Job Seeker: Tips on Interviewing

culled from:aap.org

Are you looking for a new position? Do you have an interview scheduled? If so, you need to understand the newest trend in interviewing.
Behavior-based interviews have become popular recently, replacing loosely structured, traditional interviews. This type of interview allows employers to ask candidates questions about how they have handled previous situations, in an effort to predict future behavior. Behavioral interviewing is used to assist employers in finding a good match, lower turnover rates, and increase job satisfaction and performance. Behavioral interviewing focuses on asking about a situation in the past, the action taken to address the situation, and the outcome.

Tips for Preparing for an Interview


    Be prepared. Questions will be based on your past experience. Therefore, have specific examples and situations prepared to share. If this job will be based on seeing patients, be prepared to answer questions such as, “Tell me about a time when you encountered a difficult patient who was unhappy with his or her service.”
    Beware of questions that ask for your mistakes or personal failings. Don’t answer them in a way that will make the employer doubt your abilities. You can discuss something that was difficult, but end on a positive note by relating how you managed it.
    Allow time to think of an appropriate answer, even if it requires a few moments of silence.
    Answer each question concisely, with one example. Let interviewers ask if they want elaboration or another example.
    Rehearse answers to potential questions ahead of time.

Here are some examples of interview questions using the behavioral interviewing model.


    Tell me about a project or an idea that was successful mostly because of your efforts.
    Think of a time when you had to make an important decision without enough information. Explain your decision-making process.
    Tell me about a time when you encountered a difficult patient who was unhappy with his or her service.
    Tell me about a time when something unexpected happened that changed the way you planned your day.
    Tell me about a situation in which you had to overcome or manage an obstacle to accomplish your objectives.
    Give me an example of a situation in which you found a new or improved way of doing something significant.