How Medical Experts Can Secure High-Value Fractional Positions

If you're a medical expert, it's easier than you think to get fractional roles (and definitely easier than applying for random full-time online job postings).

For years, good people in my network have offered me decent pay for one-of-a-kind fractional roles, often conceptualized just for me. It's flattering to get these offers — (who doesn't love collecting awesome job offers?) — but I usually don't take them. At this point in my career, I’m fortunate to have created a career that allows me to be very selective and intentional with the work I choose to do.

Here are 3 strategies for healthcare experts looking for fractional roles (I’ve successfully used all of these to get offers):

Strategy 1 - Find a full-time posting for a role that could be part-time (but don't apply for it).

Instead, reach out to the founder personally and ask if they’ve considered a fractional arrangement.

Demonstrate the win-win. For example, a $100K FTE could be replaced by a $4K monthly retainer for 10 hours per week of a senior-level fractional leader. It’s a no-brainer for companies to hire a professionally respected expert with a skill set that goes beyond the job description (and their budget), for less than half the cost and none of the burden of hiring an FTE.

Strategy 2 - Turn your existing job into a fractional role.

Already in a full-time, part-time, or freelance role, and you want to fractionalize it?

Take responsibility for a project or area of work you particularly enjoy and excel at. Do such an epic job at that one thing, you become indispensable. Now you're a legend, and everybody knows it. When it’s time to move on from the company, offer to stay in a fractional part-time senior leadership role focused on that same project or team.

They get to keep your one-of-a-kind experience, expertise, and team-embeddedness, at a fraction of the cost of replacing you.

Strategy 3 - If the situation is right, just start until they can't help but pay you.

If you know your target, already have a relationship, and really want to work with them—just start. Start today.

Act as if you already have the job and start adding value. Overdeliver until nobody can ignore you. If you know your unfair advantage and can communicate your value effectively, opportunities will come your way.

As Naval Ravikant said, 'Be the best in the world at what you do. Keep redefining what you do until this is true.'"