, making your prospects for a successful job search more daunting compared to other candidates.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some ideas to help you stand out during an interview if you are shy. Let’s take a closer look.

Focus on your Nonverbal Behavior

Making a good first impression plays a big role in your ultimate interview success. Interviewers pay close attention to your nonverbal actions during an interview. Greet your interviewers with a firm handshake when being introduced, and make (and maintain) natural eye contact throughout the interview — without staring.

In addition to eye contact, focus on keeping an upright posture and use natural body language when speaking. Practice these techniques with a friend before your interview day; this is especially vital when you are shy, since your non-verbal actions need to be perceived as natural.

Considering hiring a career coach that specializes in interview preparation if you can’t find anyone to help you practice.

Bring a One-page Document of Professional Accomplishments

Being extra nervous sometimes makes it difficult to remember everything you want to discuss during an interview. Prepare a one-page document containing a bullet point list of your professional or educational successes you want to highlight when talking with the interviewer.

This extra “security blanket” helps to give you a clear head when asked a difficult question. It also ensures you don’t forget any significant achievements that ultimately could earn you a job offer.

Make a Mental Picture of your Interview Success

When in the waiting room before the interview, focus your mind on a successful performance. If you are confident you will be a valued member of the healthcare company in question, those positive feelings will come out during the interview. A good attitude overcomes any shyness when it matters.

If you want any additional advice on interview preparation, or anything else with the hiring process, talk to the knowledgeable recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical industry staffing agencies, we can take your career to new levels — even if you are shy. Schedule some time with us today!

A one-to-one interview with a recruiter isn’t as stressful as meeting face-to-face with a potential employer, but that doesn’t mean you should treat it lightly. Recruiters play an important role in ensuring your medical industry career stays on an upward trend, so it’s important to put yourself in the best possible light.

With a successful meeting in mind, here are a few tips to consider when interviewing with a recruiter.

Treat a Recruiter Interview just like Any Other

The most important tip when interviewing with a recruiter is to treat your interview just like you were interviewing with a company. Business dress is a must, as is clean hygiene. Don’t slack off on your mental preparation, and present a professional demeanor throughout the interview.

If you fail to treat this meeting seriously most recruiters won’t treat your candidacy seriously. Your job search efforts end up suffering as a result. A recruiter committed to you is a great ally in the employment market, so don’t waste their time by slacking off on the interview.

Be Honest about your Work History

Make sure you are upfront about your work history, especially the reasons you left previous jobs. Get any potential skeletons in your closet out into the open.

Honesty is vital, because the recruiter will be going to bat for you when talking with possible employers. Don’t leave them in a bad spot if a pre-employment background check gets a job offer rescinded.

Use a Recruiter Interview as an Opportunity for Feedback

An interview with a recruiter is a great chance to get feedback on your interviewing techniques, professional dress, and more. Even your résumé and cover letter template benefit from perusal by the experienced eye of a staffing professional. This helps makes sure you are truly prepared for when you actually interview with a medical company.

Leverage this opportunity for a dress rehearsal and take any advice from the recruiter to heart. Remember your professional success remains the ultimate goal for both of you, plus their reputation relies on presenting truly qualified candidates to companies. This gives you a better shot at quickly earning a job offer.

When searching for an experienced recruiter to partner with in the healthcare industry, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help take your career to a new level. Schedule some time with us today!

When building your professional network, don’t forget to reach out to any of your college classmates working in the same industry as yours. This rule especially holds true in the world of healthcare. Fellow alumni — even if you didn’t attend school at the same time — are a great resource for finding out about open positions or new innovations potentially affecting your career.

Interested in finding an alumnus willing to serve as your professional mentor? Let’s take a closer look at how to use alumni to take your career to the next level.

Professional Insight through a Shared School History

Alumni working in the medical history are especially useful in a mentorship role since they probably went through a similar experience in college as you — maybe even the same classes and professors. A shared scholastic connection definitely helps them feel a measure of empathy for your career efforts. The bottom line is alumni can make up a vital part of your professional network.

Finding Alumni for your Professional Network

It is easy to reach out to any college classmates for professional networking purposes, assuming you’ve stayed in contact with them over the years. Reaching out on a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook usually works. On the other hand, finding alumni who didn’t attend college at the same time as you takes a little more legwork.

