HOW TO CONVINCE A GROUP

YOU'RE THE DOCTOR THEY WANT

You may not go job-hunting very often in your career -
but that's all the more reason not to shoot yourself in the foot when you do.

You're at the nicest restaurant in town. Seated opposite are your hosts, the doctors who have just interviewed you and are sizing you up for a spot in their thriving practice. So you and your spouse wouldn't get into a down-and-dirty squabble and cap it off by tossing a glass of wine in the other's face, would you?

Probably not, but one young doctor and his wife did, according to one physician recruitment specialist. The couple went home, and soon got a polite note saying that the practice felt that it should look further for a new associate.

When it comes your turn to pitch for that dream job in medicine, you're unlikely to make a blunder of this magnitude. But there are plenty of other ways to strike out, and some are not so obvious - especially to physicians.

"Many doctors aren't experienced at the job hunt, especially the interview process," says a specialist in medical recruitment at a large multi-specialty group. "They get into medical school and residency based largely on records, test scores, and transcripts, So they don't get much practice in the personal side of job competition."

Let's look at some bad moves waiting to be made, and how you can avoid them. Because there are no second first impressions, we'll concentrate on the initial interview. It's not only crucial in itself, it highlights important rules of job-hunting.

Some negatives you should sidestep

Suppose you flew cross-country last night to check out an opportunity at a practice in Oregon. If the kids stayed at Grandma's and your spouse is with you, you've already avoided two mistakes. Medical placement experts generally agree: Your spouse should come along, to see and to be seen. But children are a distraction both to you and your hosts.

Still, you'll have plenty of other chances to slip up at that first interview. If you'd like to blow the deal, just follow this path to disaster:

Break the dress code. Recruiters tell tales of OBs with dirty fingernails, surgeons with stained shirts, and internists shod in anything from plastic sandals to motorcycle boots. The most common error: too-casual dress. "That happens often when urban doctors guess at what's acceptable in smaller towns," says an owner of a physician recruitment firm. "Remember: Every doctor's office is a place of business. Doctors and their spouses should dress as they would for any business meeting."

Talk money too soon. "On a first date, you don't ask, 'How many children will we have?' - and you shouldn't jump to the money topic too early when interviewing," says the group recruiter. You should get a ballpark figure in your first phone call to the practice (or to a recruiter). Don't try to go further at this point. "You'll look overly aggressive and unsophisticated."

Harp on your medical prowess. The first order of business is not business. In fact, it is suggested as a general rule of thumb that you keep the initial interview 80 percent on personal matters, and not more than 20 percent on business. So don't waste valuable face-to-face time trying to cover your full professional biography and references: that's what a resume or c.v. is for.

Show your interest in medicine, certainly. But people who may be working with you want to know what you're like as a human being, not just as a doctor. If you do come off as Superdoc, you may win everyone's admiration - and lose the job.

Keeping the conversation steered away from too much shop talk is often a job that spouses take on. It is another benefit of visiting as a couple. A spouse who knows how to keep the talk general - and lively - can save the day.

Be careful if your spouse dominates situations by being more outgoing or aggressive than you are. This may be fine in your personal and social life, but it's disastrous at an interview. Especially if the spouse bulldozes into business matters. The doctor who's up for the job looks passive and unimpressive.

If your spouse tends to take over, you'd better discuss this issue ahead of time, and then work hard at the interview to avoid playing second fiddle.

Phrase your questions about the practice and the community in a positive light. 'All your patients seem to be getting on a bit, aren't they?' is one kind of question; quite a different attitude is conveyed if you ask, 'Is there a growing retirement population in this area?'. Either way, you'll find out what you need to know - but the second question won't offend anyone.

Know everything. One recruiter tells of a doctor who was eager to show off his familiarity with the community in which he was interviewing. So he kept referring disparagingly to "crazy old Doc Jones," a local character. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Doc Jones had staked one of the interviewers to medical school.

