Tips On Interviewing

Effective preperation for your job interview will produce better job offers.

Nearly 90% of all job offers result directly from a face to face interview. In fact, the majority of all contracts are offered by the second meeting. Your responsibility for success lies in the first impression left with the prospective employer during an interview.

The Law of Probability predicts four possible outcomes to an interview:

1. Best Result - The employer, impressed not only by your qualifications and accomplishments, but also by your personal presentation, offers you the job at the highest possible compensation level and you leave with a contract in hand.
2. Better - The employer, impressed by your qualifications and accomplishments, considers you as a prospective employee. The organization requests your references and "will get back to you in a couple of days."
3. Not So Good - The employer, not overly impressed by your personal presentation, "thanks you for coming." However they need to finish interviewing other candidates before making a decision.
4. Waste Of Time - The employer, disappointed by your interview presentation cuts the interview short and profusely apologizes because they have a busy schedule for that day.

The latter two interviews happen more than we would like to admit. The Best Result interviews are, frankly, an exceedingly rare occurrence despite what other candidates would have you believe. Why are these so rare? The deficiency lies in the lack of preparation for the interview and the individual interviewing skills demonstrated by the candidate.

When your back is against the wall and you are attempting to convince your prospective employer to choose you, the candidate, then you must prepare for this interview. RWA Associates has plagiarized extensively from industry leaders to provide you with this checklist in order to maximize your chances of obtaining the Best Result.

( For a more in-depth review of interview skills and personalized coaching, contact RWA at 1-800-236-9413. RWA cannot guarantee you the job but we can prevent you from making a fool of yourself, which in itself is no small accomplishment. )

Phase I : Interview Preparation

Dress For Success - Women should wear a conservative business suit with polished shoes. Skirts should be no shorter than mid-thigh. Stockings should be non-glittery, neutral or natural coloring. Keep the jewelry to a minimum. - Men should wear a conservative business suit with a tie and polished shoes. Please do not wear sneakers or running shoes. Fresh Breath! Make sure that you carry small breath mints. Do Not chew gum. No Strong Odors! Keep cologne to a minimum and use deodorant. Park Your Ego at the Door. Clients hire a person they like, not someone who thinks they are better than them. Keep an upbeat, high-energy demeanor and a positive attitude. Be on Time. Showing up late can be excusable if you call the employer ahead of time with a valid reason for being late. Otherwise, if you cannot be on time for the interview, how can the employer expect you to show up for work daily on time?

Phase II : The Interview

Be Honest. Do not exaggerate your considerable accomplishments. Be factual but be truthful. Maintain eye contact. Since time immemorial, good eye contact is a demonstration of self confidence and honesty. Ask Meaningful Questions. Don't try to show off how smart you are but demonstrate your interest in this job by asking pertinent questions. Avoid asking questions that will be answered with a Yes or No. Use the interrogatives of How, How Much, Where and Why. Here are some suggestions.

1. What is the length of time the practice has been in existence?
2. How many patients per day will I be expected to treat?
3. How many new patients did the practice see last year?
4. How do you attract new patients?
5. What are the payor and age mixes of this practice?
6. Why are you seeking to add a physician at this time?
7. What are the short and long terms plans for the group?
8. What are the current office hours?
9. What will be my call schedule?
10. How many exam rooms will I be using?
11. What kind of support does the practice offer, i.e. nurses, lab, x-ray, etc.
12. Which hospital do you cover?
13. Are there any plans for selling the practice?
14. How will I be evaluated?
15. Will partnership be offered? If so, when? And, will there be a buy-in?
16. Has the practice been profitable the past three years?
17. What has the office overhead percentage been for the past three years?
18. What is the length of the contract? What is the renewal process?
19. How will my compensation be computed? DO NOT ATTEMPT TO NEGOTIATE A SALARY. SEE BELOW.
20. Will relocation assistance be offered?

Be Cautious! In return, keep your answers to your interviewer's questions short and direct. Do not ramble. Do not drop names. Do not use obscure references. Here are the typical questions that you may hear. HINT! HINT! ( BE PREPARED )

1. Why do you want to join our practice/ organization?
2. Why do you want to move to this area?
3. How are you dealing with managed care currently?
4. Where do you see medicine moving to in the next ten years?
5. How has your residency prepared you clinically?
6. Do you have any interest in teaching or research?
7. What size hospital do you prefer to work at?
8. How many patients a day do you feel comfortable in treating?
9. How do you feel about having an inpatient and outpatient practice?
10. If you were to start over again, would you choose medicine as a career?
11. Is a partnership tract important to you?
12. How would your best friend describe you?
13. Would you be receptive to promoting your practice by performing community outreach?
14. What are your outside interests?
15. What are your short term and long term goals?
16. What will you expect from us?
17. Why did you choose (specialty)?
18. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
19. Why should we hire you?
20. What are your salary requirements?

Do Not Bring Up A Specific Salary & Benefits. Negotiating salary during an interview is dangerous. You may price yourself out of a job or accept too little for your services, If you are asked to name a price, use the following statement to avoid a hasty deal: "I am most interested in this opportunity. If you like what I have to offer and I like what I see then I am confident we can work out the financial arrangements." Ask For The Job. The employer is waiting for you to indicate your interest in this opportunity. You have to make up your mind if you have not done so already, Tell the employer: "Hell Yes I want this job."

After The Interview

Mail A Thank You Note.  A letter or a note from you is an excellent method of reinforcing the impression you have made. It keeps your name fresh in the employer's mind and interested in you.