Putting "teeth" in your resume.

When I review the resumes of physicians who are being considered for management or executive roles, there are certain key elements I look for, based on what the clients (mostly CEOs) say they want. It's important, but not at the top of the list, to have an MBA degree. While an MBA is obviously valuable and can provide an eye-opening look into the world of business, even more important are the kinds of management experiences an individual possesses. I look for assignments that have "teeth"--that is, those having value and meaning for the CEOs who hire physician executives. This means that the individual's effort directly affects the organization in a meaningful way, one that can be discerned in the financials.

Too often, prospective candidates present resumes listing experience that lacks teeth--more style than substance. A medical director of a medium-to large-sized hospital, for example, may think that he or she is ready for the next stage in the physician executive career path to unfold, but the sort of real experience that truly has "teeth" just isn't there.

It's not easy to let someone down gently in that situation, and yet it must be done. Based on what CEOs say they want as management experience for senior management roles, medical directors in hospitals need to home in on qualifications and achievements as they promote themselves for positions at the next level.

Analytical tool for resume preparation

This is not to denigrate in any way the valuable contributions made by staff roles. Staff people are the blood and bone of any successful organization. You do have to accept, however, that staff experience may not translate immediately into an offer of a line position. I hope you will use my comments as an analytical tool to develop a keener sense of what is wanted by prospective employers--before you try to move up (or out) into new management roles.

The most practical among you could choose to take the next step--create a template that identifies the gaps in your current work experience, and then plan how you will fill them. If you follow this course, when you write a new resume, you will be able to showcase your executive credentials (and potential) with justified confidence.

What kind of 'teeth' make the difference?

Briefly, the most desirable "teeth" are Responsibility and Authority. While many positions offer responsibility, true authority is uncommon in any organization. The ways in which authority are traditionally measured demonstrate the point:

* Are you able to hire people?

* Can you fire people if needed?

* Is your area one that generates revenue for the organization?

How many medical directors can claim any or all of those criteria as part of their jobs? Yet, they represent the kind of line authority CEOs want a physician executive to have.

Toothless in Tacoma, or wherever ...

These are examples of the types of resume items that I see all the time. Although they are fine in and of themselves, they are not so impressive to CEOs:

* Elected office in a state, regional, or even national organization. This demonstrates that you are affirmed by your peers, not that you can manage them effectively.

* Being an AMA delegate or being involved in a legislative forum. Either may indicate that you are an activist and aware of trends and issues, but does this translate into management expertise?

* Holding an elected position as chief of staff. This can indicate peer affirmation (in some cases), so it needs to be expanded to show how you handled challenging and complex issues as part of this assignment as a way to "try on" medical management.

Remember, the resume is not a CV. It's not a record of everything you've ever written or every honor you've been given. Ideally, it's a document that briefly details your career growth--in terms of authority and responsibility.

Getting there

Now is a good time to be a physician who wants more executive experience. One of the most encouraging signs I have seen is the outreach from CEOs (most of them non-physicians) to their physician managers. These CEOs know that if there is to be a next generation of physician executives, they must undertake a serious, committed, methodical process of executive development by acting as their champions within the organization.

These CEOs offer physicians with "toothless" management experience the opportunity to take on bigger challenges. For example, there are CEOs who have encouraged their neophyte MD executives to take on management of the laboratory or the X-ray departments. In other instances, the physician managers have taken on the employed physicians or driven network development. In a few cases, physicians have been given general management responsibilities as they begin to evolve.

In the best case scenario, an evolving physician executive has the opportunity and the support to build a professional portfolio of experiences and skills. Effective mentoring makes a huge difference.

Still, not everyone succeeds. Some are not cut out for management--to continue the analogy, they bite off more than they can chew--and their experience turns out to be an unsuccessful experiment. Once the dust settles, these individuals are happy to move back into staff roles.

Others can get too far ahead, an equally problematic development, and will need to adjust their pace.

The bottom line for you

When you examine your experience, in terms of your resume, ask yourself these questions about each job you have held:

* How did I improve the organization? How did I contribute to greater efficiency? How did I affect productivity?

* How did my work increase the bottom line?

When you can answer those questions from your own experience, you will have created a powerful career track record that is likely to impress the next CEO whose staff you want to join. When you bring something to the table that is desperately needed, it's amazing how popular you can become. And that must be the bottom line for you--getting where you want to go.

Mary Frances Lyons, MD, is an Executive Search Consultant for Witt/Kieffer, Ford, Hadelman & Lloyd in St. Louis. She can be reached at 8000 Maryland Avenue, Suite 1080, St. Louis, Missouri, 63105 or by calling 314/862-1370. Please fax career development questions that you would like addressed in this column to Dr. Lyons at 314/727-5662.