Making An Entrance

Preparing for that next job interview.

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Outline topics…

• Finding the Jobs

• Preparing for the Interview

– Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae

– Preparing a Cover Letter

– Doing Your Research

• Marketing Yourself

• Packaging Yourself

• The Interview

– Telephone Interviews; Face to Face Interviews; Group Interviews;

– Behavioral Interviewing

• Following Up After the Interview

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Finding the Jobs

Where Do I Find Out About Jobs?

• Word of Mouth / Networking

– Program directors

– Friends

• State/Regional and National meetings

• Advance Magazine

– http://laboratorian.advanceweb.com/

• Websites

– Hot Jobs

Preparing for the Interviews

Résumés and Curriculum Vitaes

• What’s the difference?

– Résumé

• Will work for most jobs

– CV

• Used more in academic settings

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Résumé

Objective: Dedicated cytotechnology graduate dedicated to become an outstanding cytotechnologist providing the best patient care possible

Education:

Skills:

Previous work experience:

Curriculum VitaeCURRICULUM VITAE/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Name

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

Place of Birth

Citizenship

2. PRESENT ACADEMIC RANK AND POSITION

3. EDUCATION (include degrees and dates)

College/University

4. BOARD CERTIFICATION(S)

5. MEDICAL LICENSURE

6. HONORS/AWARDS

7. MILITARY SERVICE (include branch of service, place, and date)

8. PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS AND MAJOR APPOINTMENTS

(Academic, Research, Clinical - list chronologically beginning with earliest appointment)

9. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND SOCIETIES (Extramural only)

10. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

A. Curriculum/Course Development

B. Teaching Activities

11. INSTITUTIONAL/DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES, COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

Cover Letters

• Brief introduction

• State position applying for

• How you meet minimum requirements (HR often takes first read)

• Something unique?

Suggestion: Use the job description or job posting to generate a worksheet with direct comparison between the job requirements and your qualifications and turn this into a cover letter.

Do Some Research

• Learn as much as you can about the organization.

– How big is the organization?

– What is unique about the organization?

– What is the culture and mission?

– Is it a place you’d like to work?

– What skills does the organization value most?

• Doing some research can separate the hired from the not hired!

Marketing Yourself

Marketing Yourself

• DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

– Identify your strengths / competencies; prepare examples that demonstrate them. (Q-statements)

– Identify your weaknesses.

– List your accomplishments; be prepared to talk about them.

Competencies Employers are Looking for:

•Analytical skill

•Attentiveness

•Compliance

•Customer focus

•Decision making

•Ethics and values

•Flexibility

•Goal setting

•Innovation

•Leadership

•Motivation

•Planning skills

•Problem solving

•Self confidence

•Sensitivity

•Team skills

•Time management

•Tolerance

•Verbal skills

•Writing skills

Experienced versus Brand New Grad

• Questions will be different

• New grads – no real skill sets to evaluate from previous jobs

– Result may be more focused on ―soft skills‖

– Organizational fit

• Team skills

• Response to authority

• ―Coachable‖

– Be ready to discuss your productivity and accuracy during your clinical experience.

Packaging Yourself

Packaging Yourself

• Your dress

• Well groomed

• Fit the company

Pay Attention to the Details

• Dress conservatively

• Avoid wearing more than one ring per hand and one pair of earrings.

• Remove visible body piercing jewelry.

• Avoid using or wearing anything that is strongly scented.

• Avoid wild or unusual hairdo’s.

• Always bring a pad of paper and a pen or pencil for taking notes.

“What’s the Big Deal About My Appearance?”

• It is one of the MANY signals you will send to the interviewer during the first 20 seconds.

• It’s not about the clothes, jewelry or hair, but rather it shows you took the time to put yourself together and a sign of respect.

• 93-97% of our communication is actually non-verbal.

Body Language• Be conscious of your non-verbal

communication:

– Smile

– Active listening

• Look directly at the interviewer

• Lean forward to indicate your interest

• Nod when the interviewer is talking to indicate you are engaged and connected.

