Employability

What is employability?

UQ defines it as having the skills and mindset to successfully gain, create and maintain work, making you able to perform effectively within a work environment.

It is not teaching you how to do your job - that is what medical school is for!

Why is employability something I need to address for my career?

Competition for jobs, particularly training positions, beyond the junior doctor years is increasing. Some doctors get to the most important interview of their careers and have never interviewed before and the sooner you understand the transferable skills that interviewers are looking for the sooner you can start making yourself stand out.

It is likely you will stick with clinical medicine in some capacity however many of you will consider alternative careers. If this is something you are interested in then having a more rounded personal profile and skill set will be invaluable to you. In addition it will help you assume different responsibilities even within your clinical roles. Doctors are often looked to to lead teams, make budget decisions, interview and employ people as well as be involved in employee assessment, evaluation and disciplinary proceedings. Broad employability skills will help you in these roles.

Have you started your CV?

Having a well presented, balanced and up to date CV is vital for applying for training pathway positions.  If you start this process in medical school it will be much easier for you to keep your CV updated and relevant as your career progresses.

The AMA provide a free guide to creation of your CV here.

You will find different job opportunities and applications will call for modifications of your CV. If you are trying your hand at several different training colleges, for example, you should restructure your achievements and highlight those in the relevant field for each application. Keep a master document and save any changes as a separate document.

Have you approached a referee?

It is also a good idea to have two referees who know you professionally that you can ask at short notice- in case something comes up. If they agree to give you an email and phone number in advance it can be included in a CV you send in for an application. Just make sure you always let your referees know everytime you do this- the last thing you want is to list a referee that is not aware they may receive communication about you. Keep your referees updated on your progress as long as they are your referee.