Student Guide: How to Get Your First Xray Job

Always Watching For The Next Great Candidate

I was the clinical manager of an imaging department several years ago when I first met Jackrabbit Joe. It was Flagstaff Medical Center located three hours north of the busy Phoenix Arizona market. FMC is a beautiful Level One Trauma Center nestled in the mountains in a sleepy little overpriced town with a population of about 70,000 people.

There is snow skiing, the Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona University all nearby contributing to a constant flux of visitors. Combine that with the traffic of two major interstates nearby and you have a recipe for more than enough medical traumas to keep an imaging department busy all year long.

I had the leadership of 62 employees consisting of technologists, nurses and ancillary staff. We had every modality a busy hospital requires including a very busy interventional suite that was on call 24/7. Staffing levels consistently shuffle in a larger facility as they naturally tend to do with retirements, relocations and occasional terminations.

Internal Promotion and Prudent Hiring Practices in Radiology

I also prefer to promote from within the ranks and cross-train as often as possible to fill necessary openings in advanced modalities. Ultimately, this practice leads to even more job openings in our general x-ray department. I find that promoting from within gives employees the incentive to stay and rewards them for their hard work and loyalty.

This constant shuffle, mixed with ample student clinical rotations, means I am constantly watching for the next best candidate to hire. Experience has taught me that the last thing a leader wants to do is fill an empty rad tech position on the roster with an unqualified person out of despair.

It is much more costly to spend time, energy and money on an under-qualified candidate only to deem them inadequate after 90 days and terminate them. It is better to pay staff overtime to keep the department running and avoid the frustration of everyone all together. Wait for the right candidate. Especially when you have technologists who want overtime. Don’t laugh… it can happen!

Getting Attention and Making the First Contact

The first time I remember talking to Joe was when he called my office. The call was patched to me from the hospital operator. I’m sure he probably googled the main telephone number and asked for someone in charge of the imaging department. He introduced himself as a new rad tech student down in Phoenix and shared that he was interested in working in my department after his graduation. I always figured it was the intoxicating ambiance of the little ski town that appealed to him. I lived in the Phoenix area for 20 years and Flagstaff was often referred to as one of the destinations of preference within the borders of Arizona.

He continued to share with me that he was going to study very hard and work to be at the top of his class. Then he humbly asked if he could come up for a visit sometime. “Just for a lunch,” he said, to get to know me and ask some questions about my department. He said if I was too busy that he would understand, which is always a great way to disarm a request and make it less daunting. He continued that he enjoyed the drive up to Flagstaff and didn’t mind coming to visit whenever I had time. I admit he made it very comfortable for me to accept his offer for a brief introduction.

A Plan for Continuous Communications

Jackrabbit Joe’s custom motorcycle – his pride and joy

His goal became solidified after our first luncheon. He continued to contact me each semester of rad tech school. He would let me know how his grades were coming along and that he still had a passion for working in Flagstaff. It was just casual small talk that had no bend towards politics, policies or any topic that could invoke a differing opinion between us. In fact, his favorite topic to discuss was his custom-built motorcycle. He would ride his motorcycle three hours up the mountains to come and hang out whenever possible.

I think we even saw him at one of our annual employee Christmas parties for a few brief minutes, even though he wasn’t an employee yet. My director and I got to know Joe pretty well before he graduated rad tech school even though all of his clinical rotations were three hours south of us.

Fast forward two years later and Joe was about to graduate rad tech school. I had watched him progress nicely through his x-ray program from afar thanks to his regular updates. I also knew a radiographer that worked at his clinical site in Scottsdale. It was the highly respected Scottsdale Healthcare North campus.

I contacted my internal confidant to ask for the dirt on ‘ol Joe as a student. Further, I received nothing but positive comments and accolades from this seasoned technologist. I trusted his judgment completely… I should… because he is my stepfather. If you haven’t heard it yet, the world of radiology is a very small world. You never know who is connected to whom. Consider that a gentle warning. With the confident referral, I was sure that Joe would make a great addition to our team. But I had no openings…

Passing the Boards and Landing the Interview

Graduation concluded and it was time to take the ARRT boards. For the purpose of this article, I searched back into my emails for correspondence with Joe. For those of you who might be reading this while attending rad tech school, here was the method of Jackrabbit Joe: “I do on average 400 questions a day. I got to beat 84% right? lol” I had shared with him that I earned an 84 on my ARRT x-ray exam.

