{"id":334,"date":"2024-03-19T15:26:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T15:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elective-recruitment.ap.applyflow.com\/?p=334"},"modified":"2025-10-22T04:27:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T04:27:00","slug":"get-ready-to-locum-our-top-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/get-ready-to-locum-our-top-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Ready to Locum: Our Top Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2387\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1-300x169.png\" alt=\"Locum doctor travel\" width=\"1402\" height=\"790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-ap-v2i.applyflow.com\/elective-recruitment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Blog-2-1.png 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1402px) 100vw, 1402px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>1. Get your credentials ready<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First things first, ensure your credentials are up-to-date. Recruitment Consultants need you to be work-ready and the hospitals often need full credentials on presentation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Curriculum Vitae: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your CV is your introduction to potential employers, so make sure it highlights your experience, skills, and qualifications effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Identification and Qualifications:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Obtain certified copies of your ID and qualifications. Some states will accept notarisation by a medical practitioner in line with AHPRA regulations, however, some will require Justice of the Peace (JP) certified documents, so consider a trip to your local JP to cover all bases.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Immunisation Records:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Have evidence of your vaccination history. You may need to provide evidence of the following: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (dTpa), Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella, Hepatitis B, Influenza, COVID-19, Tuberculosis (TB)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Continuing Professional Development (CPD): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your CPD records current and complete any necessary courses such as ALS, BLS and HETI locum modules for NSW. Your Recruitment Consultant can advise you on which courses may be necessary for specific locum placements.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>References:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Speak to your referees to obtain their consent to be contacted and ensure they are available to complete and return reference forms promptly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Background Checks: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t forget to have your background checks in order, including a recent criminal record check and any necessary Working With Children Check (WWCC) applications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indemnity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To work as a locum, you must have appropriate indemnity coverage separate from your employer&#8217;s policies. Contact your provider to ensure you have the necessary level of coverage and provide your certificate of currency to your Elective Recruitment Consultant.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you are fully credentialed you can be presented for locum shifts at short notice, and have a greater chance of securing the shifts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Be contactable<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Locum shifts can fill up incredibly quickly \u2013 sometimes within minutes of being released. When your Recruitment Consultant reaches out with a shift that\u2019s of interest to you, a quick response will allow us to submit your application without delay, increasing your chances of securing that shift.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Map out your availability in advance<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Providing advance notice of your availability allows your Recruitment Consultant to match you with relevant locum opportunities as soon as they arise.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to be specific about your schedule, especially when moving from night to day shifts so that we can include suitable rest breaks and factor in travel time accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Blocking out personal time for holidays, studies, or anything else is completely fine, and crucial for work\/life balance \u2013 the sooner you update us, the better chance we have of finding you the perfect shifts for your preferences and timeframes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Be flexible on location<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If your preferred regions don\u2019t have shifts available where else could you go?<\/p>\n<p>While it&#8217;s natural to have preferred work locations, being open to exploring new places can significantly expand your opportunities. Consider regional and rural placements, which often offer diverse case mixes, invaluable hands-on experience, and the chance to work with some incredible people. These are often some of the best places to work as a locum.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve heard mixed reviews about a particular location, keep in mind that work environments change over time. Ask your Recruitment Consultant to find out if there are ongoing issues or if they have been resolved. Give it a try, and if you have concerns upon arrival, don&#8217;t hesitate to let us know. We&#8217;re here to support you every step of the way, and if adjustments are needed, we can work together to find a solution.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Register with PRODA<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Some locum jobs may require you to have a Medicare Provider Number, and having a <a href=\"https:\/\/proda.humanservices.gov.au\/pia\/pages\/public\/registration\/account\/createAccount.jsf\">PRODA<\/a> account can streamline the process of obtaining one at short notice.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you&#8217;re registered and ready to go when these opportunities arise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #a12f9c;\"><strong>Locum doctors in Australia enjoy access to a variety of experiences, interesting locations, flexible working and financial rewards. Get the basics done right and start your locum journey today!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Remember, we don&#8217;t always advertise locum shifts on our website as some are filled so rapidly. Don&#8217;t miss out on exciting opportunities; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/candidate-registration\/\">register<\/a> with us today to be the first to hear about all the latest locum jobs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hayley has over a decade of experience in medical recruitment, where she has developed a deep expertise and understanding of the unique challenges and complexities that doctors face when relocating to Australia. Assisting in permanent, fixed-term, and locum placements across all medical specialties, she guides doctors through the complex journey of regulatory and migration processes, ensuring each candidate has a smooth transition into their new role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New to locum work? Here are our top tips on securing shifts, from preparing your credentials to staying flexible with locations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-blogs","category-featured-post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2385,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions\/2385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}