How to Land Perfect Physician Assistant Jobs

Find the Opportunity to Boost Your Career and Your Life

Landing physician assistant jobs is not as difficult as some make it out to be. With the number of physician assistant jobs in the United States expected to grow by 31% between 2019 and 2029, the demand for your expertise and experience is going to increase.

However, just because it’s a candidate’s market doesn’t mean you can afford to be too relaxed about your job search. If you choose the wrong role, you’ll want to move on quickly. Without a careful and targeted job search, you could find your resume becomes full of short-term PA roles. That’s not going to look good when the perfect position finally becomes available.

The advice in this article will help to ensure you don’t become a job-hopper, and instead receive offers for physician assistant jobs that are perfect for you.

Know Your Salary Range

What you can earn as a physician assistant depends upon several factors. These include:

• Experience
• Location
• Qualifications
• Specialization
• Seniority

According to salary.com, at the time of writing (Jan 2021) the average PA salary in the United States is around $109,000. However, the salary range is wide, with the lowest-paid 10% averaging a little over $92,000 and the highest-paid 10% earning an average of more than $130,000.

Understand Your Workplace Needs

You’ll spend a lot of time at work. You don’t want to be unhappy in your workplace. Therefore, you should consider the workplace factors that will give you the most job satisfaction. Here are a few questions you should be able to answer:

• Do you prefer to work in a high-pressured environment?
• Does admin work make you stressed?
• How important is it that you work within a steady team, or do you enjoy working with a variety of colleagues?
• Who are your ideal patients?
• What management support do you expect to receive?

Think long and hard about what you enjoy in your current role, and what you don’t. This will help you determine what type of healthcare facility you want to work in, and the type of workplace culture that will make you happy at work.

Target Your Career Goals

It’s not all about the money, is it? That’s not why you chose healthcare as a career. You’re empathetic. A people person, who cares about others. You want to use your education, knowledge, and experience to make a real difference to the physical and mental wellbeing of your patients.

You also don’t want to stand still. The physician assistant jobs you take should be steppingstones on a career path that leads you to do the work you find most enjoyable and rewarding.

Consider what specializations you should follow to develop your career in your chosen direction. When considering physician assistant jobs, you should apply to healthcare providers who can help you follow your preferred career path – offering the training and development you need to reach your medium- and long-term career goals.

Apply the Work/Life Balance Test

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl. Though you spend many hours at work, you deserve to enjoy your free time. Even when working in healthcare, you don’t have to work unsuitable shifts all the time.

List the things you enjoy doing outside of work, and the responsibilities you have, such as looking after your children. Be certain to seek employment that can accommodate your work/life balance needs as closely as possible. You’ll be more settled, and the employer will benefit from a happier member of staff.

Seek Professional Help to Land Your Ideal Physician Assistant Job

Many of the best physician assistant jobs are filled quickly, with hospitals and other healthcare providers using staffing agencies to find their next hire. Therefore, relying on jobs boards to find your next career move probably won’t bear the fruit you expect it to.

The best specialist staffing agencies understand hiring hospitals intimately. They know their recruitment goals, have a great feel for their workplace culture, and understand the type of candidate who is likely to be a great fit.

Remember, sourcing great-fit candidates is how staffing agencies provide exceptional service to the hospitals they help to hire for. How do they do this? A great recruiter will take time to get to know a candidate, asking the questions that help to uncover the candidate’s desires for their next job.

Here at Palm Health, we take care to match the right employer with the right jobseeker. We know that our success depends on delivering to both our clients and our candidates.

If you’re ready for your next career move in physician assistant jobs, ensure you find the best one for you. Contact Palm Health today.