Optometrists and Ophthalmologists - Are You Ready for the Interview?

Are You Ready for the Interview?

You want to work for the practice, they've seen your credentials and they've asked you in for an interview. You want the job. Here are some suggestions that will help you make sure your interview goes as well as possible.

Preparing for the interview

Thorough preparation is critical. It is great for your confidence in the interview room and it leaves a very positive impression with the interviewers.

 

1. Get the logistics right. Time, location, interviewer's name and position title.
2. Do your research. Find out as much as possible about the practice: size, scope, location of the office and any satellite locations, etc. The practice website should be a very good source. If the website includes a biographical sketch of the owner, be sure to research the organizations and institutes of which the owner is a member.
3. Do some more research. Make sure you have key data in your head about your existing and most recent employers.
4. Do even more research. Ask former co-workers to tell you about your professional traits. What did they most admire? Try to find some faults as well. This leaves you more prepared for questions such as "what are your greatest faults" or "if I were working with you ...".
5. Prepare questions. The employer will be trying to work out whether you fit the available role. You should also take the opportunity to ensure that the practice is right for you.
6. Practice (see below). Take time to run through some of your answers. Don't over-rehearse, but make sure that you are coming across confidently.
7. Present yourself well. Find out what the office culture is regarding business dress. If in doubt, go more formal, not less formal. Make sure you are well groomed on the day.

What you should practice

When practicing for an interview, you should focus particularly on the way you answer questions.

1. Be descriptive. Don't just answer "yes" or "no" to questions. But also avoid "over-answering." Make your answers colorful but not lengthy.
2. Sell yourself to the interviewer, but without exaggeration or telling lies. You are there to market yourself, "blow your own trumpet" and explain why you'd be right for the role. But don't come across as arrogant.
3. Avoid making negative remarks about your current employer, or past employers or colleagues. This will only reflect on you in the interview.
4. Be determined. Make it clear that you want to get the job, even if you are given information in the interview that sheds a new light on the role. Be positive, and then evaluate the opportunity again when you are away from the interview. Don't burn your bridges.
5. Have positive body language, and maintain a good posture.

Remember: expect unexpected questions. It's fine to pause for thought. It's also acceptable to admit you don't know the answer.

For more interview tips and additional information, visit us online at www.etsvision.com. 

What Does Your Interviewing Process Say About Your Company?

Grabbing the attention of top candidates can be challenging for employers trying to court their first picks in the executive, managerial and professional job market. These applicants are typically interviewing with multiple companies and have additional options at their disposal. Employer branding and a streamlined recruitment process are just a few of the strategies companies are using to make themselves more attractive in this candidate-driven market. While these strategies can help make the recruitment and hiring process more efficient, many employers forget to consider the subtle messages they could be conveying about the company, through the interviewing process itself. This oversight can create a lasting impression that turns candidates off before an offer is ever made.

With a shrinking talent pool and increased competition for top candidates, employers have to not only sell the company well, but also conduct an interviewing process that presents the company and its corporate culture in the best light possible. "When companies approach the interviewing process from the candidate's perspective, they are much more likely to create an experience that is mutually engaging and appealing to the 'A' players in their markets," says Rob Romaine, president of MRINetwork.

The interviewing process should be an opportunity for both parties to evaluate a professional and cultural fit with the company. Yet, consider as an employer that perhaps you are additionally sending out unintended messages about weaknesses in the company culture or work practices.

Have you reflected on the following?

1. Is your process executed in an organized, seamless manner?
2. Are the company representatives experienced at interviewing candidates, or are they just winging it?
3. Are the interviewers polite and sincerely interested in learning more about the candidate's background, or are any of them annoyed that the interview is taking them away from their work?
4. Does the company do its best to follow-up with top applicants and keep them engaged or do several days or weeks go by without any feedback from the interviewer?
5. Is the interviewing process lengthy or is it respectful of candidates' time?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time to re-evaluate what the company's interviewing and recruitment practices say about the organization. "Just as employers are concerned about making a bad hire due to poor cultural fit or lacking skillsets, candidates are equally concerned about working for companies that seem disorganized, unprofessional, unreliable or inconsiderate of their employees' needs," notes Romaine. "Even the slightest glimpse of poor work practices can send top candidates away from your organization and straight to a competitor."

At the end of the day, the interviewing process is as much about candidate discovery as it is about employer branding. It is therefore important for employers to evaluate whether their practices are attracting or detracting key talent from their organizations.