Job Search Stats

[w00tz]

There's been a lot of talk about crappy job outlook in 'desirable' areas, especially in the past 1-3-ish years. I'm pretty far from being done (PGY-1), but I'm curious to know if it's all really doom and gloom. Would soon-to-be-grads/recent grads mind sharing their experience the way they shared their experience with matching? I know very little about what it takes to get a job, so please let me know if this is complete rubbish (or too personal to post on the internet?). Otherwise if someone more knowledgeable can add/remove certain factors that may or may not be relevant.

A big part me of wants to know because my fiance is thinking about specializing in her field, which would limit her job search to cities of a certain size as well. Combined with the struggles it appears that recent rad onc grads are having, we might find that it's not worth it for her to specialize. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

--Year done with residency:
--Reputation of residency: (top 10, top 25, etc)
--Research: (none, clinical, basic science)
--# of jobs you applied to:
--Where invited for interviews:
--Where you will work/are working: (location, city size)
-- Type of job: (private, academic, hospital, stand-alone, etc)
-- When did you get your job? (what month of PGY-5, or after PGY-5)
--Which of the 3 did you feel like you had to sacrifice on - benefits/pay, location, practice type:
-- Did you go to ASTRO? Did it help?
-- How did you find the job? (ASTRO site, word of mouth, Monster.com)
-- Replacing someone that was retiring? Moving? Practice is growing?
-- Significant other? Did it narrow/limit your job search?
--Anything else help you get your job: (ie: a phone call, big-wig letter of recs, research, SDN Forum, presentations, other connection of some sort, extortion etc)
--Plans if cannot find a job in desired location: (locums? fellowship? wait tables?)
--On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied/excited are you about your job/future job: (5 being most excited, 1 being I only took this job because I have a ton of debt that needs to be paid off)
-- Do you plan to be there for more than 5 years?
--Other: (anything else you feel like the future rad oncs should know)

I know it's a lot, but I think it would provide a lot of insight. Hopefully gfunk would be okay with accepting responses and posting anonymously?

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[ramsesthenice]

I hope you get some responses but I think you are asking for answers that are almost impossible to find. There are too few people with too varied interests to really figure it out.

However, I am on very solid footing to say the most important thing you left off was how aggressive did you network. Last year there were people that swore there were no jobs anywhere in the country. I know several people that interviewed at 8-12 places and turned down a few interviews. They were not all looking in the same regions. The important point is that virtually none of the positions anyone interviewed at were openly advertised. You have to get yourself out there. Jobs are not going to come to you.

People with regional requirements will always have the most trouble. Markets vary from year to year and with our field being so small the difference between 0-2 jobs and 4-6 in a city can be night and day for the applicants. Can't really predict where x place will be in 4 years.

 

[brozart]

I hope you get some responses but I think you are asking for answers that are almost impossible to find. There are too few people with too varied interests to really figure it out.

However, I am on very solid footing to say the most important thing you left off was how aggressive did you network. Last year there were people that swore there were no jobs anywhere in the country. I know several people that interviewed at 8-12 places and turned down a few interviews. They were not all looking in the same regions. The important point is that virtually none of the positions anyone interviewed at were openly advertised. You have to get yourself out there. Jobs are not going to come to you.

People with regional requirements will always have the most trouble. Markets vary from year to year and with our field being so small the difference between 0-2 jobs and 4-6 in a city can be night and day for the applicants. Can't really predict where x place will be in 4 years.

Tips?

 

[RadOncMegatron]

There's been a lot of talk about crappy job outlook in 'desirable' areas, especially in the past 1-3-ish years. I'm pretty far from being done (PGY-1), but I'm curious to know if it's all really doom and gloom. Would soon-to-be-grads/recent grads mind sharing their experience the way they shared their experience with matching? I know very little about what it takes to get a job, so please let me know if this is complete rubbish (or too personal to post on the internet?). Otherwise if someone more knowledgeable can add/remove certain factors that may or may not be relevant.

A big part me of wants to know because my fiance is thinking about specializing in her field, which would limit her job search to cities of a certain size as well. Combined with the struggles it appears that recent rad onc grads are having, we might find that it's not worth it for her to specialize. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

--Year done with residency:
--Reputation of residency: (top 10, top 25, etc)
--Research: (none, clinical, basic science)
--# of jobs you applied to:
--Where invited for interviews:
--Where you will work/are working: (location, city size)
-- Type of job: (private, academic, hospital, stand-alone, etc)
-- When did you get your job? (what month of PGY-5, or after PGY-5)
--Which of the 3 did you feel like you had to sacrifice on - benefits/pay, location, practice type:
-- Did you go to ASTRO? Did it help?
-- How did you find the job? (ASTRO site, word of mouth, Monster.com)
-- Replacing someone that was retiring? Moving? Practice is growing?
-- Significant other? Did it narrow/limit your job search?
--Anything else help you get your job: (ie: a phone call, big-wig letter of recs, research, SDN Forum, presentations, other connection of some sort, extortion etc)
--Plans if cannot find a job in desired location: (locums? fellowship? wait tables?)
--On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied/excited are you about your job/future job: (5 being most excited, 1 being I only took this job because I have a ton of debt that needs to be paid off)
-- Do you plan to be there for more than 5 years?
--Other: (anything else you feel like the future rad oncs should know)

I know it's a lot, but I think it would provide a lot of insight. Hopefully gfunk would be okay with accepting responses and posting anonymously?

You guys should not be making choices so early b/c most (perhaps not you guys) do not know anything about any field... but if you insist... I will give you the harsh truth.

Honestly, you are in a real tight spot and even more so depending on what your fiancee is doing (ie derm? plastics? YIKES!). Both of you need to be flexible in terms of what you want to do. If you are inflexible now as a PGY 1 and not even married yet, that is even bigger trouble! Be open with each other, and my advice would be to put each other and your family, not your specialty choice first (ie you are going to be a doctor and your life wont be ruined if you do something other than rad onc, cards, derm, plastics, etc.) but not being happy at home is a disaster.

Getting into radiation oncology is hard enough then your fiancee has to match at near the same place. From there, both you getting a job in a desirable place is going to be even harder. This is not to mention that maintaining a good marriage and if you have kids on top of that, it takes just as much work, if not more. For me, life is much more than your specialty. For goodness sake you are going to be a doctor!!! Again life will be ok if you don't do your "dream speciality," but if you don't keep that "dream girl/guy" it will hurt so much more (you can bounce back, but from what I have seen it is a difficulty and painful process).

 

[ramsesthenice]

Tips?

Nothing special. Network aggressively. When you are at ASTRO, or ASCO, or anywhere really, introduce yourself to people. Try to have conversations if you can. The biggest mistake people make is they don't start talking to potential employers until they are actually looking for a job. Thats not networking. You really should be establishing relationships with people because they are the make up of your field and they are going to be your colleagues over the next few decades. Then, when its time to find a job, you will be a familiar face and someone they already have somewhat of an opinion about. Or, as I have seen before, they don't have a job but they like you enough they tell you about something they know about that is not advertised.

Cant stress enough that unless you are really bottom of the barrel most employers DONT CARE HOW SMART YOU ARE. If you have made it this far then competency is expected. You can't/won't distinguish yourself with your knowledge base. You work hard in residency to be a good doctor. Beefing up your CV is a good thing, don't get me wrong. For example, you need publications if your going to do academics. But again, every job is going to get multiple good CVs. A pre-established relationship can go a really long way for you to being more than a piece of paper.