6 Tips to Ace a Video Interview

Video interviewing is quickly becoming a favorite medium for employers to connect with potential candidates. Knowing how to conduct or participate in a video interview and have everything go smoothly, however, takes some preparation.

Here are a few tips to help you do your best:

1. Make a Good Connection - Before you can make a good connection with an employer during an interview, you must first ensure that your internet connection is up to par. Conduct the interview somewhere where you will have a steady internet connection with decent speeds. Stuttering video, skipping audio, or worse, a connection that drops out altogether, are all symptoms of slow internet speeds and might cut your chances of acing the interview painfully short.

2. Location, Location, Location – Where you decide to set up your webcam and conduct the interview plays a huge role in the quality of your overall presentation. Try to choose a quiet area with sufficient lighting and make sure what’s behind you isn’t distracting to the interviewer. If you will be conducting the interview from home, make sure any fellow cohabitants are aware of what you’re doing and won’t have to enter the room during the interview. Having a spouse or roommate dash across the background is not only awkward for you and the interviewer, but comes across as unprofessional. Finally, don’t forget to secure all pets and children in another part of the house with supervision to avoid any additional distractions.

3. Test All Tech – Several days before the interview, test your webcam, microphone, and computer to ensure everything is working correctly. Familiarize yourself with volume controls and any settings that might improve the quality of your interview. If you’re purchasing a webcam for the first time, look for one with HD capabilities and a quality built-in microphone. Prices on webcams and microphones have become very reasonable in recent years, so spending a couple extra dollars to avoid grainy video and choppy audio during your interview will certainly pay off and give your presentation a professional flare.

4. Dress Your Best – Although the interviewer will likely only see you from the waist up, dress in full professional attire as if you were meeting them in person. Opting for pajama pants in place of traditional garb may seem like a great idea, but you never know when you may have to stand up or retrieve something from the other side of the room that would reveal your entire outfit.

5. Don’t Interview from Work – It may seem tempting to interview from your office at work, but doing so communicates to your interviewer a lack of respect for your current employer. You also run the risk of a supervisor or fellow employee interrupting the interview, which can not only diminish your chances of landing the job, but cause conflict in your current employment situation.

6. Practice Truly Makes Perfect – Talking into a camera is very different than speaking with someone in person. Practice looking directly at the camera when you speak so that the interviewer can see your eyes. Try to avoid looking down at the screen or around the room when speaking, as doing so could communicate disinterest or disengagement from the task at hand.

As with any interview, prepare yourself ahead of time to answer questions in a concise manner that highlights your accomplishments and addresses how you would be of benefit to the employer. Although a Skype or FaceTime video interview can be very different from a traditional in-person meeting, following the tips outlined above can help make the process go smoothly and allow you to make a great first impression.


ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists,, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com

4 Tips on Navigating the Hiring Process

As a job seeker, knowing how to interact with a hiring manager or recruiter plays an incredibly pivotal role in the hiring process. Even though an interviewing manager or recruiter might not be the final decision-maker as to whether or not you land the job, their assessment of your character, professionalism, and abilities will speak volumes during the application, screening, and interview process.

Here are four helpful tips for navigating the hiring process:

