As recruiters of medical professionals from around the world, one thing we see a lot at Scope-Medical is huge variations in CVs… or is it resumes?

In Australia, the terms resume and CV are used interchangeably, though if you are applying for a job here from oversees, you may have a different understanding of what you’re being asked for. Wherever you’re from, what you send to a recruiter may be the first impression your prospective new employer will have of you, so it’s important to know what’s what.

First things first, what is the difference between a CV and a resume?

Curriculum Vitae

A CV – an abbreviation for curriculum vitae - is a chronological formatted record of your entire work history. If asked for a CV, the format should be clear and concise, accurately displaying your employment history, complete with dates, role titles, and employers.

CVs are used more for academics, including doctors, who document their ENTIRE employment history, not just what’s relevant for the job. You will include your qualifications, accreditations and research papers, any committees or boards you serve, and any relevant industry associations you belong to.

A CV is static and doesn’t change for different positions, the difference would be in the cover letter.Resume

A resume is used more for people in professional services, such as Executives and Recruitment Consultants. It should be succinct – one to four pages maximum – and include information on up to 7 years of employment history tailored to the needs of the specific role you are applying for. It does not have to be ordered chronologically (though most people do it this way), and some people even organise their resumes by industry experience, or by skill-set. The other key difference is that typically in a resume a candidate may note their achievements, values, KPIs, financial outcomes, direct reports and even hobbies, whereas this would not be appropriate in a CV.

Not sure?

While texting and emails may have reduced our reliance on the telephone, as a doctor or medical professional looking for work abroad, it’s important to keep your phone conversational skills sharp. Seldom will you actually be face to face with an interviewer, though video interviews may feature down the recruitment process, and it may be the first (and only) impression your potential new employer has of you.

We’ve worked with thousands of medical professionals to help them into new roles, and here are 5 things you should keep in mind when getting ready for a telephone interview.

Need assistance with relocation? Thinking of working abroad or interstate? Scope-Medical is a Specialist Medical Recruitment Agency focusing on bespoke services for Registrars, Consultants, Clinical Directors, and Executives into positions across Australia and New Zealand. Give us a call today to discuss your needs on +61 3 8060 5181.

So, you’ve seen the pictures of the sandy beaches of the Gold Coast and decided to leave the drizzle of England behind and relocate to Australia. You’ve looked into rental properties in a great neighbourhood, reached out to some contacts on LinkedIn, and even considered new schools for the kids… now to choose the right job for your specialty and experience.

As experts in medical recruitment, we know you may have had to apply to several different hospitals and clinics in different states, and you’ve had several tentative offers - but which one do you go for? Money isn’t always the answer When relocating abroad (or even interstate), there are many factors to take into consideration: family, social, cultural, lifestyle, and financial. It’s easy to focus on salary as the primary driver in relocating, but what if we told you that money does not always equal happiness? In the recruitment industry, we have a term: ‘financial putty’. If you haven’t heard of it, it describes a scenario where a company throws more money at their potential employees to cover a high turnover rate, poor culture or any number of factors that will ultimately affect your work / life balance. And if there’s one thing our experience has taught us, it’s that Australians and New Zealanders work to live, and why we wouldn’t they?! We’ve worked with enough medical professionals to know that a high salary won’t necessarily equal happiness or job satisfaction. So before you uproot yourself and the family, here are our recommendations for choosing a job abroad.5 recommendations for choosing the right job:

Make a list of what you don’t like about your current situation, as well as things you enjoy. This will provide you with clarity on what you really want out of your new life.Consider what type of environment you and your family would you like to be surrounded by? Cosmopolitan, rugged, urban, regional, coastal? Think about what activities you like to do in your downtime. Entrench yourself in the surroundings of what will best fit the normal family activities you enjoy doing. Think about your core values. Is it about open and honest communication? Taking initiative? Being involved in education and research? Make sure you bring these up when speaking with the Clinical Director to see if there’s alignment. When you’re evaluating job offers and one is significantly higher than the others without a truly apparent reason (remote placement, travelling locum, high risk area etc), consider asking to speak to a current employee there to ask about the work conditions.

Remember: if you’re happy outside of work, you’ll most likely be happy at work too. If you have family, always go for where you AND your family will be most happy, otherwise the extra money you’re making in the new job will only end up being spent on an external visa (and potentially another move!) to make you happy

Contact the experts

Scope-Medical is a Specialist Medical Recruitment Agency focusing on bespoke services for Registrars, Consultants, Clinical Directors, and Executives, into positions across Australia and New Zealand. If you’re a medical professional looking for work in Australia or New Zealand, give us a call +61 3 8060 5181.

Image courtesy of: Fairfax Review

Medicare explained and how it benefits Doctors and Patients alike

This week, we all sat with anticipation to witness history in the making. Australian Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Turnbull, made headlines for all the right reasons when he met with the 49th President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump. It’s with confidence that we say we weren’t the only ones proud to be Aussie this week when President Trump made reference to the outstanding Australian medical healthcare benefits scheme - Medicare.What is Medicare? Introduced in 1975, Medicare is the greatest legacy and brainchild of Late Prime Minister, the Honourable Gough Whitlam. It was his vision that our Nation’s healthcare system would be accessible to every Australian citizen, irrespective or race, religion, or socio-economic status. Affluent or financially destitute, each and every Australian would have the equal right to access healthcare and be seen by a doctor.How does this improve our nation? Medicare improves the lives of all Australians in two ways. Firstly, a healthy body is a working body, and a working body pays their taxes. By keeping our people healthy, they remain active and participating members of the community. Secondly, doctors get to work on EVERYONE not just the insured. By working on a wide variety of patients, irrespective of their income or health insurance status, it really takes doctors to the core of why they went into medicine in the first place, making Australia a great place to live and work. If you’ve seen the eye-watering bills posted by American citizens showing enormous healthcare costs after an unexpected hospital visit, it begs the question: How is all of this "free health care" paid for?

What next?

From July 2019, Medicare levies are expected to raise an extra $2.55 billion in revenue in its first year, rising to $4.25 billion in 2020-21. These increases means that from 2019-20, one-fifth of revenues raised through the Medicare levy will be injected into an NDIS savings fund where it will be protected for meeting the needs of people living with disability.

It’s this cycle that ensures every Australian has the opportunity to succeed - from all walks of life, and no matter their personal or financial circumstances – something that we’re proud the USA has noticed and remarked on a world stage.

We look forward to seeing how this collaboration progresses for the benefit of the American People.