Recently, I started looking into how other healthcare providers find jobs and came across the option of working with a physician assistant job recruiter. I’ve never personally used a recruiter to find either of the jobs I’ve had since graduating, but the more I learned about the process, the more I wondered whether one could have made my first job search easier—or even helped me avoid taking a job that ultimately wasn’t the right fit.
To explain why, let’s go back to my first job hunt after PA school.
My First Job Hunt: Would a PA Job Recruiter Have Helped?
Getting certified is one of the hardest parts of becoming a PA, but figuring out where to work once you graduate can be just as overwhelming. As a new grad, I was worried about falling into a job with a low salary, difficult schedule, or poor training. I didn’t have much experience navigating the job market and didn’t have anyone helping me with my search, so I mostly had to figure it out on my own.
One thing I did have going for me was advice from PA school: I was encouraged to prioritize finding a job with a strong onboarding program for new grads. That advice ultimately led me to an emergency department position with a six-month, somewhat structured onboarding program. I attended weekly classes alongside medical residents and had the opportunity to staff my cases with a supervising PA or attending physician. I had also completed an ER rotation as a student, so I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into.
Despite all of that, I ended up leaving the job after about a year. I learned a lot and gained valuable experience, but the work environment ultimately wasn’t a good fit for me.
Looking back, I can’t help but wonder: Would working with a physician assistant job recruiter have helped me find a position that was a better fit from the start?
I’ll never know for sure, but researching what recruiters actually do made me realize that there are some situations where having someone in your corner during a job search could be really valuable. So, with my experience in mind, let’s take a closer look at the potential pros and cons of working with a physician assistant job recruiter.
The Pros of Using a Physician Assistant Job Recruiter
Based on my own research, here’s what seem to be the primary benefits of working with a recruiter:
1. Access to “Hidden” Roles
As mentioned, many employers bypass public job boards altogether and rely on recruiters to fill urgent roles. This may allow you to apply for and land a job you never would have known about on your own.
2. Free Services
The employer pays the recruiter’s fee, so job seekers receive career placement and guidance for $0. (It would be a major red flag if the recruiter is asking for money.)
3. Negotiation & Feedback
Recruiters often advocate on your behalf for higher salaries and provide candid feedback on your CV and interview skills. The extent to which they do this no doubt varies from recruiter to recruiter. But in theory they want you to get hired, so if you come in with goals regarding what you want to make, personal time off, etc, they may be able to advocate on your behalf.
4. Saving Time
Physician assistant job recruiters do the heavy lifting of scheduling interviews and tracking down hiring managers. This may seem like a small thing, but if you’re already working and/or have a family it’s nice to have help with scheduling or tracking down the right person to talk to.
The Cons of Using a Physician Assistant Recruiter
While there are many benefits to working with a physician assistant job recruiter, there are some downsides to it as well. So far as I can tell, these include:
1. Employer Fiduciary Duty
Because the employer foots the bill, the recruiter’s primary goal is closing the deal, not necessarily finding your perfect workplace. This could lead to some bias on their end or maybe they make it seem like a good fit for you when at the end of the day it’s not.
2. Not All Are PA Specialists
General healthcare recruiters may not understand the nuances of PA scope of practice, state laws, or specific medical specialties. This can be a big deal because you don’t want them to misadvertise to you what your expectations in the role are. Additionally, you wouldn’t want them incorrectly telling the employer you’re capable (or not capable) of doing certain things.
3. Potential for Overcommunication
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m just “shopping” around at jobs and maybe not quite ready to make a change. If you get in touch with a job recruiter, they may continuously contact you trying to get you to commit to changing your job—and it may not be easy to get them to stop.
Physician Assistant Job Recruiter Checklist: What to Look For
When evaluating a physician assistant job recruiter or recruitment firm, there are some things to look out for to ensure they’re aligning with your career goals.
These include:
1. PA Specialization
Do they specialize in healthcare jobs, and more specifically, do they have a track record of placing PAs in appropriate jobs? Do they seem to have a good understanding of what a PA does and doesn’t do?
2. Geographic Expertise
Do they have experience placing candidates in the specific regions or states where you want to work? It’s no help if you tell them you want to work in an educational center in a large city and they recommend a small rural hospital.
3. Clear Communication & Expectations
Do they clearly explain their communication process and how they’ll represent you to potential employers?
4. References
Are they willing to provide at least three professional references of other PAs they’ve placed? This allows you to ask other PAs if they’re pleased with the job the recruiters helped them get.
5. Transparency
Do they clearly communicate the salary range, expected patient volume, and on-call requirements of the roles they present? These things are KEY. Even as a new grad, you want to know what the expectations are.
To give you an idea of why all this is important, “normal” in the ED at my first job meant in the beginning I worked 10-hour shifts and saw 6-8 patients. After six months, I was expected to see close to 20-25! Fortunately, the number was less if the patients were high acuity (meaning they required procedures and admissions), but it still would have been useful to know beforehand that my workload would increase quite a bit after the first six months.
Now I work outpatient in rheumatology and see 13-15 patients in an 8-hour period. Because these are complicated cases, my job prioritizes giving us time to thoroughly evaluate and treat our patients.
6. Professional Credentials
Are they a certified personnel consultant (CPC), indicating a comprehensive understanding of labor laws and employment issues? This is something I never knew to look for, but it could be helpful to avoid any issues down the road.
Final Thoughts on Using a Physician Assistant Job Recruiter
Getting your first job out of PA school or even just a new job as a PA-C can be stressful. Using a job recruiter may help you navigate the process and potentially open the door to different opportunities. Remember to always be cautious and ensure you feel comfortable about the job before you accept. Making sure the recruiter knows about things that are important to you like pay, personal time off, location, job responsibilities, work/life balance, etc. is key.
Navigating the application process can be tiresome and result in lots of effort on your end just for the job to never even call. Here at Blueprint, we want to help you land that dream job! Using a recruiter can be a good idea, but be sure to keep the cons we mentioned in mind and remember the items we listed in the recruiter checklist.
If you need assistance, we’re here to support you every step of the way! Please reach out if you need help preparing for exams, becoming a PA-C, or landing that dream job. Good luck, and let us know if there are any topics you’d like us to cover in a future post.