Check with your college’s career center to see if they maintain a database of previous graduates. It definitely helps if the data is searchable by degree, current industry, and location. This gives you a great starting point for finding potential candidates to help your career prospects.

Additionally, your school’s alumni association probably maintains a similar database of graduates if the career center wasn’t helpful. Maybe the information is hosted online for convenient searching? Check to see if the alumni association has any chapters located close to you, and attend a meeting to do some face-to-face networking.

Finally, check LinkedIn to see if there are any Groups for alumni from your college. Once you’ve made the right connections, use these alumni as sources for career advice or even news about medical companies hiring in your location or elsewhere if you are willing to relocate.

If you need any advice on career development in the healthcare industry, talk with the knowledgeable recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help you grow as a professional. Meet with us today!

Whether you are just starting out in your medical career or if you boast years of experience in the industry, maintaining an online professional profile is a must. When it comes time to look for a new position, interested hospitals and other healthcare organizations use the Internet to find qualified candidates. Those without a significant professional presence suffer compared to those who are active online.

With boosting your career prospects in mind, here are three tips for developing your own online medical professional profile.

Leverage your LinkedIn Account

Of course, you need to treat your LinkedIn profile as an online version of your résumé. If, for some reason, you don’t have a LinkedIn account, go create one now. It is the preeminent social network for professionals, including those working in the medical industry.

LinkedIn offers you opportunities to take your profile beyond simply a virtual CV. Become active in the variety of LinkedIn Groups related to your medical specialty; this gives you the opportunity to network with other professionals beyond those with whom you’ve worked. Endorse your connections’ abilities and write recommendations for exemplary coworkers in the hopes they return the favor.

Finally, write interesting and relevant articles on LinkedIn to begin to position yourself as a thought leader in the industry. This is a great way to help your career take off.

Start your own Medical Industry Blog

If you enjoyed writing articles on your LinkedIn profile, consider setting up a blog related to the healthcare industry. This gives you the opportunity to enhance your online reputation as an industry expert. Be sure to share your articles on LinkedIn and other social networks, like Twitter and Facebook — using a Facebook Page instead of your personal account.

Maintain a Professional Air Online

As the final note on the previous tip mentions, setting up a Facebook Page related to your online medical profile is a smart call, as you don’t want your personal Facebook activities to influence your professional reputation. The same point applies with Twitter. If you already have a Twitter account, create a second one specifically for your medical industry postings.

Following these three tips helps develop a professional profile to put your healthcare industry career on an upward track.

If you need any additional insight on developing your career prospects, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top staffing agencies in the medical industry, a partnership with us makes perfect sense. Schedule some time with us as soon as possible.

One great way to position yourself as an expert in the healthcare industry is by publishing your own medical articles. You don’t necessarily need to be a Hemingway-level writer, as the ability to clearly communicate concepts and ideas is the essential requirement. You are able to publish your insights on your own blog or even on social media sites, like LinkedIn.

Once you grow your readership, post your availability for a position in the medical field, and watch companies fight over your services. Interested? Let’s see how to make it happen!

Hone your Writing Skills

Before setting up a blog, write a few articles about industry topics of interest to you. Have some friends proofread them for grammar and overall readability. When you are ready to publish your blog, it helps to have a small portfolio of articles for its “grand opening.”

Choose a Blogging Platform

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform. If you know how to use Microsoft Word or similar word processor, you won’t have a problem publishing with WordPress. You are able to host a blog for free on WordPress.com, or if you want to pay for your own domain name and website, the WordPress software installs easily; giving you more control over features, layout, and even advertising revenue.

If you enjoy a large professional network on LinkedIn, publishing your articles there is another option, especially if you want to be noticed in the medical industry. Sharing your own blog articles on the site is a must if you decide on using WordPress or another blogging platform.

Promote your Blog

Once you are publishing blog posts, be sure to promote your activities on medical industry specific websites and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn how to intelligently use hashtags, SEO, and other social promotion techniques to help your articles get noticed.

