As you begin to apply for opportunities, you know that the next big step will be the interview process. This may seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you feel unprepared for the interview. As a physician, you must make sure that you are prepared for the interview and to make sure that the opportunity is the right one for you. So how do you prepare for interviews?
- Do some research prior to the interview. Once you apply to an organization and set your interview time, you should begin to learn about the organization. Almost every hospital, clinic, and organization will have a website that you can use to learn more about them. Read up on the organization's mission statement, history, and latest news. Reading about the organization or specific location you will be at is a great way to not only showcase your interest to the interviewer, but to help you feel less off-guard if asked a question about the organization.
- Pick out the right outfit. This may seem trivial, but it is actually important to choose the right interview outfit. You want to make sure that you look professional and serious instead of casual. For men, it can be a suit and tie with a nice dress shirt underneath. For women, a dress and jacket, skirt and blouse, or suit will work. Your clothes send a message to the interviewers about you - so make sure you're sending the right message!
- Prepare to answer questions. I have not come across an organization that hands out their interview questions to the candidate beforehand, so you will not have the exact questions to answer. You can, however, prepare with some commonly asked interview questions. This gives you a starting point of questions that can come up during your interview and gives you an idea of how you should answer. You do not want to overly prepare to the point that it sounds robotic, so do not rehearse your answers repeatedly.
- Prepare to ask questions. As you read over the job description or about the organization, there's a good chance some questions may have come up. Write those questions down and bring them into the interview. You may feel as if you are only on this interview to make sure that the organization likes you, but it's actually a two-way street. You need to make sure that this opportunity will be a good fit for you as well, and one way to do that is by asking your questions.
- Go into the interview prepared. Always be prepared may be the motto of the Boy Scouts of America, but as a physician going into an interview you want to make sure that you are prepared as well. Bring a paper and pen to write down important items covered during the interview or questions that come up as you are interviewing so you will not forget. Also bring an extra copy or multiple copies of your CV, reference letters, and any other document(s) that you told the interviewer you would bring. There is a chance that someone sitting in on the interview did not get a chance to review your CV, so having an extra copy will come in handy.
Interviews are part of the job hiring process so there is no way getting around them. Looking for more interview tips and information? Check out the Career Center!