He was teasing about beating my score. But 400 questions a day showed his intent to pass. I remember studying out of the Appleton Lange study guide when I took the boards myself. There was a CD with 1,000 exam questions on it. I developed a method of studying those questions until I memorized every single one of them. It may be unconventional but it earned me a grade of 84. So at 400 questions a day, I figured Joe would be just fine.

It was only a matter of time and I had a job opening come up in my general x-ray department. The timing was perfect with Joe passing his national board exam. Having secured a good relationship at that point, he again reached out by email and asked: “What sort of questions might I come across in my interview?” Of course, there are lots of variations to the questions that are asked in interviews for the first Xray job.

Reply

I replied with a short, standard handful:

Talk me through the steps you take when performing a BE

What is the protocol at your location for an UGI/SBFT
How comfortable are you with fluoro, OR, C-arms, O-arm
How comfortable are you with peds, difficult studies (disabled kids), geriatrics…

What hours/shifts are you willing to work (hint: say ANY)

He replied instantly with an email of gratitude. His interview was scheduled and a few weeks later he was hired for the position of Radiologic Technologist I. Imagine that 🙂 Of course, anyone in imaging administration will tell you that hiring new graduates is the easy part. Getting them completely on board with all the right documentation in hand is the tricky part. In this particular case, we had to wait for a state x-ray license. The MRTBE wasn’t known for quickly processing state licenses in Arizona. I, myself, waited over 30 days to get my own state license several years earlier. You cannot work at all in a state that requires licensure until you physically have that license in hand. You have to give it to the human resources department before your first scheduled shift.

I ended up reaching out to the state licensing board to help them understand how much we needed our newest hire. My requests seemed to fall on deaf ears and we impatiently waited for the official documents. Meanwhile, Joe got busy sending thank you cards to all those involved in his interview. I know because he emailed me asking for a name. This was another sign of his integrity and fortitude. Something I like to see candidates do after the interview process. Sometimes, as we in leadership interview candidates in groups, there isn’t a lot that separates them. Many times I’ve interviewed graduates who all went through the same program together. It is these little nuances, like writing letters of gratitude, that can separate out the gold from the silver.

Don’t Slack If You Actually Get The First Xray Job

From time to time I see a candidate who makes it past the interview process. They answer the questions in all the right ways. “In five years I see myself in an advanced modality, once I fully learn all aspects of general radiography.” They’ll say “I look forward to working as a valuable part of my team and contributing in every way that I can.” Then, after a few months on the job, you see the enthusiasm start to dwindle. They know there is a 90 day new-hire evaluation period during which the job is not quite solidified.

The purpose of the 90 day evaluation period is to monitor and coach the new hire and determine at the 90-day mark if they are going to be a good fit or do they need to be terminated. All new hires know this process because there is an official evaluation done at 30-60-90 days to assess the current state. Remember, the world of radiology is a small one. People are connected all over the place. A bad example you set in one place could easily catch up to you at the next place….or three places down the road.

Nurturing Employee Potential and the Impacts of a Strong Work Ethic: A Case Study of a Radiology Technologist

It is very disheartening but not uncommon to see this occur. Techs become complacent after six months on the job and start to get lazy. Peers will report to me that they are having to encourage the tech to take the next exam in the queue. A leader has to step in and meet privately with the tech to assess the situation. Joe never let this happen. He continued to work just as hard as a tech as he did as a student. Had I bet odds on Joe when hired, I would have bet he wouldn’t fade later down the road. He had already established his work ethic with me through his constant communications, his passion as a student and honest character. He was good-natured and fit in well with the team.

Joe’s employment only lasted a little over a year. His wife, an administrator, was offered a terrific job back in the Phoenix area. Her job in Flagstaff did not turn out to be what the young couple had hoped. Although I wish we could have kept him in Flagstaff, I knew that he would be successful wherever he went. My goal as a leader isn’t only about meeting deadlines and reducing expenses. My goal is to be a leader who produces other great leaders. I’m happy to report that Joe went on to earn multiple certifications and he and his wife continue to thrive in the Phoenix market.