– Do not interrupt or rush to finish the interviewer’s question

– Use silence effectively

– Monitor your gesturing

The Telephone Interview

Telephone Interviews

―It wasn’t an interview, it was just a phone call.‖

It was still an interview. And it could affect your potential career with an employer.

So treat it with all the respect due a full interview.

Collegegrad.com

The telephone interview is used to:

• Fill in missing information on the candidate's resume;

• Question the candidate to determine his/her level of interest;

• Get a feeling for the candidate's communication skills

• Ask some questions to get a sense of the candidate's technical qualifications;

• Decide whether to invite the candidate for a personal interview.

Setting Up Interviews

• Phone interviews

– ―Weeding out‖

– Need to be just as prepared as for personal interviews

– Sell yourself more

• Be memorable in a good way

Three Types of Telephone Interviews

• You initiate a call to the Hiring Manager and he or she is interested in your background. The call from that point forward is an interview.

• A hospital/lab calls you based upon a previous contact. You will likely be unprepared for the call, but it is still an interview.

• You have a preset time with a representative to speak further on the phone. Also an interview.

Telephone Interviews

• Resume handy

• Employer research nearby

• Notepad and pen

• Glass of water

• Turn off call waiting,background noise, distractions etc.

During the telephone interview

• Smile!

• Stand up while you’re talking

• Personality matching

• Listen extra carefully

• Keep your answers to less than 90 seconds

• Vary the pitch or tone of your voice

• Do not EVER discuss salary on the phone

The Face to Face Interview

Find out as much as you can about the interview

• Who will you be talking to?

• What are the interviewer's expectations?

• Will there be a slide test?

• Get directions to the office. Plan to leave early. Keep a phone number to call if you get stuck on the bus or in traffic. If you arrive late and stressed, the interview will not go well.

• If you don't have a detailed job description, ask for one.

What Do I Wear?

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―Campus fashions and work fashions are two different worlds.‖ Collegegrad.com

From – worst interview experiences

• "I went to one of my first job

interviews with dress sandals on. I

was hired but they sure let me know

that the sandals were inappropriate

for the interview.”

• “The interviewer asked if I knew

how to use an iron.”

jobweb.com/resources/library/Interviews/Best_and_Worst__296_1.htm

Employers responding to a recent survey had plenty to say about "worst

interview" experiences with college students, including:

• "The student came to the interview dressed in a sequined suit with a gold cowboy hat and white boots."

• "The student showed up in her prom gown because she was told to wear the nicest thing she owned in lieu of a suit."

• "The student discussed drunken exploits in the interview."

• "The student spoke on her cell phone for 38 of the 45 minutes of the interview."

• "The student fell asleep in the middle of the interview."

• "The student entered the interview chewing gum and proceeded to stick it under the interview desk when he thought no one was looking.―

http://www.jobweb.com/resources/library/Interviews/Interview_Faux__277_1.htm

How about the flip side?

• "[The interviewer] ate while I was talking."

• "The interviewer kept calling me by someone else's name."

• "Four interviewers kept asking questions one after the other; however, most of the time I was asked another question while I was answering the previous one."

• "The interviewer was an hour late."

• "I left feeling like I knew everything about the interviewer and that [he] knew nothing about me."

Top Ten

• Arrive on time.

• Introduce yourself in a courteous manner.

• Read company materials while you wait.

• Have a firm handshake.

• Listen.

• Use body language to show interest.

• Smile, nod, give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer.

• Ask about the next step in the process.

• Thank the interviewer.

• Write a thank-you letter to anyone you have spoken to.

http://www.jobweb.com/resources/library/Interviews/10_Steps_to_a_02_01.htm

Dressing for the interviewMen and Women

• Conservative

• Clean, polished conservative shoes

• Well-groomed hairstyle

• Clean, trimmed fingernails

• Avoid strong scented colognes or perfumes

• Empty pockets—no bulges or tinkling coins

• No gum, candy, or cigarettes

• Light briefcase or portfolio case

• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.) or tattoos

A short ritual that is commonly done upon meeting, parting, offering congratulations, or completing an agreement.