1. Maintain Open and Honest Communication – Communication is perhaps the most critical component of the entire hiring process. Make sure your resume or CV are updated with your most recent work history before applying to the position. If you’re working with a recruiter, provide as much information and as many details as requested. Be especially forthcoming early on in the process when it comes to your education, current employment status, and certifications. Even if you’ve been unemployed for a while or are lacking in experience, being honest and upfront with a hiring manager or recruiter communicates your trustworthiness and helps prevent any future misunderstandings. It only takes one dishonest detail to spoil your chances with a future employer and lose their trust, so honesty is always the best policy.
2. Respond in a Timely Manner – Part of establishing open channels of communication with a hiring manager is maintaining timely responses. Being prompt in your responses shows enthusiasm and communicates your interest in the position. If you’re going on vacation or will be difficult to reach for a period of time, be sure to communicate this beforehand with the manager or recruiter. Dropping off the map unexpectedly in the midst of the hiring process can result in missed opportunities, as employers are more likely to go with an eager candidate than one that’s passive in their responses.
3. Don’t Overdo it on the Follow Up - Showing enthusiasm and interest in a position are key to landing an opportunity. However, excessive follow-up and “reaching out” can be both annoying and detrimental to your chances of establishing a good relationship with an employer. If a recruiter or manager provides a specific timeline of when they will be in touch with you, always adhere to that schedule.
4. Respect the Employer’s Hiring Process – It may seem obvious, but in order to effectively navigate the hiring process, you must respect the employer’s process for assessing and interviewing candidates. As an applicant, attempting to “skip” the chain of command by bypassing a human resources manager to talk directly with the final decision-maker rarely works out in the candidate’s favor. Respecting the employer’s processes and following instructions lays solid groundwork for your candidacy. If working with a recruiter, understand that there are multiple processes going on behind the scenes. A good recruiter will be transparent and set expectations of when you can expect to hear back. Again, be respectful in adhering to the timeline the recruiter presents to you. If you don’t hear anything back by the time they specified, it’s OK to check in then and see how things are going.

Each recruiter and company will have their own unique hiring process. Regardless of the position you’re applying to, though, establishing open channels of communication and maintaining a professional demeanor throughout every correspondence are good policies for landing an interview and ultimately getting the job.

For a complete listing of all of our current job opportunities, please visit our job board. Or, if you’re looking to add a new associate or staff member to your practice, contact us and begin your search today!

The Future of Contract Staffing

Contract staffing, also known as temporary or contingent staffing, has long been a solution for employers to meet short-term or variable staffing needs, while providing candidates with the opportunity to gain seasonal work or work between permanent positions. Temporary employees are no longer viewed as just being lower-level, non-essential and less-committed workers. In fact, the recession of 2008 introduced many companies to the value of having contractors as a significant portion of their workforce.

As the job outlook improves, contract staffing remains as a viable, growing workforce solution for not only satisfying administrative needs, but also engaging senior-level staff, in a cost-effective manner for strategic, leadership expertise. Contract staffing is becoming such an integral part of the workforce that Staffing Industry Analysts predicts 50 percent of the workers at Fortune 100 companies will be contingent hires by 2020. While every employer's need for contract workers will vary, they will increasingly need to think about how to implement an effective recruitment strategy that provides the right mix of contingent and permanent workers to move their organization forward.

According to Staffing Industry Analysts' Temporary Staffing Trends, Development and Forecasts webinar, the U.S. temporary staffing market is projected to experience 5 percent growth in 2014 and 4 percent globally. "Our employment landscape is changing and it's clear that contract staffing is no longer being viewed as just a secondary or backup labor solution," says DD Graf, vice president of contract staffing for MRINetwork. "The focus is moving from using temporary workers to fill in for or replace permanent functions, to more of a strategic approach in which companies contemplate whether key initiatives will require temporary vs. permanent work."

Graf offers the following advice for implementing an effective contract staffing recruitment strategy:

Include discussions around the workforce mix in annual company-wide strategy sessions. Companies should be considering the contingent labor that will be required to drive the organization's strategy instead of waiting until demands become too much, or out of the scope of work performed by permanent staff. Simply put, consider if you have everyone needed on board to accomplish company goals.

Don't disregard contract talent as only short-term workers. While contract talent are frequently hired for project-based work or short-term, mission-critical initiatives, there is a large pool of highly-skilled, contract talent that is increasingly being hired for projects that last several months or even years. Many of these top performers also prefer contract staffing for the same reasons companies do: work flexibility and the ability to demonstrate expertise in a given area. Utilizing contingent workers in this manner, makes it advantageous for employers to solve temporary workforce needs in a more cost-effective and efficient manner.

Consider your industry and the variances in workflow that happen throughout the year. Industries that are highly susceptible to fluctuations in workflow are information technology, electronic patient records implementation, healthcare information technology and pharmaceutical/life sciences. Having variable staffing expenses will allow you to better control your costs.