That was an unlikely coincidence. But specific put-downs of hospitals, institutions, and other physicians also leads to trouble. As a doctor, you're likely to have strong opinions, and so will those who interview you - so proceed with caution. You'll never know where someone has studied, or who someone's heroes are. Sure. express your thoughts when it's important to do so. But don't risk clouding the atmosphere just for the sake of a smart remark.

Put on an act. It's not unusual for doctors to feel that an interview represents a chance - or an obligation - to be different than they actually are.

Sometimes a doctor will think it's impressive to come across as an academic, ivory-tower type. But suppose you get hired by pretending to be someone your not. What happens when the real you shows up for work?

Improving on reality can back-fire in other ways, too. A recruiter once sent a personable pediatrician to a New York City interview, but got back complaints of an unpleasant, arrogant candidate. The doctor had heard that toughness is expected in the Big Apple, unluckily for him, he was a good actor.

Some positives you should accentuate

What's the flip side of all these Don'ts - what should you do at the interview? Here are a few guidelines:

Be prepared to talk about personal subjects. Did you ever see an unprepared guest flounder through a TV talk show? That should prove that simply "being yourself" may not get you through an interview successfully. You need to plan ahead.

Come ready to talk about things that really matter in your life. Anything you really care about is a good topic - your son's Little League games, your medical missionary work. This will reveal your value system and show that you're willing to communicate with colleagues. In fact, reluctance to talk at this level may be seen as a sign that you don't speak your mind. That's bad news in most practices.

Ask good questions. Recruitment specialists often regard this as the key to a good interview. When you first start your job search, sit down with your spouse and prepare a list of every "decision factor" involved. You'll need to know all about the practice itself, of course, but also about the many aspects of the community that affect your family. Write down questions and bring them to the interview.

When you're at the interview, however, don't use those questions as a formal checklist. You will lose style points by coming across as the Grand Inquisitor. Instead, refer to them only to keep yourself on track. Having good questions - and plenty of them - is the best way to show you're interested and well-prepared.

Make notes, too. You look organized, and those jottings can be extremely useful later. A job search can involve many meetings and phone calls over a period of time, and you can't remember every important item. To get the maximum value from each trip, keep a daily journal of main points.

Show you've done your research. In recruiting, "surprise" is an ugly word. In every specialty, you need to know how you'll be welcomed by the local doctors. That is why it's advisable to check out the medical politics in advance, especially in a small community. Get permission from the group that's invited you, of course: then call other local doctors. Maybe your an orthopod who has done a lot of work on backs, but a neurosurgeon in town pretty well has a monopoly on that. You may save yourself a fruitless trip. Or you can impress the group by your suggestions for solving the potential problem.

Act as if you want the job. Don't underestimate the value of underlining your seriousness. Aside from thorough advance preparation, nothing makes an interview succeed as much as simply making it clear that you want the job. Don't be coy. In the interviewer's place, wouldn't you be more interested in the candidate with a positive attitude? This doesn't mean you should hint about an offer early on. But you should create an impression of enthusiasm.

Know the interview agenda. Let's say the initial interview has ended and you're shaking hands all around. Suddenly you're nervous: The senior doctor had made a casual reference to starting salaries - but it was only a quick passing remark, so you hadn't responded to it. Now it's too late in any case, and you're having second thoughts: Have you made a mistake? Did you seem uninterested? Or would you have looked too eager, even money-hungry, if you had reacted?

You'd be more confident if you'd asked the doctors for an agenda of how their interview process usually proceeds. An agenda can answer several key questions: How many follow-up interviews should you expect? What's generally covered at each one? Who's in charge of negotiating? And when is an offer made? An offer may not come until a final meeting, or perhaps even later, in a follow-up call or letter.

The interview is history, and you're nervously awaiting word. There's one more item to take care of right away - the one your mother told you about: Send a thank-you note.