Its purpose is to demonstrate good will, and possibly originated as a gesture showing that the hand holds no weapon.

Please demonstrate with your neighbors.

What does this define?

Use Positive Body Language

• A firm handshake

• A pleasant greeting

• A positive ―can-do‖ attitude

Behavioral Interviewing

Behavioral interviewing asserts that "the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation.―

Currently, 30 percent of all organizations are using behavioral interviewing to some degree.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Behavioral Interviewing, con’t . . .

• Behavioral interviewing emphasizes past performance and behaviors

• http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

• Questions are created to address predetermined skill sets applicable to the particular position

• Employers are unlikely to ask you directly if you possess these skills, but they will be looking for them in your demeanor, in the stories you tell, and in the way you tell them.

These skill sets could include:

• Decision making• Leadership• Ethics and values• Motivation and initiative• Communication: verbal and written• Interpersonal skills• Planning and organization• Critical thinking and problem solving skills• Team building• Flexibility and adaptability• Ability and willingness to learn

Four Types of Questions

• Straight-forward Questions (SFQ)

– Designed to assess whether you posses the kinds of skills, and to what degree you are in command of those skills, that the job requires.

• Question behind the Question (QBQ)

– The secret to answering these questions is to understand the real intent of the question.

• Stress Questions (SQ)

– Designed to make you defensive, angry, nervous, or doubtful and to gain information about how you behave under stress.

• Questions you ask the Interviewer

From text Fearless Interviewing by Marky Stein. McGraw-Hill 2003.

ILLEGAL QUESTIONS

• Age

• Marital status

• Race / Ethnicity

• Sexual preference

• Disabilities

• Religion

• Arrest record

• Women

–Are you pregnant?

–Do you plan to have children?

–How many children do you have?

–How old are your children?

Acceptable ADA question: Do you have any physical condition that would prevent you from doing this job?

How to answer illegal questions

• ―Excuse me, but I’m not sure I understand. Could you please rephrase the question?‖

•―I’m not sure how my marital status would have any bearing on my ability to carry out my job responsibilities. Could you please clarify that for me?‖

•―Does my race have something to do with the job description? I don’t think I understand the question.‖

Questions are selected based on:

• The necessary skills required to do the job.

• The skills/competencies that make a successful candidate.

• The reasons why people have left the position previously.

• Requirements for the most difficult part of the job.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Preparing for Behavioral Interview Questions

• The best way to accomplish this is to use the three-step STAR process or1. Situation or Task – What were your responsibilities?

2. Action – What did you do to identify the issue or resolve the problem?

3. Result or outcome – What did you accomplish? Be specific!

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

In preparation for the behavioral interview

Desired Skill Example

Communication

Honesty/Integrity

Interpersonal – relating to others

Strong work ethic

Teamwork

Analytical

Motivation

Flexibility

Detail oriented

Computer

www.jobweb.com/resources/library/Interviews/Add_up_your_qua_266_1.htm

Key to Interviewing

• Know your strengths and be able to provide concrete examples of those strengths with confidence to present yourself and your skills in the best possible light.

“The door of opportunity won’t open unless you do

some pushing.”

- Anonymous

More General Tips for Interviewing . . .

• Avoid speaking in generalities but give specific answers to the questions being asked.

• Don’t expect the interviewer to ―connect the dots‖ for you.

• 90% of employers state that the primary reason they do not hire a candidate is because he or she could not clearly state his or her skills.

5 Types of Skills

• General Skills– Can be found in almost every profession

• Job-specific Skills– Those abilities you need to succeed in a particular

job in your profession

• Personal Traits– Have more to do with who you are than what you

do. They bear heavily on your attitude, work habits, and how you relate to others.

