Medical Job Interviews - 4 Great Tips to Ace the Interview

Tips on Interviewing for Medical Positions穢

The primary goal of any job search campaign, including that within the health care sector is to garner the all-important interview. Whether you are seeking a position within hospital administration, a clinical role such as doctor or nurse, or even a clerical position, the interview is the pivotal point in your entire job search effort. Depending on how well you perform during this meeting, you will either advance or damage your candidacy.

Through adequate preparation, you can advance your candidacy, thereby greatly increasing your chances of being offered the job.

Interview Tip 1: Perform Research on the Employer

An important first step is to perform some research on the facility where you will be interviewing, whether that is a hospital setting, outpatient clinic, or private doctor's office. Review the facility Web site and jot down notes as you read. Critical information includes the facility mission statement, its history, scope of services, and staff bios, if available. Prepare a list of questions that shows you have performed some reading and are familiar with the facility.

A second strategy is to speak with those in the medical community who have some knowledge of the facility with regard to its reputation, financial stability, as well as overall culture. A viable source for this information with regard to a hospital setting is those physicians who have admitting privileges.

If you are seeking a position within an outpatient clinic or group practice, you may still be able to review the facility Web site as well as speak with those in the community who have frequent interaction with the staff, such as physicians in complementary practice areas or community

During the course of your research, pay attention to the culture and values of the facility and ask yourself whether these mesh with you own. A key to a successful long term career is understanding that there is much more to a satisfactory work environment than your just job per se. Being part of any organization means not only performing your work on a day-to-day basis, but also being immersed in the overall culture milieu. The more the culture of the organization matches with your own style, the greater will be your chances for success within that workplace.

Interview Tip 2: Perform Research in the Health Care Field

Another area of research concerns a review of any significant news within the health care sector that may directly impact the facility you will be interviewing with. As you read, create a set of bullet points for discussion that clearly illustrate the research you done. Such a discussion point could be, "I recently read that there is a critical shortage of emergency room nurses resulting in a significant increase in wait time for patients entering the ER. How is this impacting the effectiveness of triage and the overall quality of patient care? This type of questions shows that you are familiar with current issues and how these issues may affect facility services.

Interview Tip 3: Be Flexible

Much work within a hospital setting specifically will involve working non-traditional hours, to include evenings, weekends, and overnights. It will also frequently require that you work double shifts. It is often the case that crisis situations arise that will require that you work past your shit, at times working a double shift to accommodate staff shortages due to sickness, vacation time or recidivism.

Before commencing a job search, take an honest evaluation regarding your willingness to work such a non-traditional schedule. Do you have family or other obligations that will interfere with your availability too work varying or double shifts? If your preference is to work in an environment that offers a more stable schedule, consider seeking a job within a private or group practice. While the salary may be lower in these types of settings, the trade-off may be worth it to you in terms of greater work-life balance.

Interview Tip 4: Demonstrate a Team Orientation

Patient care is truly a team effort. For any facility to work at its best there needs to be a good measure of synergy between clinical staff who provide direct patient care and administrative personnel who oversee daily operations.

During your interview you will want to exhibit a team orientation and "can-do" attitude. One way to do this is to talk about past situations where you worked as part of a team. This can be directly related to work or it can include experiences you have had as a volunteer or member of a sports team. The overriding goal is to show that you are a team play ready, willing, and able to contribute your efforts to the goals of your department.

Interview Tip 5: Interview Etiquette

Although many health care facilities may have a somewhat casual dress code (for staff not required to wear uniforms) be sure to "dress for success: and wear professional attire to your interview. Err on the side of being conservative with regard to jewelry, makeup, or cologne.

Do not staple or fold your resume but place it in a letter size envelope. If your resume is more than one page, use a paper clip on the upper left hand corner to keep the pages together. Be certain your cell phone is turned off, NOT set to vibrate (which can sound awfully loud should during any pause in the conversation.)