Partner with a staffing company that has expertise as a single source solution provider for contract and permanent assignments. When bringing in the best talent is the goal, working with a staffing organization that understands your industry, has relationships with top candidates and has your company's best interest in mind, can provide you with the competitive edge to recruit the top performers in your market, whether on a permanent or contract basis. As entities that remain current on constantly changing contract labor regulations and handling payroll and other back offices responsibilities, staffing organizations take much of the risk out of contract staffing, while helping you implement effective recruitment strategies.

As we move towards the 2020 workforce, companies are becoming more quality-focused as opposed to work output-focused. Graf concludes, "This fundamental shift in the workplace is causing companies to dissect and redesign work responsibilities and even roles, creating a growing need for contract staffing."

Associate Agreement and Employment Contract: Is it in Line With What I Should Expect, and Is it Reasonable?

This time of year is prime time for employment changes across the eye care industry.  May through August is always the busy time.  Optometrists and Ophthalmologists are completing residency programs, students are graduating, and they are all going to be reviewing employment agreements now or very soon.

Here are a few things to consider:

1)      What is the commitment?  1 year; 3 years; can you give reasonable notice if you are unhappy or dissatisfied in the practice

a.       Most are 1 year

b.      If you receive a sign-on bonus or relocation incentive expect to commit to 2+ years.  Typically, if you leave before your commitment you will need to pay back any bonus money you receive

c.       Notice periods across the nation have grown beyond the normal 2 week courtesy.  Many agreements now require 30, 60, or 90 day of resignation notice

2)      Want to associate and eventually own a practice in your home town?  Be cautious of non-competes and restrictive covenants that would cause significant headaches in the future.  Especially if your hometown is a small town. 

3)      Are you an Employee (W-2) or an Independent Contractor (1099)?  Associate positions throughout the eye care industry vary greatly.  W-2 employment is most likely what you truly are. That means the employer takes your tax withholding and takes responsibility of the daily operations of the practice.  1099 contractors are simply paid for services rendered.  If this is your status, you are required to fulfill the entire tax obligation of your income. 

·         Resource: IRS website: Employee versus Independent Contractor

4)      Production versus collections-based compensation:  You need to understand which way you are getting paid, when it is calculated, and what is included and not included

a.       Is it calculated daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly? Many optometrists and ophthalmologists don’t know when we ask them

b.      Lab Expenses:  are you responsible for all, some, or none of the lab expense?

5)      Base compensation questions:

a.       Is it permanent or does it sunset after x number of months?

b.      Is it a draw on future commission or is it a salary?

6)      Be Realistic!  Associate offerings on the East Coast are vastly different than those on the West Coast.  Make sure to understand the compensation trends and models that are common in your market.  Don’t compare offers to your friends, especially if you’re only talking % versus %.  That completely depends on the production potential based on a combination of what the practice can provide and the abilities of the associate

Other articles to explore:

·         Optometrists and Ophthalmologists - How to Find a Job After Graduation

·         Bits of Wisdom

ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com

The Recruiter's View: Candidates Continue to Drive the Growing Job Market and Retention is Equally Important as Recruitment

Over the past few years, recruiters in the executive and managerial space have been observing a shift from an employer-driven market to a largely candidate-driven market. As this trend continues, new data indicates that improved confidence in the labor market and the availability of more job opportunities are creating an environment where top performers are more willing to change companies to fill newly created roles and vacancies from resignations. While this may be encouraging to prospective employers, current employers will need to place equal emphasis on employee retention strategies as they do on their recruitment efforts. Recruiters who responded to the most recent MRINetwork Recruiter Sentiment Study provide advice to employers who seek to remain attractive to employees and potential new hires.

"The competition for leadership talent is brutal right now. There is tremendous pressure to attract new talent and hold on to those already employed," said a recruiter responding to the study. According to the report, in the first half of 2014, 81 percent of recruiters described the talent market as candidate-driven, up 25 percentage points from the first half of 2012.

The executive and managerial market continues to be candidate-driven, because of growing talent shortages due to skill gaps. Companies in most industries and geographic regions are now in growth mode, leaving top performers at a strong advantage, with multiple job offers to consider and the ability to reject less desirable work agreements. According to the study, 31 percent of recruiters say the top reason that great candidates continue to refuse job offers is because they are accepting offers with other companies. Disappointing compensation is on the rise, with 26 percent of recruiters listing this as the second most common reason that job offers are turned down.

