6 Tips to Nail Your Next Healthcare Job Interview
You’ve studied hard for years and are ready to enter the world of healthcare. After searching for the right company, putting together a fantastic resume, and filling out an application, the only thing standing between you and your dream job is an interview that will wow recruiters.
How can you interview well for the job you want? Here are the top tips to help you nail your interview and land your next healthcare job.
1) Research Ahead of Time
One of the reasons that employees love working in healthcare is flexibility. There are various types of healthcare facilities with a range of potential jobs and growth opportunities. Hospitals, assisted living facilities, research labs, and pharmacies are just a few options for healthcare professionals.
So, you need to research before walking into your interview. Find out the company values, work environment, recent news, and culture beforehand to prepare. It will give you a sense of the type of questions they might ask and how best to frame your answers. If you can, bring up some of the news or history to show that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested.
2) Practice Your Answers
While it’s impossible to anticipate every interviewer's question, try practicing some common ones. Routinely practicing your responses will make it less likely that you will flub them in the moment. It will also help get you into the right mindset to adjust your answers to fit the interviewer’s specific questions.
Some common questions you’ll want to rehearse:
- Tell me a little about yourself.
- Why did you choose [nursing, occupational therapy, etc.] as a profession?
- What is your biggest strength/weakness?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Can you talk about a time when you worked well in a stressful situation?
- Why are you interested in working here?
Try practicing your answers with a friend or colleague to get helpful feedback and improve your delivery. Think of personal anecdotes that help answer questions and show your character. Try to use down-to-earth language and avoid too many empty interview clichés such as “people-person” or “self-starter.”
3) Pick Out an Outfit Early
Don’t wait until the interview day to pick out an outfit. Not only may you find your favorite suit or blouse needs to be ironed at the last minute, but it can be an overwhelming decision when you have nerves.
Pick out what you want to wear the day before and ensure that it is hanging and ready to go. It’s a small detail that will help you feel more confident going into your interview.
4) Find an Ice Breaker
While the interviewer wants to make sure that you’re qualified, they want to make sure that you’re a pleasant person to work with too. The right ice breaker will help get the interview off to a good start.
Try to find some obvious interests to connect with the interviewer. Do they have pictures of vacations, children, or pets around their office? Try to find some common ground with the interview or ask genuine about themselves, such as how long they have worked at the company.
5) Prepare Questions of Your Own
An interview is a two-way street: you need to make sure the employer fits you too. Think of some questions beforehand that you can ask the interviewer about the work culture and values, character traits that matter most to them. Also, listen to the questions during the interview to ask for additional information. Some questions you might want to ask include:
- What does a successful team member look like here?
- What do you like most about your job? What are some challenges?
- What is the company culture like?
So make it a priority to come up with a couple of questions to show your interest.
6) Mind Your Nonverbal Cues
Although our words may be saying “team players,” “trustworthy,” and “humble confidence,” our nonverbal cues could be revealing the exact opposite. Your body language can show that you’re interested and engaged or that you’re unsure of yourself or underprepared. Some important nonverbal cues include:
- Making eye contact
- Smiling
- Sitting up and leaning in
- Nodding your head
- Uncrossing your arms
The right body language will draw your interviewer into a conversation with you instead of making everyone uncomfortable.
Getting your dream healthcare job is possible. Follow us on myHealthTalent blog to get more information on landing the right healthcare job.