Interview Prep to Boost Your Medical Career Confidence

December 28th, 2016

The interview plays an important role in ensuring you are either called back for a second time or – better yet – gain that coveted medical industry job offer. It takes practice to hone your interviewing techniques for an exemplary performance. The right preparation also helps stave off any jitters, potentially leading to a poor interview.

With a successful medical job interview in mind, here are a few tips on preparation and technique so you’ll shine when under the gun. Good luck and go get that job offer!

Practicing Your Interview Is a Smart Strategy

Practicing your interview with a friend or even a recruiter helps you fine-tune your “presentation.” Work on speaking clearly and making natural eye contact while watching out for poor body language like slouching or fidgeting. Make sure the practice interviewer asks a few tough questions, especially about details of your medical work history.

Treat the practice interview as a “dress rehearsal” for the real thing. Professional attire and good personal grooming is a must.

Study the Contents of your Résumé

Spend time going over your résumé, especially the sections on your professional experience and medical industry abilities and skills. You can expect quite a few pointed questions on these areas throughout the interview. It helps to have that information at the front of your mind so you can answer confidently without stammering over your response.

This is also why it is important your practice interviewer covers these topics in your prep interview.

Research the Company You Are Interviewing With

Deeply research the company in question, especially their history and current leadership team. When prompted to ask a question during the interview, show off your research with an enlightened query. Hopefully, it leads to a meaningful discussion of the company, including the culture of their medical office.

Select Appropriate Attire for the Interview Day

Be sure to dress appropriately for the interview, and spend some extra time on your personal grooming. Make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed before heading to the site. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin; it helps to make a practice drive to the location to ensure traffic issues (or even getting lost) don’t cause you to be late.


When you need additional advice on looking for a job in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can take your career to a higher level. Connect with us soon!

How to Turn Your New Hire Into a Successful Employee

December 18th, 2016

Congratulations on a successful hiring process which resulted in a qualified candidate joining your medical establishment. Now, the real work begins as you transition your new hire into a valuable and productive employee. A well-considered onboarding process – among other things – remains a key factor in making sure new employees are properly integrated into your team.

What follows are a few ideas on turning a new hire into a successful employee. These insights can help your medical organization become more efficient, with better patient care as the result.

A Well-Defined Onboarding Process is Vital

Your healthcare company needs to implement a well-defined and repeatable onboarding process to ensure new hires come up to speed quickly. This process needs to include a variety of action items ensuring the new employee has everything they need on their first day – insurance forms, payroll information, organizational chart, computing equipment, and other medical technology.

The training program of your medical office needs a section on ensuring new hires get the equipment and procedure training they need soon after they begin work. It is important a brand new employee gets to see how organized their new employer is on the first day at the office. This helps them feel confident they made the right choice in accepting your job offer, while also illustrating the organization they’ll need every day for success on your team.

Involve Your Entire Staff in Onboarding New Hires

An onboarding process also needs to include time spent with you and other senior-level members of your team on their first day. Make sure they are introduced to everyone in the organization – co-workers and managers. An introductory lunch serves nicely as an icebreaker.

Encourage your team members to help any new hires by making sure the right procedures are followed and they are comfortable with the medical technology and equipment used at your establishment. Pairing them up with an experienced co-worker is another good way to boost their comfort level and subsequent productivity as quickly as possible.

Hopefully, these insights turn your new hires into contributing assets faster than ever before. Good luck in your onboarding efforts!


If your healthcare organization needs additional advice on managing your staff, talk to the knowledgeable team at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the industry, we offer a robust supply of previously vetted candidates able to contribute to your office. Schedule some time with us at your earliest convenience.

How to Screen Candidates for Ethics and Honesty

December 11th, 2016

Hiring honest and ethical employees is important no matter the industry, but it is especially vital in the world of healthcare. With quality patient care as the primary goal of your organization, your staff needs to be trustworthy and empathetic in nature. Trying to determine whether a candidate possesses these attributes from a résumé or during an interview takes a measure of effort.

With a medical office team known for its honor and morals as your goal, here are a few tips on how to screen candidates for ethics and honesty.

Consider an Integrity Test Before Interviewing Candidates

When combined with a thorough vetting of their résumé, this early screening allows your HR team to focus on interviewing a smaller set of applicants. Most integrity tests feature a collection of ethics-based scenarios with questions asking how someone would react in a certain situation.

Since a dishonest person can simply answer falsely on their test, the interview process plays a more important role in truly screening candidates.

Verifying Honesty During the Interview

The interview offers the best chance to gauge a candidate’s ethical standards. Behavior-based questions – including hypothetical scenarios similar to an integrity test – offer a great chance to analyze their honesty in real-world situations. It is important to observe their body language when answering these pointed questions.

Ask about any ethical training or coursework in their career. Was it a requirement or it this an area of interest to them?

Additionally, pay attention to how they answer when asked about their work history. Are they embellishing their accomplishments? Do they seem less than forthright? Body language along with their manner of speaking offers insights.

Reference Checking is Vital

Don’t skimp on checking a candidate’s references before any job offer is extended. Verify the accuracy of their educational and professional history – any discrepancies are a red flag. Consider performing this task after the initial integrity test and before interviews begin to further narrow down your candidate list before interviews start.

Implementing these ideas helps you employ an honest and trustworthy medical team.


When you need additional tips on building a great medical staff, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s top healthcare staffing agencies, we also provide great candidates able to make a difference for your organization. Connect with us at your earliest convenience.

