Preparation
- Make sure you prepare for the interview! This will help you answer questions in a concise and relevant manner. Do some background checking on the organisation and what they do, the position, your potential supervisors and show you are confident of your career directions.
Making a good impression
You have one opportunity to exchange information and to convince the interviewer(s) that you are the right person for the job.
- Be professional and polite to everyone
- Smile - smiling relaxes you and others
- Remember: Relax and be yourself! The interviewer wants to know more about you, they want to confirm and expand on the information you have provided in your application. they want to check your compatibility with their workplace. You will be quizzed on your values, what led you to pursue this career and professional dreams, so try to be as relaxed as possible.
- Provide succinct answers to the questions asked
- Try not to divulge your life story - remain professional!
Response preparation
Rehearse your responses for the following:
Remember that you should provide brief, concise answers that are tailored to the role on offer.
Declare the strongest benefit that you offer an employer and always leave the interviewer wanting to know more.
Ice breaker
- Tell us two interesting things about yourself
- What qualities make you a good candidate?
- Provide a description of who you are and your key qualifications, strengths and skills.
Behavioural questions
Describe specific previous experience, often a difficult situation.
- Tell us about a time that you didn't have the skill to do something you were asked to do, and what did you do about it?
- Tell us about a time you had to make a difficult decision
Interviewer want to know your definition of a difficult situation and whether you can demonstrate a logical approach to problem solving.
Explain the situation, how you approached the problem, the actions taken and the solution.
Situational questions
Hypothetical scenarios to see how would you respond.
- What would you do if you thought your supervisor gave incorrect information in a staff meeting?
- What would you do if a patient had difficulties understanding what you are saying?
Show calmness, be rational, work within scope of practice, respect all other people and their views.
In summary, be prepared for questions regarding:
- Your past successes and failures (and what you learned from them)
- What are your future goals?
- What you know about the organisation looking to hire you.
- Your personal strengths and weaknesses
- What makes you different from other candidates?