MRINetwork recruiters provide the following insight about rejected job offers:

• More than ever, highly-skilled, top-performing candidates are in demand.
• Candidates have more options than they have had in years. Yet clients still want to give low-ball offers.
• Candidates are often turned off when companies do not keep the process moving, making the closing process all the more difficult if it gets to the offer stage.
• Counteroffers are still a common reason for offers being turned down, in which most candidates receive substantially more money and a promotion from their current employer.

With more top performers on the move, the candidate-driven market points to several things:

• Leveraging employer branding is not just about selling the company and the job opportunity, it is about the overall impression left by the entire recruitment process. "If a company appears to be disjointed in its branding, saying one thing but doing another, candidates will be turned off," says an MRINetwork recruiter.
• A streamlined hiring process is critical to avoid losing top candidates. One recruiter notes, "Time is the enemy when recruiting exceptional talent, because ... the longer the process goes on, the less likely the candidate will be around to take the offer."
• Salary and benefit packages need to be aggressive, not simply market-competitive, to entice "A" players who have several job options at their disposal.

While the study results demonstrate that hiring trends are highly favorable towards top performers in the executive and managerial space, recruitment and retention will continue to be ongoing challenges for overall hiring as the economy recovers and the job market expands.

Optometrists and Ophthalmologists - How to Find a Job After Graduation

Congratulations! Now it is time to start putting all that education to use, but finding a job is a lot different than applying to programs. Do you know how to get started?

What To Have

A Plan.
Do you know where you want to be in five years? Do you want your first job to put you on the path to partnership or ownership? Are you more concerned with gaining experience than paying down student loans? You need to know where you want to go before you can decide how to get there.

Obviously location is important, but don't waste the crucial first years of your career in order to live in the heart of the city. The best jobs are often outside the primary markets where there is less competition for patients.

If you are considering a cross-country move, you may want to consider the income potential offered in different regions. If you absolutely have to live and work in a saturated market, here are some strategies to help you land a job: Job Searching in a Saturated or Difficult Job Market.

Be sure to set realistic income expectations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes an annual survey for Optometrists each year. The 2013 version can be viewed here.


A CV and Cover Letter.
Most applicants do not get an interview. Your CV and Cover Letter may be your only platform to distinguish yourself from the competition. It is hard to stand out from the crowd without experience but the way you highlight your strengths can set you apart. Did you take any electives or win any awards to recognition? Did you graduate in the top quarter of your class, attend CE outside of school, volunteer in a community clinical or on a mission trip? Be sure to highlight those experiences.

Here are some instructions on how to write a great cover letter: Electronic Cover Letters

The Right Clothes

It is better to overdress than underdress. Your future boss will want to know that you take your career seriously. Does your interview outfit make you look like a doctor? This is not the time to go for personality. That can come through later. If your clothes give the wrong first impression, it will take a major effort to regain credibility

What To Do

Finding Openings.
Networking has always been the most effective method for finding open positions, but it is not always practical to meet with every eye doc in the area and attend every eye care event. The internet can be a great tool for finding position. Your school and local association may have classifieds, but you will likely find that the listings are limited. Here are several comprehensive sources for vision jobs:

·         ETS Vision Job Listings

·         Indeed.com Job Listing Aggregator

Interviewing.

The Telephone Interview

• Return your phone messages and emails promptly. It speaks to your motivation, interest, and courtesy. Don't let returning phone calls or emails become an issue or an obstacle to getting an interview. Even if you don't think you will be interested in an opportunity, return the call. On more than one occasion we have seen a candidate get a call from Practice B when he was already talking with Practice A. The candidate puts off returning the call to Practice B. Two or three weeks later, the opportunity with Practice A does not work out and now Practice B will not consider the candidate because no calls have been returned.
• Your main goal in a telephone interview is to get a face-to-face interview.
• Ask for the interview. Take the initiative to set a time. Say something like, "From what you have told me, I would be very interested in meeting with you and coming to see your practice. When would be good for you?"
• Smile- even on the phone. You really can tell when someone is smiling.

