What advice would you give to a new grad interviewing for a first job in healthcare?

Monick,

I don't know healthcare, but do teach interviewing!

All the obvious stuff first: make sure you are very familiar with the website! Arrive a few minutes early, be pleasant to everyone you meet, shake hands, make eye contact. Know what the job is!

The one thing I stress in interview prep is to know yourself! Know your resume, think back to situations you have handled in other jobs, and in school if you did practicals, labs, etc.

A lot of people ask questions that follow the STAR pattern. "Tell me about a time where you had to tell your supervisor that you thought they were wrong. What was the situation, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome?" This is asking you to tell a story. Paint a picture, so the other person is visualizing, and hopefully feeling, what you were experiencing in that particular situation. STAR: Situation, Task , Action, Results. If possible, try to use stories that also incorporate other factors. I like to use one where I had to ask the supervisor of another department to allow me to use his staff for a couple hours. In this way, I show my ability to work as a team, even though that was not what the question was about!

Rehearse, but don't be too rehearsed. You need to come off "natural." Also, think about the purpose of the company or organization. Many healthcare companies are concerned with infectious disease control and confidentiality. Try to include those concerns in your answers. Listen and think before answering, keep your answers short. Watch for facial expressions indicating they want you to tell more, or alternatively, they have heard enough!

So, suppose you go into a patient's room. The patient is asleep. A guest, who identifies as the patient's sister, ask how she is doing. What do you say?

Best of luck!

Kim