Why did you choose radiology? And at what point during your training and/or career did you stop feeling the pressure of your next hurdle or the uncertainty of “what’s next?” Was it the day you were accepted into medical or graduate school? Maybe it was when you matched into residency. Perhaps you’re still feeling a bit uncertain about whether you will become partner at your practice, obtain that tenured post, or find more flexibility and balance in your career.

Just as you applied and were accepted to every school, residency, and fellowship necessary to earn your degrees, there’s the ongoing anticipation of achieving your ideal version of professional success. But, unlike the partners, professors, physicians, and physicists before you, you’re doing it in the wake of a global pandemic.

Finding the Right Help

The ACR will be your career partner throughout your radiology journey. One of the most impactful ways in which the ACR Career Center can help is to directly connect members searching for their next opportunity with employers looking for talented and dedicated professionals.

A recent Career Center survey showed that while less than 10% of radiologists — including all subspecialties, IR, and radiation oncology — were successful in their job search when using a recruiter or headhunter, more than one third of respondents found success using a specialty jobs board like the ACR Career Center.¹ While COVID-19 initially halted hiring and recruitment, Career Center postings showed a steep increase — almost 200 more job postings from August through November of 2020 — after the initial pandemic restrictions had eased.² In the ensuing months, an additional 300 positions have been added. Currently, there are a record number of job postings on the Career Center exceeding 1,100 opportunities among a variety of locations and specialties.³

Timing Your Search

In the survey done prior to COVID-19, most job seekers started looking for positions during the first three to six months of fellowship and signed on to new jobs in the November through February timeframe. One trend that was observed was that private practice positions tended to be posted in the second half of the year — from August through December — while academic positions were often posted later in the year, or during the first few months of the new year into February or March.²

Landing the Ace

You’ve posted your CV on the ACR Career Center and set up your job alert email to make sure you’re notified immediately when a new position in your area of interest becomes available. When an exciting position comes through, what’s next? During a recent program hosted by the ACR’s Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI), the panel’s advice was unanimous and simple: Show employers the best version of yourself.

In the current era of virtual interviews, the Career Center recommends these Zoom interview tips to make sure you’re prepared:

• Set yourself up for success by taking some simple steps to make sure you’re seen in the best light — literally. If you don’t yet have a ring or “selfie” light, now is the time to get one. It’s a $10 investment that instantly brightens the look and feel of the interview.
• Be aware of your surroundings. While blurs and virtual backdrops are fine for informal meetings or casual chats, they can be distracting or even embarrassing in formal situations. It’s best to sit so that your back is against a plain wall or neatly decorated shelving — something authentic to you that doesn’t distract the person with whom you’re speaking. You want them to focus on you, not your décor.
• Dress to impress but be careful of patterns or colors that are too busy. Ideally, you’ll test your lighting, backdrop, and clothing prior to your interview to make sure that you are presenting yourself in the best way possible.
• Be authentic. Whichever side of the interview desk you’re sitting on, make sure you are being true to yourself and presenting yourself, the open position, and the organizational culture authentically.

One of the most impactful ways in which the ACR Career Center can help is to directly connect members searching for their next opportunity with employers looking for talented and dedicated professionals.

Strengthening Your Skills

During your job search, if you find you need a brief but immersive dive into reading a new modality or need radiology-specific leadership skills, your ACR membership provides access to numerous tools and resources to help you develop your professional acumen. The ACR offers an array of award-winning RLI educational courses and content, which are particularly useful if you’re looking to hone your leadership skills and management expertise.

The RLI recently hosted a virtual “Power Hour” on recruiting radiologists to gain insight into private practice, academic, and hospital-based practices. This free webinar includes in-depth analysis of the pre-and post-COVID-19 job markets. The ACR Education Center’s virtual micro-courses and mini-fellowships also offer radiologists the opportunity to delve into intensive case review. You will leave the courses feeling confident in reading images that will allow you to expand the scope of your practice.

For daily skill-building, the College’s popular Case-in-Point® can help you sharpen your clinical knowledge. This convenient online program delivers world-class cases straight to your inbox every weekday and will help you evaluate common findings, as well as diseases and conditions that can present in interesting ways.

Whatever path you want your career to follow, your ACR membership gives you access to myriad tools and practice-enhancing information to ensure you’re providing quality care to your patients — and are an integral member of the organization you choose to work with.