When it comes time to look for a new position in the healthcare industry, post your availability on your blog and make sure to put the blog’s URL on your résumé and cover letter template. Now interested medical companies are able to learn more about your skills by reading your articles and other posts.

If you need additional insight on finding a great job in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. One of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help further your career. Schedule a meeting with us today!

The healthcare industry is no different from any other business sector: in order to succeed in your career, professional networking is a must. A robust network makes it easier to find a new position when it comes time to look for another job. It may even offer you the chance to position yourself as a thought leader in your field.

Here are five tips for growing your own professional network in the medical industry.

A LinkedIn Account is a Professional Requirement

LinkedIn is a great place for medical professionals to network online. Create a profile if you haven’t yet, and make sure you keep it up to date — consider the profile to be an online version of your résumé. Make it a point to connect with other professionals in your area and endorse their abilities, in the hope they return the favor.

Post Industry-related Articles on LinkedIn

Staying active on LinkedIn helps you get noticed by other professionals in the medical industry. If you write well, leverage this skill to author industry-related articles on your account, as this positions yourself as a thought leader. Even if your writing skill suffers, posting other industry news also serves to grow your network.

Don’t forget to connect on Other Social Networks

While LinkedIn is the preeminent social network for professionals, don’t forget to also leverage Twitter and Facebook. Remember to use the privacy settings to segregate your professional and personal activity — especially on Facebook. Either way, use common sense when posting any material your work-related contacts may deem unprofessional.

Attend Medical Industry Seminars and Conventions

Any local healthcare industry seminars and conventions offer you a great chance to meet your colleagues in person. Make sure to bring a copious amount of business cards when attending. If you are confident in your medical industry knowledge, consider speaking at one of these events — the advantages to your career are great!

A Healthcare Recruiter is a Valuable Member of your Network

A recruiter from a leading medical staffing agency in your area needs to be an important part of your professional network. One who understands the local market and the industry as a whole definitely helps to keep your career on an upward trend.

When searching for a top notch healthcare employment agency, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. One of the top medical staffing agencies in country, we can help take your career to the next level. Schedule some time with us today!

There comes a time in nearly every worker’s career when circumstances require looking for a new job while still employed. Maybe the pay isn’t competitive for the position and location, or perhaps a personality conflict with the boss makes the work environment a bit toxic. Whatever the reasons, embarking on a job search when currently employed takes some skill, especially considering the need to keep things discreet.

With that in mind, here are a few tips on job seeking while employed healthcare industry.

A Confidential Job Search is a must when Employed

It goes without saying — discretion is a must when searching for a new position while still employed. The worse thing you can do is talk about your plans with any of your current coworkers, as this helps get the rumor mill working overtime. Even former colleagues might be friendly with the bosses at your current job, so the best policy is to keep your plans to yourself.

Also, make sure you are careful online; for instance, don’t use your company email address to send out résumés or to contact recruiters. Any activity on LinkedIn or even Facebook hinting at a new job search or even being disgruntled with your current position might get noticed by your superiors. Once again, embarking on a quest for a new job while employed means discretion is an absolute requirement.

Keep working hard at your Current Position

Don’t slack off on your current job duties when searching for a new position. Your superiors may notice your relative lack of effort; leading them to question if something is causing your performance to suffer. Give your full effort each and every day as normal.

Work with a Trusted Staffing Agency when looking for a Job

Ultimately, working with a trusted staffing agency is a great idea should you decide to search for a new position while currently working. The best employment companies know how to keep things secret, so you can rest easy knowing your bosses won’t find out about your plans.

When searching for a trustworthy employment agency in the medical industry, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we can help you find a great new job no matter your current employment status. Make it a point to meet with us as soon as possible!

As the battle for the top candidates in the medical industry gets fierce, one hospital is using a unique perk to ensure their staffing needs are met. A Florida-based hospital actually sold off some of their land to a developer to build an apartment complex. The developer agreed to offer special three-month leases to employees of the hospital before opening rentals to the general public, and once all units are filled, hospital workers get placed on the top of the waiting list if desired.

Of course, not all hospitals or medical offices enjoy the luxury of extra land for a housing project, but let’s look more closely at the issue to see if your organization needs to up its game when engaged in the hiring process.