Graduating in December? Use These Tips to Land a Nursing Job

December 4th, 2016

Well, all that hard work is soon to pay off with your upcoming graduation from nursing school. Even when graduating in December, your chances of landing a great nursing job are good. After all, most healthcare organizations don’t shut down during the holiday season!

What follows are a few tips to help you out when hunting for a nursing gig during the holidays, or any time of the year. Hopefully, these insights place you in a new position as soon as possible. Good luck in your job search!

Preparing to Search for a Nursing Job

Your first task is to create a résumé and cover letter. Highlight any relevant medical industry experience on your CV, even if there isn’t much due to your schooling. Personalize every cover letter for each position you are applying for – a cover letter template makes this process faster.

Research Every Medical Company Before an Interview

Once you’ve earned an interview with a medical establishment, research the company before your big day. When prompted to ask a question or two of your own during the interview, take this opportunity to show off your research by asking a meaningful question. Hiring managers will be impressed you did your homework!

Interviewing Practice Helps You Get a Job Offer

Practice your interviewing techniques beforehand with a trusted friend. Pay close attention to your body language (no slouching or fidgeting!), speak confidently and make eye contact with the interviewer. This helps lessen any nervousness, ensuring you will perform great when interviewing for real.

Dress for Success on the Big Day

When the day of the interview arrives, be sure to dress professionally, paying close attention to your personal grooming. This also helps boost your confidence when face-to-face with the interviewer. Give off a confident air throughout the interview without being arrogant.

This is where all your preparation and practice pays off – hopefully with a job offer! Whatever the result, stay patient and focused while keeping a positive attitude. Additionally, consider working with a staffing agency experienced in the world of healthcare to boost your chances of landing a great new job.


When searching for the right staffing agency for your emerging career, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical employment agencies, we know what top healthcare establishments are looking for talented professionals. Connect with us as soon as possible!

Risks of Giving Medical Advice Off the Clock

November 7th, 2016

Medical professionals are by nature empathic people. If someone close to them – possibly a friend or family member – wants insight on their health, they want to help. If you are ever faced with this scenario, consider any possible liabilities or legal risks due to giving medical advice outside of your job.

What follows is a look at some of the potential issues you may face by offering any recommendations regarding someone’s health when off the clock. Sometimes, it is best to stop and think before helping out.

The Legal Risks for Off-site Medical Advice Are Real

Unfortunately, simply giving a medical recommendation when not at work – and under the umbrella of malpractice insurance held by your hospital or doctor – carries a legal risk. Providing any sort of medical advice, education or care in an informal setting means you can be named in a lawsuit. Having someone sign a quick disclaimer notice isn’t realistic in most situations.

The only scenario where offering advice may be considered okay is if you trust the person in question. Even in that situation, your legal risk isn’t zero.

Check the Medical Laws in Your State

It is important to note the laws regarding off-site medical advice vary by state. Do a little research on your own, and ask a trusted supervisor at your employer to see if they can offer any insights.  When in doubt, the wisest move is to tread lightly on offering any medical recommendations unless you are on the clock.

The Same Liability Risks Apply on the Internet

Not surprisingly, you are subject to the same legal risks for providing medical advice over the internet, in an email or by text messaging. Consider writing a quick disclaimer along with your recommendations to lessen your liability, but the risk of a lawsuit still remains. There are even some cases of state licensing boards contacting people offering dietary and nutritional advice over the internet without a license.

The bottom line is simple – tread lightly whenever giving any kind of medical advice if you aren’t on the clock. Tell the person in question to make an appointment to see a doctor, or visit an urgent care facility or emergency room if the situation warrants it. You don’t want to put your career and financial situation at risk.

Whenever you need additional insights on your medical career, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we know what medical establishments are looking for talented professionals. Connect with us as soon as possible!

Three Signs of a Great Medical Recruiter

August 22nd, 2016

When it comes time to look for a new job in the medical industry, working with a talented and experienced recruiter familiar with the world of healthcare is a smart call. The best recruiters know who is hiring as well as the hot skills currently in demand. Assisting you in putting together a résumé and helping prepare you for interviews are two other ways they make your job search a successful one.

Partnering with a great medical recruiter can be an important part of your career growth. Here are three attributes worth noting when in the market for someone to help with your job search efforts.

They Are Connected with the Local and Regional Medical Industry

The best medical recruiters maintain connections with those in the field on both a local and regional basis. This ensures they understand the cultures of the medical offices and hospitals in your area. Once they get to know you better, they will be able to place you at an establishment where you’d make a good fit.

At the same time, they also know what skills and abilities are currently in demand in the medical industry. This helps you decide on where to focus your training to ensure your career prospects stay bright in the future.

Following-Up is Important

Recruiters must regularly follow-up with both the candidates they are presenting and the medical companies looking for new talent. When you are waiting to hear back about a potential interview with the healthcare company of your dreams, it helps to be working with a recruiter who keeps you in the loop. You need to be aware of the current status of your recruiter’s efforts throughout the job search process.

Takes the Time to Understand you as a Medical Professional

When first meeting with a medical recruiter, pay attention to how closely they interview you. They need to fully understand your professional and educational background as well as what skills and abilities you bring to the table for a potential employer. You should treat this meeting as essentially a two-way interview.

Ensure the recruiter takes detailed notes during your discussion. Hopefully, their staffing agency has you fill out an application so all your skills and other professional abilities are searchable in a database. This makes it easier to match you with an employer looking for someone with your skill set.

When you are in the market for a medical recruiter, be sure to talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we can help take your career to its highest level yet. Make it a point to contact us as soon as possible.

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