Healthcare Interview

Bé Chuille

Hi!

So earlier this year, I graduated top of my class from my Radiation Therapy program. Over here, all jobs right now are for agency/locum work (except for maybe 3 or 4 private centres, who didn't really hire this year). I'm starting an agency position mid-January, but I also have an interview for a job in the West Indies in a few days. This will be my first interview in my field, or any healthcare field at all, actually! The reason behind this is that agency staff are picked on their CV alone. I'm nervous, because I don't have any experience in my field yet, and don't know what to expect from this interview. Does anyone have experience in RT? Or healthcare in general?

Mad Jazz

In my experience, healthcare interviews are pretty similar to regular job interviews, so assuming you've done one of those before you'll probably be ok. Occasionally they'll throw in one of those procedural questions regarding how you'll deal with patients (a patient's family is a pain in the ass, how do you handle that?), but even then it's pretty straightforward. That's from interviewing for ER tech and several paramedic jobs, both based in an ER and out in the field. And med school interviews I guess, but those are a bit of a different animal.

MichaelLC

Don't cough or sneeze. But if you must, do it into your elbow.

Bé Chuille

Nope. I've only ever had two other interviews. One for the lifeguard position I started when I was 17 and still hold today, and another for a position as a camp counsellor a few years ago. This will be my first interview for a full-time position.

YoSoyTheWalrus

The difficult thing about interviewing for a technical job that you haven't done before is that you have to walk a fine line between completely talking yourself up and having a bit of humility. You need to show that you have technical skill and knowledge, but you also can't make any assumptions about the day to day operation. You can get around this by asking sophisticated questions, rather than making declarative statements ( e.g. when they mention a procedure they do, rather than saying "Oh so you must use X method," ask "I know that X method is often used for that, is that something you use or do you prefer another?"). Just little tweaks like that. Don't be afraid to go off on a bit of a tangent/discuss an academic topic. Pipe up when you have something to add, listen attentively when you don't.

But general interview rules of borderline overconfidence still apply. Mention teamwork and collaboration 50,000 times. Be positive about your school and any internship/work experience. Don't be afraid to draw on your experience that is seemingly unrelated ("In my time as a camp counselor I had to learn to calm down scared or unruly kids and those tactics will help in dealing with patients who are afraid of a closed MRI," etc). Be aware that they need someone as much as you need a job, and you are to a certain extent interviewing them back to see if it's a fit for you, and act accordingly.

Most important: Go get a drink afterwards.

Bé Chuille

Thank you. The advice about the techniques is really helpful, given that I did clinical rotations in a lot of different centres.

As for the drink, I'm going straight to work afterwards but I'll have someone waiting with one at home!

dispatch.o

Use the words care and team a whole lot and say "time management" at least twice.

Sounds stupid, but they're idiotic buzz phrases that get hospital managers all wet in the pants.

LewieP's Mummy

Look closely at the Job Description and Person Statement (well, that's what we have in the UK for job information) and try to work out what they're going to ask you from that. If they are doing competence based interviews they will ask you to "Tell me a time when you did xxx in yyy situation.", that's your cue to tell them about how wonderfully you handled yyy situation by doing xxx and what you learnt from it. Keep talking about your answer until they ask you to stop; if you don't understand the question ask them to re-explain it; if they ask you a question in several parts answer each one at a time, and if you're unsure what their second/third part to the question was, ask them to repeat it.
Remember you're sussing out if you want to work for them, as well!

Bé Chuille

Thanks for all your help guys. I had my interview today, got really great feedback and she said she'd love to work with me. She'll talk to the board of directors about all the candidates and I'll hear in mid-January. Thanks again for all the advice.

LewieP's Mummy

Fantastic news, well done!