What the Hiring Manager Considers
A day shift supervisor position has just opened up and Megan and Jake have both applied for the job. If you were reading their resumes, you’d think the decision would be a toss-up between the two. After all, they both graduated from the same RT program at the same time and with about the same GPA. They both earned their RRT right out of school, they’ve both been on the job for five years, and they both excel during annual skills days.
If you could tunnel into the mind of their manager, though, you’d soon see there’s no real contest here. She isn’t even considering Megan for the position. Jake had the job the minute he applied.
How could their manager make such a quick decision? While on paper these two therapists appear equal in every way, a closer look at the images they have created for themselves on the job tells the story.
Meet Megan
Megan comes into work every day in scrubs that look like she slept in them. While she’s never late, she’s always cutting it close, often the last one on her shift to arrive for morning rounds.
On days when her patient load is larger than average, she signals her displeasure to her supervisor with a little “ugh” or a grimace, and when she’s asked to help a colleague or add an unexpected task to her responsibilities her most frequent response is, “Okay, but this will make me late for ____.”
While she does deliver efficient and effective care to her patients, she’s all business and nothing more at the bedside. Patients rarely greet her with a smile, and families tend to back away when they see her coming. When she asks them if they have any questions about their therapy, or if there’s anything else she can do for them, it’s in a tone that says, “the answer better be no.”
Megan regularly volunteers for committees or work groups charged with looking at changes in the department because she feels that service will speak well for her during her annual review, but her colleagues generally find her to be the strongest naysayer in the group.
Meet Jake
Jake is always at work ten or fifteen minutes before his shift begins and he uses that time to peruse the bulletin board to see what new notices have been posted or catch up with coworkers coming off the previous shift. His scrubs are freshly laundered and he greets everyone he meets with a smile.
When the workload increases, Jake takes it in stride, often defusing any angst among his coworkers with a lighthearted, “Guess we’ll be in overdrive today, huh guys?” or “Looks like this terrible weather is drawing them in.”
Patients love Jake because he takes the time to relate to them as people. He greets them and their family members by name, and he carefully explains everything he’s doing as he proceeds with their care. If that means he spends a little more time with one of them than he should considering the workload, he simply shaves a few minutes off his lunch break to make up the difference.
When Jake serves on committees and workgroups his colleagues view him as a thoughtful participant who carefully weighs both sides of an issue before offering his input.
Soft skills can make the difference
The bottom line? Looking good on paper is important when building a career, but so is creating a positive professional image. When all other things are equal, the therapist who excels in the softer side of respiratory care will win out every time.