·         Here is some additional reading on phone interviews: Tips for a Great Phone Interview.

The In-Person Interview:
Don't go in blindly. Be sure to prepare in advance. Look over this article the night before: Are You Ready for the Interview? .

• Treat the staff with courtesy and respect. A practice owner often feels like his or her staff is like a family and will listen to their opinions, especially if they are negative. On more than one occasion, we have seen excellent candidates not offered an opportunity because they treated a staff member poorly.
• Smile and show some enthusiasm. More candidates are hired because of their personalities and positive attitudes than because specific clinical skills. One high-end practice told us they had interviewed six different candidates. They hired the candidate who smiled and appeared to truly enjoy being an optometrist, passing on more experienced candidates with less personality and enthusiasm.
• Show sincere interest in the hiring doctor’s situation. Understand that the doctor needs to solve a problem. Maybe the practice just lost a key associate or partner. Maybe the practice is growing and cannot keep up with patient demand. Maybe the doctor needs someone to take over the practice when he or she retires. You need to get a clear understanding of the owner’s true motivation for adding an associate. Once you truly understand the needs of the hiring doctor, you can mutually determine if you are the solution.
• Send a thank you note after the meeting. Be sure to send the note within 24 hours of the interview. Thank the interviewer for the opportunity to visit with them and reinforce your interest in becoming a member of their practice with genuine sincerity.
  
  

Reviewing Contracts.
Do you have all the information you will need in order to make an informed decision? Here’s What to Know Before You Accept an Associate Position

Finding a job can be an intimidating process. I hope these resources will help make the process easier. Please feel free to call us should you have any questions. We are always happy to help. For more updates, tips, and helpful information, follow us on our Facebook fan page, Twitter, LinkedIn or on our blog.

ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com

Four Signs it’s Time for a New Job

With spring in the air and a long winter finally behind us, many find this time of year to be a season of fresh beginnings, new adventures, and personal growth. For some, however, the daily grind of traffic jams, long lines, and eight hours in a less-than-fulfilling workplace never seems to change.

Hopefully this doesn’t describe you or your current employment situation. If it does, though, there is something you can do about it – as a matter of fact, you’re the only one who can do something about it. Moving to another practice or starting a practice of your own is a serious decision that involves planning, strategy, and forethought, but the benefits of such a decision, as one might expect, can be life-changing.

If you’re thinking it might be time for a new job, consider these four warning signs and see how many apply to you:

1. You’re Always in a Bad Mood: While work may not be the most exciting highlight of your week, a day at the office should not leave you feeling disgruntled, defeated, or depressed. Having a negative emotional connection with your workplace can spill over into other areas of your personal life if you’re not careful, so it’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling as you walk out of the office every evening.
2. You Do What You Do Out of Obligation: If you feel like your job is what you “ought to be doing” instead of what you “want to be doing,” you’re probably not going to enjoy going to work every day. Being in a practice environment that motivates you is the key to finding long-term career satisfaction.
3. You Don’t Feel Challenged: Too much stress at work, as most of us know, can be a bad thing. Too little stress can be just as bad, if not worse. If you feel like you’re not being challenged daily or that you’re capable of more, it might be time to start looking elsewhere.
4. Your Co-Workers Are Driving You Up a Wall: The people we work with play a larger role in our lives then we can imagine – after all, it’s likely you spend more time with them during the week than anyone else. If you’ve tried to resolve issues with your Vision team but still find yourself counting down the minutes until you can get away from them, consider looking for career opportunities elsewhere.

While most of the above issues can be addressed through alternative means, in some cases getting a new job could be the best option. The most challenging part of any job change, of course, is in the details.

Whether you’re looking to take on more responsibility, start your own practice, or relocate to an area that better suits your needs, ETS Vision is happy to help make that transition as smooth as possible. Feel free to give us a call and get started today!

ETS Vision is a Vision Recruiting firm specializing in finding and placing Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Vision Staff throughout the United States. www.etsvision.com