Practice Makes Hired – Prepping for your Interview
Your hard work creating a great cover letter and impressive resume have paid off – you have an interview! A little preparation will help you conquer your nerves and let your best self shine through.
Posted in Getting Hired on Thursday, November 7, 2019
First things first. Visit the practice’s website. This seems pretty straightforward, but note key elements such as the mission statement, who the patients are and what programs are offered. It is also likely you can learn more about the person who will be interviewing you. This information will help you prepare to answer questions about why the practice is appealing to you, and assist you in preparing your own questions.
Create a list of questions that you think may be asked. These questions may include:
- Tell us a little bit about yourself.
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What do you do to relax?
- What do you see yourself doing in five years? How about in 10 years?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are your salary needs?
- Then answer the questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Think about this as a two-minute speech about your background, including your education and why you chose the chiropractic profession. Keep it brief – this is an introduction to the rest of the interview.
Why do you want to work with us? If you've done your research, you’ll know why you’d like to work in this practice. Is it because they specialize in a certain area? Is it the location? Is it the personality of the others in the practice? Is it the mission statement? You need a compelling reason for them to hire you and not the other candidates being considered.
What do you do to relax and what are your hobbies? People tend to have pat answers to these questions like I read or run. Make sure you can talk about why these appeal to you – like the last race you ran or a book that you enjoyed. This not only demonstrates that you actually do these things, but it gives another glimpse into your personality.
What do you see yourself doing in five years? How about in 10 years? This answer demonstrates your vision personally and professionally. There are no wrong answers, even if you say, "Some day, I'd like to open my own practice."
What are your weaknesses? This isn’t the interviewer looking for reasons why they shouldn’t hire you, but rather they're giving you an opportunity to talk about areas you are working on as well as highlighting what you do well.
What are your salary needs? Money is always tough to talk about, but you should be honest and realistic about how much money you need to make. This requires that you understand average salaries for the community you're interviewing in and take into account your years of experience as well as your financial obligations.