Locuming can be a great option, no matter what stage you’re at in your career. There are many benefits to choosing this lifestyle, whether you do it for a short period of time or over a stretch of months or years. From more flexibility for your lifestyle, to better earning potential and career advancement, the benefits of choosing to locum are numerous. If you’re trying to decide whether locuming is for you then you can find out what it’s like working as a locum, or take a look at our reasons why many medical professionals choose life as a contract Doctor.
The pay is better
Locum doctors get paid higher rates than those on permanent contracts – that’s something most of us are aware of. You can adjust the amount you earn per month depending on your financial needs and if you have a debt that needs clearing then this is a great way to earn the extra cash to pay it off fast.
You will have greater flexibility
With locum work you aren’t tied into a contract or to regular hours so you can make your work adjust to fit your life, rather than the other way around. You may be fulfilling caring responsibilities, trying to make time for a family or looking to slowly ease into retirement. The flexibility of locum work can also be useful if you want to manage your work around school holidays or another career.
Your experience will be broader
There are huge differences in working environments for medical professionals, whether you’re a doctor or a nurse, and being a locum allows you to get perspective on a wide range of them. You might find that you prefer the atmosphere in a large general hospital or perhaps a smaller community hospital better suits you – most doctors don’t get to see both sides and make an informed choice but locums do.
Your career choices will be better informed.
Many doctors end up falling into a specialisation and then remaining there simply because of the forward momentum of a career like medicine, which often doesn’t give you the time to step back and think. Locuming offers the opportunity to experience a different range of specialities and to find one that suits you, rather than one that is the result of a rushed choice.
Avoid a CV gap
Locuming allows you to gain skills and experience that count on your CV so you can avoid a break in the continuity of your work that might put a future employer off. You can also use the locum work to create a CV that is tailored towards a permanent role you want but don’t yet have the experience for.
And finally, you will never be short of work as a locum – we have a huge range of locum opportunities available, so register your profile in our portal.
