I’m very excited to share the first post in our series about job interviewing. Designed by Inpatient Care Pharmacist, Rachael Ng, this post will introduce you to the basics of interviewing.
Rachael works for the Cleveland Clinic focusing mostly in the intensive care units and investigational drugs. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and is currently pursuing an MPH from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. In addition to various volunteer activities related to preventative health care Rachael serves on the ASHP Advisory Board for Leadership and Career Development, as well as the PPMI Committee at the Cleveland Clinic. Here’s what Rachael has to say about interviewing:
Every job search must start with the basics of writing
cover letters, CVs and working on your
Personal Brand. Once you’ve perfected those aspects of the job search and begun the application process you need to get ready for the scary yet exciting part of any job- the interview. You may have the highest GPA, the best accomplishments; however, if you cannot portray your potential in your interview, there is a likely chance that you will not be offered the job due to the competitiveness that exists in pharmacy today.
Interviews are like first dates. You don’t know the other person (company), you have no idea if he will like you, but all you want to do (if you like him, that is), is to showcase yourself as attractable. Same with interviews. The company sees something that they like, they invite you to interview, and you have the day to humbly flaunt yourself, as to why you’re the best fit for their company.
Nonetheless,
first impressions are important. Some say first impressions are formed within three to five seconds but can take an entire career to undo. So what goes into a
first impression?
-----The Basics---------
Timeliness. Be on time. In fact, be early- around ten to fifteen minutes early. In my experience, most of my interviewers have always been late-usually the interviewer is stuck in a meeting, or is just running late-but if you, the interviewee are prompt and on time, it says a lot.
Clothing. Have you ever heard the saying “Less is more.”? It really applies to interview attire. Dress up- wear your best professional suit, iron your clothes, and so on. But girls, avoid the heavy make-up, heavy perfume- and go for that clean, crisp look, with basic colors. A look portrays how you want to be taken professionally. Keep your hair out of your face, take off the super brightly colored nail polish, and wear minimal jewelry. Guys, dress sharp (ie suit and tie), and shine your shoes.
Greet. Give a strong handshake and a smile. Greet the interviewer to break the ice, with an opener, as in “how has your day been?” or “so glad to finally meet you”.
What to Bring. Bring a portfolio with extra CVs/resumes for your interviewees. Yes, you’ve probably already emailed them your CV, but most likely, there will be other people who will sit in on your interview, who won’t have a copy. Bring your business cards as well- most likely, interviewees or people along the way will ask for them- have them ready. I also have had friends bring along samples of their research papers that they did during pharmacy school, in case that the interviewer might want to talk about them as well. That’s what I call preparation!
Small talk it up. Yes, I know, it’s hard. But how else are you going to get to know your interviewers? In addition to learning about you as an employee, interviews are also an opportunity to let future employers know your personality. So, it’s ok to let it shine, just don’t get too personal.
Protect yourself: Make sure, prior to your interview and/or even applying, that you’re protected on the internet. Employers will use Google for background checks- if your Facebook profile or some type of non-professional site comes up in the search engines, that could cost you the job.
Later, I’ll go into the actual interviewing section. But why do all this grooming on the outside? All that matters is what’s “inside”, right?
Sad, to say....but no, first impressions are EVERYTHING. Here’s why:
On Time: Being prompt to an interview states a lot about the candidate- will he/she be punctual when arriving to work or running in at the last minute?
Clothing: What you wear defines yourself. If you go to an interview with wrinkled clothes and your shirt hanging out, compared to the next candidate who has a ironed down suit with their hair nicely combed, who would you prefer? There are also the “power colors” which most people know about in the business settings. Certain colors convey confidence or strong moods. Stick with neutrals, preferably, blue, black or grey.
Greet: If you don’t come across strong in the beginning, you’re stuck fighting that first image throughout the interview.
What to Bring: Be prepared. Always prepared. If they ask for a copy of your research, CV, business card- basic items, have it with you. Also, it doesn’t hurt to bring along a notepad- to jot down answers to questions that you might have (and bring questions too! That’s coming up on the later parts of this series).
Small talk: Why? Because if the interviewer can’t talk to you on a regular basis, how can he talk to you while working with you?
Outwardly appearances, both physically and personality wise are important in forming first impressions...Now you’ve got the tools to make every first impression a good one.
Stay tuned for the next in this series: Quirks on the interview “date”.
#interviews #PharmacyStudents #jobseekers #NewPractitioners #Resident