Finding a Midwifery Job in a Pandemic
Six months before finishing my Midwifery Fellowship, I knew it was time to begin the job search. I started to update my resume and made an account on Indeed. I was looking six months ahead and was confident that I would secure a job by the end of my fellowship. During my time in midwifery school, I made it a goal to connect with midwives in my community by attending events and becoming involved in the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) DC affiliate group. Well, I was in for a surprise! You guessed it! COVID-19 showed up and put a damper on my plans.
COVID-19 has forced many people to adjust to a new norm. Restricted travel, isolation from family and friends. The job market has been greatly impacted. Many businesses have closed, and the unemployment rate has tripled. It took close to five months, but I was able to find my dream job even during a pandemic. I am going to discuss five tips that helped me along my journey and hope this will be helpful for you! I just want to encourage you to not give up!
Networking
Finding a job today is all about who you know. We have all heard this saying and its true. Applying to a job on the internet is considered the bare minimum. What is the best way to network? This is the question that most of us have. In the birth world, I recommend connecting and building relationships early! While you are in school, use your clinical site to make connections with midwives. This could potentially be a job option for you. Make sure you are making a good impression.
Be sure to connect with your state’s midwifery affiliate. Each state has an affiliate group. This is an excellent place to meet midwives in your area, get involved and later find out job opportunities. Most affiliate groups are meeting virtually due to Covid-19. Look up your affiliate on Instagram! Many are on social media and you can use Facebook or LinkedIn to connect with specific individuals. Connect with other midwives and birth workers on social media in your area. Find out who may be looking to hire midwives.
Creating a Resume
We all know that your resume is a way for employers to see a snapshot of your past work history and skills. Even without a job or little experience there are still ways to build up your resume. You must get creative! While you are searching for jobs, you can also take this time to find ways to make yourself stand out.
Social Media is an amazing platform to make yourself stand out! You can use your social media to provide education and discuss topics that you are passionate about. You never know who may come across your page. I was invited to speak at two virtual conferences based off the education I was providing on my page! I was then able to add these engagements to my resume.
Certifications are a great way to boost your resume. Are you interested in becoming a lactation counselor or teaching childbirth education? Remember to do your research because there are many different routes you can take for either one. I decided to begin teaching childbirth education classes to add to my resume and to make additional income continuing to look for a midwifery job.
Find volunteer opportunities! Volunteering is a great way to add to your resume. Look for on- line conferences or join virtual groups where you can be a resource. You should be connected in with your birth community!
Interviewing
While interviewing you want to make sure you know as much as you can about the practice you will be joining. Do your research! You should know the mission, goals, when the practice started, etc. Learn about who will be interviewing you. Look them up on Linked In and find out more about their background. You can also find things that you may have in common. Be sure to ask about the format of the interview. You want to know if there will be one person or if there will be a panel interviewing you. It will be good to ask if your interview will be virtual or in person.
Google common interview questions and be prepared with answers. It helped me to write down my responses and look over them a few times before the interview. Remember that preparation is key! You want to go in the interview feeling confident. Remember you are qualified for this position. You will be an asset to the practice/organization you are joining.
Do not be late! Always get there early. Ask about parking information in advance. I get anxiety about being late, so I have drove to a place a week before just to make sure I know how to get there. Lastly be yourself! Interviews don’t have to be so intimidating. Smile and be personable. Trust me that helps. I also decided to get career coaching and was given some other amazing tips from Byrd Career Consulting. I would recommend this service if your having trouble getting past the interview portion.
Creating A List
Not only are you being interviewed but you are interviewing as well. It really helps to create a list of the top 10 things that you want in a job. This will help you to stay focused and make sure the job lines up with your values and passion. Of course, you may not get everything but that is ok! It’s so easy to just go with the first job you get. I understand sometimes you may have to take what you can get.
Below is my list to give you an example.
1. Teachable environment: This was important to me because I wanted a place where I felt comfortable asking questions as a new midwife. Be I wanted to make sure that as a new grad I would be supported.
2. Diversity (Patients + Staff): My passion is caring for black women, so I wanted to make sure that I was in a practice that had a decent amount of the population that I would like to serve.
3. Location: Working as a midwife you work long hours and I wanted to make sure that my commute to and from work would be reasonable.
4. Manageable Schedule (Work/Life Balance): I wanted to find a place where I felt the schedule would work for me. I really did not want to get burnt out on my first job.
5. Good Benefits/Compensation: It was important for me to review my benefits and compensation and make sure they were adequate for me.
6. Occurrence Policy: I wanted to make sure that I worked for a practice that offered an occurrence policy. This means the policy provides coverage for incidents that happen during your policy period regardless of when you file a claim. Instead of a Claims- made policy which only covers you while you work at a specific practice. To explain this a bit further. I want the practice to cover any lawsuits or malpractice situations that may arise after I leave. This is an occurrence policy. A claims-made policy will cause you to be responsible for paying that even after you leave. I would recommend during additional research on these!
7. Community based/not-for- profit: I wanted to work with a practice that has community programs in place. I am passionate about serving my community and this was a big factor for me.
8. Ability to grow and learn I wanted to be in an environment where I could grow as a new midwife and have the opportunity to learn a lot. A diverse patient population with a mix of high and low risk patients was my ideal go to.
9. Salary: Research the salaries in your area for new grads and make sure to negotiate.
10. Hospital based/ or Birthing Center: I was open to working at a hospital based or birth center practice at this time. It is good to know where to would prefer to work. This can and may change in the future.
Mentorship
Finally having a mentor really helped me throughout this process. It was great to talk to another midwife about the contracts I was offered. As well as just having some one there to ask questions. I am so blessed to have mentors that I could reach out to so that I would not feel alone.
I hope these steps will assist you in your in the job search! Follow your dreams and your passion. The right job will come!