To recap, here’s the summary of the Jackrabbit Joe method to getting your first Xray job:

1. Where is your dream job?

population size – do you want to work in a big city trauma center or a small town critical access hospital?

climate – do you like the snow or a sunny beach?
environment – dry desert, humid pastures, mountains, and trees?
don’t know – try Joel Skousen’s Strategic Relocation–North American Guide to Safe Places

2. Find a suitable facility in your chosen location

use Monster, Indeed, and LinkedIn to find openings in your chosen location
find facebook groups or pages specific to that location (request to join if private)

3. Do you know anyone there for networking?

do you know a current employee or family member in the area?

reach out to them and see if they can help get you an interview
do you know someone who knows someone? If not, see Step 3

research known employees on Facebook and LinkedIn

search LinkedIn by hospital name and make connections to previously unknown employees
attempt to connect and start a conversation by phone or social media
look for similarities in their profile and yours to establish common interests

5. Make attempts to meet leadership in person

Call and set up a luncheon as Joe did. Disarm by saying “I understand if you are too busy.”
Stop by the department when you are “just visiting” the town to check it out
Ask if you can shadow in the department for a few hours to see what it is like working there

6. Landing the interview

Apply as soon as there is an opening, waiting until the last minute could cost you the opportunity or says that you aren’t really interested
Make sure your hospital application matches your resume (big flag if it doesn’t, looks like you aren’t being truthful)
Have good references and make sure your references know they were listed on your behalf

Fill out the whole application. Skipping sections does not look good. Don’t say “It was on my resume”
Follow up with a call to human resources and ask if they received your application. Was it complete?

7. Interview Prep

Ask how many people will be in your interview and their first/last names.

Use social media to look up all these people. Get to know where they went to school, how long they worked there, etc.
Create your own portfolio. Include strengths, volunteerism, awards, and acknowledgments. Bring copies for all.
Don’t count on HR to bring copies of your resume. Bring your own and have enough for each person.

Research common interview questions and rehearse some solid answers in advance.
Research the employer and know the basics: profit vs nonprofit, how many beds, what towns they serve, etc
Ask what to wear and how long the typical interviews last.

Drive to the interview location the day before so you won’t be late looking for it the day of the interview.

8. During the interview

Arrive 30 minutes early. Check-in at HR and then visit the cafeteria for a drink while you look around. Be ready in HR 15 minutes early.
Dress professionally (no jeans, no t-shirts, no scrubs). I would even suggest a coat and tie. Ladies: modest business attire, please.

Be clean-shaven and keep a neat appearance. No body odor but not too heavy on cologne/perfume either.
Guys: beards are okay, just keep it nicely groomed. Ladies: keep to modest nails and jewelry.
In the end, ask 3-5 questions of your own: “what are you looking for in a successful candidate” etc. See Bonus below.

Share your passions if appropriate, like motorcycles. It shows you have hobbies and makes you look personable
Take notes on the things told to you about shifts, hours, locations, equipment, etc.
Conclude the interview by thanking everyone and “I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Step 8: After the interview

Send thank-you notes to all who were in the room (email or cards). Thank them for their time and for allowing you to interview.
It doesn’t hurt to send a thank you note to the HR person who arranged your interview either. Remember, a small world.
Wait at least one week before calling HR to ask for the “current status of my application.” These wheels move slowly.

Bonus: Questions you could ask at the end of your interview if you can’t think of any. Be sure to write them down and take with you just in case you get too nervous to remember what they are.

What is the approximate time frame that I might be notified that I am selected for this position?
If I were to be offered this job, when would I start?

Clarify the shift specifics (days of the week, hours) to show you were paying attention
Are there opportunities to cross-train into advanced modalities after a few years?
What are you looking for in a good rad tech candidate?

What do you think would be the most challenging aspect for me in this role, if I get the offer?
What is a typical workday like? Will I spend most of my shift on ER patients, outpatients, inpatients, etc?
Summarize the information shared with you by reading back your notes. Note: only do this if you are a good note-taker.

Questions NOT to ask in your interview:

What is the pay? If you get an offer, it will be from the HR department. The people in your interview will most likely not want to discuss pay, even if they know what it is. Direct all questions about pay, relocation bonus, tuition reimbursement, etc to the human resources department.
Any question about what the hospital or department does that should have been researched BEFORE the interview.
Will I have to take a drug test. Just…don’t.

Good luck!

I hope this post has been helpful. If you have anything to add to this article, please leave it in the comment section below and share your knowledge. You are also welcome to email me if you need any help with this process of getting your first Xray job.

Additional Information:

If you are curious about the career of radiography, I have written some articles on various topics:

I hope you find this helpful. You are welcome to email me with any questions. Thanks for stopping by TheRadiologicTechnologist.com.

Ron – [email protected]