Top 4 locum concerns solved

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Contemplating locum work? As a career option, it is definitely an appealing choice, with plenty of plus points – including increased independence and flexibility to name a few. Since leading a locum lifestyle can be very different from a traditional medical career, some doctors have concerns before taking the plunge into a new way of working. Employed as a Recruitment Consultant here at Total Assist Group, I see so many doctors reaping the benefits of locum work, many of their original concerns completely unfounded once they began clocking up the shifts.

Let me put your mind at rest by explaining some of the most common locum concerns and why they shouldn’t be worrying you.

1) People will think I am doing locum shifts as I can’t find permanent work.

Not true – the majority of doctors who perform locum work actually leave a permanent post to do so, or work ad-hoc shifts around a full time post, for example over weekends or annual leave. Working as a locum doctor is an active career choice, and not a last resort. The flexibility locum work allows is fantastic if you have other commitments, such as a young family, and often locum work is used as an exploratory tool to help medics pin down what locations and fields they want to specialise in. This means that when they do decide to find a permanent post, they know exactly what they are looking for.

Fed up of hospital politics? Locum work is a way to skip the bureaucracy and instead focus on patient care. More senior doctors looking to cut back on hours as they ease into retirement also often decide to pick up locum shifts as it acts as a perfect middle ground for them as they can pick and choose what they will or won’t work.

2) My schedule will be too unstable.

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One of the biggest advantages of locum work is that you are in complete control of your diary. You tell us the days, times and months you are free and we work around what you want to do. You can decide how many hours you put in, whether you opt to work round the clock to pull in big money for your dream holiday, or whether you do the odd shift here and there to keep your hand in whilst focusing on other commitments. It really is up to you how full or free your schedule is, as there is always work readily available for locum doctors. If you think ad-hoc work is too hit and miss for you, we also offer longer term placements, whether you want to work for a week, a month or a year, so you can still develop a consistent working routine if you so wish.

3) I won’t be able to find satisfying work.

Here at Total Assist Group, we put 110% effort into making sure we find placements that are a jigsaw puzzle fit for you. In our initial conversation you can really talk us through exactly what you are looking for and what you hope to achieve from your locum work – we are just as keen as you to ensure you have a rewarding and exciting career with plenty of options to explore different medical areas. After we have pin pointed your key requirements, we will only send you roles we know you will be interested in, so you don’t have to worry about wading through spam.

4) Travelling will be too difficult.

Just by widening your net, you could actually nab yourself twice as many opportunities which could really boost your career. We are completely happy to arrange accommodation for you so you can work as far afield as you fancy, as we can find you a place to stay whether this be in hospital on-site flats or in a local B&B – you will even get a discounted rate to pay as well. Travelling with locum work is an ideal way to adventure through the UK and see cities you may not have visited before whilst also being paid, so you don’t have to worry about having enough money to explore the sights properly. Total Assist Group works with hospitals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so there are opportunities aplenty.

[testimonial name=”Darren Jones” who=”Recruitment Consultant” imagelinks=”https://totalassist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/darren-e1409067250868.jpg” vertical=”no”]”I am an extremely pro-active recruitment consultant, and I pride myself on being able to locate and place the most skilled medical professionals. If you are a consultant looking for locum work, please get in touch with me so we can work together to find placements that suits you.”[/testimonial]

 

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