A Useful Perk for attracting Out of State Job Candidates

This Florida hospital felt that convenient housing located close to their facility offered a great perk for out of state recruits interested in relocating to the area for a new job. This makes a lot of sense for the hospital, as the central Florida area is known for poor commutes and the high cost of apartment rentals. This gives them a unique advantage when competing against the other medical establishments in the area for top candidates currently living in another region.

Smart candidates who research a location before considering a move for work are probably aware of the area’s strengths and weaknesses, so medical firms sometimes must offer innovative perks to lure the top talent.

Affordable Housing only one Piece of this Hospital’s Strategy

This new apartment complex, located five minutes away from the medical facility, is part of the hospital’s “health village” concept which hopes to include retail and dining establishments, a parking garage, and a fitness facility with a pool. The hospital’s effort to attract the top medical industry talent provides a good example for medical firms across the country.

If your healthcare organization is looking to improve its hiring efforts, then be sure to talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we offer the business insight and quality candidates to help ensure your company’s success. Schedule some time with us today!

There’s no denying the importance of technology within the healthcare industry. It is vital that nurses and other medical professionals stay up to speed with the latest IT innovations related to their job.

If you work in the nursing profession, honing your information technology skills are an important part of a successful career. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some IT skills all nurses need to possess in their tool box.

Experience with a Variety of Records Systems is a Must

As the medical industry continues in its migration towards 100 percent usage of electronic record keeping, it is important that nurses become well-versed in the variety of record systems used in the industry. This also includes the data analysis and reporting techniques helping to derive relevant and actionable information from stored patient data.

The Growing Importance of Nursing Informatics

The added emphasis on the development of information technology skills in nursing has led to a new career specialization called nursing informatics. As hinted at in its name, nursing informatics is a hybrid discipline, combining skills from both nursing and information technology. Although the American Nursing Association first defined the term in 1992, this area of nursing has seen rapid growth over the last 10 years.

The development of IT systems related to clinical documentation, electronic medical records (EMR), and electronic health records (EHR) is a major area of responsibility of informatics nurses. If you are an experienced nurse with an affinity for computers and IT, consider moving into a nursing informatics role in the future.

Integration of Medical Records Systems remains Vital

One of the ways IT-savvy nurses can make a valuable difference in today’s healthcare industry is by helping to understand the challenges involved with integrating data records between the variety of EMR and EHR systems currently in use. Understanding how data is organized is a great skill to help with this process.

If you are interested in supercharging your nursing career by emphasizing on information technology, talk to the industry experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we understand how IT makes a difference in the field and can help ensure you have the right skills to succeed. Meet with us at your earliest convenience.

Whatever the reason, there are times you might want to look for a new job in a discreet fashion. Maybe your current position isn’t challenging enough, but you don’t want to risk anyone finding out you are looking, as you still need a regular paycheck. Don’t fret, as your situation isn’t unique, but it takes some work considering the social-media driven nature of today’s job search.

Here are a few tips on how to search for a new position while keeping your current bosses in the dark.

Keep Everything a Secret at your Current Office

Once you’ve begun a new job search, it is vital not to tell anyone at your current office about your plans, unless they are absolutely trustworthy. “Loose lips sink ships” is the old cliché, but it definitely applies in this case. No matter your wishes, expect word about your clandestine activities to get around and that your bosses will end up finding out.

Watch your Social Media Activity

When on a secret quest for a job, you need to pay close attention to your social media activity. Obviously, advertising your availability for a new position on your LinkedIn account isn’t the wisest action to take, but make sure you don’t inadvertently spill the beans on Facebook or Twitter. Facebook, especially with its confusing array of security settings bears watching, as one of your bosses might be a “friend of a friend” and possibly see your posts.

Schedule Interviews during the Evening

Make it a point to schedule any interviews during the evening or maybe on your lunch hour, although the latter period doesn’t give you too much time. Showing up for work fully arrayed in a professional dress code might blow your cover, so to speak.

Use References from earlier in your Career

Another obvious point, perhaps, but make sure your references are from earlier in your career. If there is a trustworthy colleague in your current office, use them, but older references will probably have to suffice.

If you need any additional advice on your job search, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top healthcare industry staffing agencies, we can help further your career. Schedule some time with us today!