Bringing reality to the job hunt process. Interview by Barbara J. Linney

A substantial percentage of the positions that open in medical management are filled through the use of recruitment firms. This is especially true of more senior positions, but it applies across the full spectrum of openings. If the working arrangement between the recruitment firm and the potential candidate is to be effective, certain key ingredients are necessary. The author interviewed a selection of principals of recruitment firms that operate extensively or exclusively in the medical management sector of executive recruitment. What she discovered about their "wish lists" for candidates' characteristics and levels of job hunting sophistication are summarized in the following statements.