Preparing for a face to face and/or phone interview
° Always make sure that you are in a quiet place without
distractions—one where you can speak freely. If the interviewer
calls at a bad time, it’s better to reschedule for five
or 10 minutes later (when you can find a place to talk) than
trying to get through it. Always use a land line as they are
more dependable than cell phones for interviews. Always have
a copy of your CV in front of you. The interviewer may ask you
questions about your work history, unique abilities or your
education listed on your CV.
° Take 10 to 15 minutes to focus/prepare for the upcoming
conversation before the interviewer calls.
° Always try to know who will be calling, as well as that
person’s title and functional responsibility. There are
times when we may not know exactly who will be calling, but
when they call, ask and write down the interviewer’s name
and title and ask what his or her responsibilities are within
the organization.
° Use excellent phone skills! Speak slowly and clearly and
always think about your answers before responding. If you are
sitting, sit upright, just as you would in an actual interview.
If you stand up while talking on the phone, you are more alert
and sound more enthusiastic. Be careful not to be monotone.
° Make sure your answers are clear and concise but avoid
one-word answers. If asked what you are doing at your current
practice, do not say “See Patients”, elaborate!
Get to the point; don’t ramble. If you don’t know
the answer to a question, don’t fake it—just ask
for a further clarification of the question.
° Have questions prepared. Ask the interviewer if you may
ask a couple of questions. Additionally, always express interest
in the position. At the conclusion of the interview, ask the
interviewer what the next step will be.
° Research the hospital, group or clinic you will be interviewing
with. Visit their web site and read up on the entities’
history, structure, and services.
° Be prepared to talk about your roles and responsibilities,
the specialized procedures you have done or can do and their
results.
What TO DO During the Interview
° If the interviewer does not begin by describing the responsibilities
of the opportunity and what skills and attributes he/she is
looking for, ask! You should understand what is important to
the interviewer about the position before you begin discussing
your background, skills, and experience.
° Come with prepared questions, and take notes during the
interview. Most interviewers will give you an opportunity to
ask questions. Asking informed, open-ended questions shows your
interest in the opportunity and in the community. Here are several
suggestions:
° Can you tell me more about the growth or advances your
group and/or hospital has worked on over the past year?
° What challenges do you face in the next three to six months?
° Match your skills to the client’s problems and concerns.
Pay close attention. Present a logical, concise description
of your experience that matches the client’s need. Describe
your functional duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
Discuss specific skills you may bring to the opportunity that
may place you above others being considered.
° People interviewing you want to work with people who are
interested in working with them and their colleagues—people
who have a positive and upbeat attitude and who ask good questions.
° Be a good listener and be interested. Stay on track, and
be direct and concise with each answer. Then stop. Most interviewers
have a number of pre-set questions they wish to cover in a limited
amount of time. Don’t over-explain.
° Answer the interviewer’s questions openly and honestly,
being positive about yourself and your skills. Translate your
experiences into benefits the client will gain if he/she chooses
to make you an offer. Ensure you have communicated well with
the client and that you are able to meet their expectations
by asking, “Based on your description of this opportunity,
I am confident that my skills and experience will exceed your
expectations. How do you feel?” You might also ask: ”How
do you view my role on this team?”
Ask Smart Questions
1. Ask about the primary responsibilities you will be required
to provide. You have the opportunity description but need to
ensure them that you understand this.
2. Ask about the team of people whom you will be working with.
Ask about the size of the team, the experience level of the
team, the different roles performed in the team. Ask about the
personalities of the team members.
3. Ask about the technical environment as far what equipment
is available to assist you in working with the patients.
4. Ask about what sort of unique systems or standards they may
be using.
Also remember for in-person interviews:
1. Maintain good body language such as not crossing your arms
in the interview.
2. Keep good eye contact with your interviewer(s) at all times.
(Do not look away when answering questions.)
3. Ask SMART questions and give SMART answers. (Be sure to ask
questions similar to what is listed above. Be sure to answer
the exact question they are asking you and not stray into something
else which means you have great listening skills.)
4. Do not freely throw out information in the interview and
do not raise any concerns you have in the interview about the
position. Make a note of it.
5. Ask for the position at the end of the interview somehow.
This shows that you are interested in the position and may give
you some kind of feedback. There are a number of ways to do
this but you must be comfortable with it and present it to the
client carefully as well. EX: I feel I would be a good addition
to the team here, when can I start? Or, After our meeting today,
do you feel I would be a welcome addition to the team?
What NOT to Do During the Interview
° Don’t ask about vacation or sick time. Don’t
ask about benefits. This information will be provided to you
later and is not appropriate during the first interview. Asking
these questions gives the impression that those issues are the
most important to you.
° Don’t discuss compensation during an interview.
° If you have any negative feelings or concerns, discuss
them with your Recruiter after the interview. Keep an open mind
during the interview, and wait until after to make a decision
about the opportunity.
Below are some questions you may be asked in an interview
and some suggestions on how to answer them. You may not be asked
any of these, but they are included here just in case.
° Tell me about yourself. This is a great opportunity to
highlight some of your strengths. Keep your answer under two
minutes. The information you give should be pertinent to the
job you are interviewing for. Use your resume summary as a base
to start, and don’t delve too deeply into any one area.
“I’ve worked in Cardiology for the past seven years.
I started as a member of a single specialty group at ABC. I
was involved in developing the “XYZ” program, which
at the time was quite innovative. The group’s revenues
doubled in the first year after this program was implemented.
Next, I worked at…”
° What do you know about the position? Familiarize yourself
with the company before the interview- use the Web. Find out
about equipment, medical staff, revenue, reputation, history,
etc. When you’ve shown you have done your homework, ask
the interviewer to tell you more about the group and/or hospital.
° What is your technical background, and what kinds of
procedures have you done? Use your resume to walk the interviewer
step-by-step through your technical – not work –
history. Discuss specific skills you have acquired and how you
have used them. Make sure you are prepared to discuss this information
– don’t just wing it.
° What are your most significant accomplishments? Tell
a story about a couple of successful procedures you worked on,
or about a time you overcame adversity to make a difficult project
or task succeed. Focus on specific technical or personal skills
you used.
° In what areas do you need to improve technically? Try
to get the interviewer to clarify this question. Is he or she
asking about specific equipment? Procedures? This way you will
be better able to target your answer. If appropriate, talk about
a skill that is not required for the position. Since this position
will require you to use your strongest skills, your weaker skill
areas probably are not required.
° What did you like most and least about your last job?
Do not ever criticize your former employer or coworkers. Discuss
positive aspects of the hospital, the group, your co-workers,
or what you learned. Mention several things you liked about
your last position. Mention ONLY ONE thing that you liked least
– and that thing can echo why it is that you are leaving
the company. “The group is large and stable, and I enjoyed
that environment;however, I am looking for a smaller practice
environment where I can make a greater contribution.”
° How do you handle pressure? Discuss the skills you have
acquired – organization, prioritization, ability to communicate
well with others-that help alleviate the stress of pressure
in a job AND how you have used those skills successfully in
the past.
° Do you prefer to work alone or on a team? It’s
best to provide a dual answer here – something that shows
you are capable of operating independently when necessary and
that demonstrates you are a team player when needed.
° What do you do when priorities change quickly? Discuss
your ability to adapt and to communicate effectively with the
hospital administration and/or anyone you may supervise. Talk
about a step-by-step approach to examining new projects and
tasks, determining where they fall into the greater scheme of
things, rearranging current priorities, and getting buy-in from
others involved.
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