You may have found a place to work…but can you actually be happy living in the community?

You may have found a place to work…but can you actually be happy living in the community?

Have you ever lived somewhere you didn’t like? Not just your apartment or house, but the actual community? Maybe when you moved there for a permanent physician placement, you thought that you could make it work…after all, if you like your job and there’s running water, how bad could it be?

Picture this…

During the honeymoon phase, things are OK. But then you settled in at your new job, you’ve unpacked all your moving boxes (or given up and stacked them in a closet) and decide to treat yourself to a curry. That’s when you realize the closest curry place is over an hour away, and they close at 7.

Undaunted, you learn to make your own curry and keep trying to find things to like about where you live. You start to forget about all the things you used to do after work…and then you go on a vacation, or a trip to a CME conference. Suddenly, all the things you used to do are there again. When you get home, you realize that you’re actually kind of miserable, but you better get used to it because there are two more years on your contract and you won’t be going anywhere soon.

Finding a great place

Considering where you want to live is one of the most important parts of your job search. There are undoubtedly things you do love that are unique to you. Start keeping a journal of what you enjoy doing in your off hours, and note how important it is that you have easy access to them. Is a good trout stream a need-to-have? What about art galleries? What’s crucial, what’s nice, and what are you OK doing only on vacation?

It’s not just the activities, either. Also consider the area’s culture and the practice type. What kind of procedures do you want to do most often? What kind of call arrangement are you hoping to find? What kind of relationship are you hoping to have with colleagues? In what kind of environment will you best fit?

Make your need-to-have, nice-to-have and doesn’t-really-matter lists. If you have a significant other or kids, make sure they make one, too. Figure out the places that have these things available, and let that guide your job search.

PracticeLink can help

Make sure you update or add an inDepth Interview to your PracticeLink profile. The inDepth Interview expands on what’s in your profile so in-house physician recruiters can understand the why behind your interest in an area or opportunity.

The process helps you, too, narrow in on what you’re looking for in a new opportunity. An inDepth Interview added to your PracticeLink profile will help you find opportunities you might not have found in your own search but that might be the perfect fit.

You may be a city person, a country person, or a person who doesn’t care which as long as there’s at least a solid week a year where the ground is completely covered in snow. These are things you need to know about yourself and your family to help can guide your search.

No employer wants one of its physicians actively planning their escape a year before their contract has ended. An employer wants you to be happy where you live and work. They don’t want to find a replacement!

PracticeLink and our inDepth Interview team are here to help you let potential employers know what you’re looking for in your next opportunity—and your next place to live.

Chris Scites is PracticeLink’s director of physician relations. Reach his team for free job-search help and to complete an inDepth Interview at (800) 776-8383. for