Make sure you review Parts I and II about Interviewing by Rachael Ng. See Rachael's bio at the bottom of this posting.
Interview Part III: Basic questions to expect on the Interview Date:
So, now, you’ve tamed your quirks and you’re ready for your interview. Those were the easy parts. Now it’s time for what counts the most on your interview- your responses to questions.
And, after talking to a lot of my colleagues and old classmates, a lot of pharmacists feel that pharmacy school does not adequately prepare an individual for interviews. Perhaps in pharmacy school, individuals are so focused on learning the material that other basic communication and networking skills fall wayside, only to be learned later on in life. Why not get ahead start when it really matters? Here’s where I can help.
-Here are the basic questions you should know the answers to:
Tell me about yourself: Every interview starts with this question. This is the time where you can show off all your work experiences, schooling, majors, degrees, specific rotations that bring you to the interview at present. The interviewer wants to know why you’re sitting in front of them- was it a specific interest that caused you to apply for their job? Something that you read? Someone you knew? And here is the time where you can point out your solid experiences to show yourself off. Here’s the time when you can highlight the points on your CV that you want interviewers to know about. And hopefully you tailored your
CV/resume to the job.
Why Here? Most employers within hospitals will ask the candidate why you chose their hospital versus any other hospital in any other city. And you have to be ready to answer that question. Most candidates, in their head, are screaming “I just need a JOB!” but obviously, that would not be a good answer. Some suggestions may be the teaching environment of the hospital, academic versus non-academic, research projects done, the structure and size of the hospital, and so on. Have specific examples of what sets their hospital apart from any other hospital. Google them and show that you’ve done the research about their institution.
What makes you different than the other candidates? Some places may ask you what makes you better than candidate A or candidate B before you. Perhaps it’s your unique well rounded experience that others might not have. Perhaps it’s a strong personality trait. Whatever it is, make sure you have examples of why you want the job, and what specifically makes you stand out.
What are your goals in the next five years? Most employers want to see if you are an individual that is willing to stick with them for a while. Other employers want to see if you have drive/ambition in your life. Either way, prepare the answer that is specific to your goals.
Tell me a time where you had a difficult situation and how you overcame it? The conflict question. Be prepared to have an example of a time where you dealt with conflict- at a job, in a group setting, and so on, and be prepared to explain how you resolved it, step by step. Employers simply want to know that you can handle conflict.
Tell me about an accomplishment and how did you reach it? On the flip side, employers want to know about your successes as well. Pick a difficult one and show your employer your work ethic and your persistence to reach your goal.
Finally, end the interview strong with questions. Most likely, they’ll ask:
Do you have any questions for us? And have questions prepared. By not doing so, it seems like that you’re not really that interested- have some type of question, either about them personally, or about the job, or anything that is applicable- have questions to ask them.
Once you nail the basics, the rest of the difficult questions become a lot easier.
Hope this is helpful!
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:
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