• Competencies– Clusters of skills. They make the difference

between being promoted or passed over. They definitely make the difference between people who are hired and those who are not.

• Gifts

Developing your skills arsenal . . .

• Interviewers want to hear specific information. If you don’t provide them, you will be asked. You set yourself apart from other applicants if you are prepared to offer them yourself.

• Developing a Q statement (skills statement).Verb + (Who, What, When, Where, How) + Result

General Statement: I’m an excellent manager.

Q Statement: I have managed 135 people on projects budgeted for over $2.1 million.

From text Fearless Interviewing by Marky Stern. McGraw-Hill 2003.

More about Q Statements . . .

General Statement: ―I am multilingual.‖

Q Statement: ―I am fluent in French, Spanish, and Chinese.‖

Tips:

• They are concrete. They do not make a simple claim.

• Use actual facts and numbers to specifically demonstrate your skills.

• Provide evidence of the skill and a good idea of the scope of the skill.

It’s Time to Practice

Decision Making and Problem Solving

• Give me an example of a time when you had to keep from speaking or making a decision because you did not have enough information.

• Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Motivation and Initiative

• Give me an example of a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.

• Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on the action of others.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Communication

• Tell me about a situation when you had to speak up (be assertive) in order to get a point across that was important to you.

• Have you ever had to "sell" an idea to your co-workers or group? How did you do it? Did they "buy" it?

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Interpersonal Skills

• What have you done in the past to contribute toward a teamwork environment?

• Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and the subsequent result.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Planning and Organization

• How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?

• What do you do when your schedule is suddenly interrupted? Give an example.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

Other potential questions

• Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree.

• Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.

• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.

http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_behavioral.html

Describe a situation you've encountered with a

difficult customer.

• "In my last job I dealt with customers at a retail store. One customer wanted to return an item she had obviously bought several years ago, which was against store policy. I talked to her calmly and explained our policies and encouraged her to shop and I would exchange the item, however, I could not give a refund.“

• "I rarely encounter a difficult customer because of my excellent customer service.“

• "I had a customer once who claimed her steak was not cooked correctly....I picked up a knife and cut it open and explained that's the way it's supposed to be."

The Slide Test

• Assessment of the basic skills

• Generally:

– Routine cases with straightforward diagnostic categories

– Looking for proper terminology and differential diagnostic capabilities

• Generally not:

– Rare diagnostic entities

– Slides with minimal abnormal changes

The Slide Test - Approach

• Just like any other exam

• Relax and enjoy it

• Be mindful of the time you are taking – they are

• Review clinical information before rendering final diagnosis

• Be ready with criteria if you get a chance to discuss the test

http://www.alwayswow.com/Ikea%20Job%20Interview.jpg

But hopefully we won’t be asked to

make chairs…..

Or build a microscope…

The Group Interview

Group Interviews

• Interview with several interviewers at the same time.

• The content and your answers will not be any different than if it were interviewing with just one person.

• 3 tips to keep in mind:

– When you enter the room, shake hands with each person in the group.

– Make eye contact with everyone in the room.

– Write thank-you notes to all of the interviewers.

The Lunch Interview

• Mind your manners

– Put your napkin in your lap.

– Don’t order alcohol.

– Don't order the most expensive food on the menu.

• When ordering, think about the mess factor.

Meals and the Interview

Meals and the Interview

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Also:

• Don't talk with your mouth full.

• If asked a question while your mouth is full - finish chewing.

When it’s your turn to ask questions…

Have some!

Questions for Human Resources (HR):

• Tell me about an employee in your organization who is considered to be an outstanding employee. What makes that person special?

• How does my background compare with others you have interviewed?

• I feel my background and experience are a good fit for this position and I am very interested. What is the next step?

CollegeGrad.com

What other questions are good to ask

about the lab/environment?• Remember all interviews are 2-way. You want

to know if this is really a place you want to work.

– Is the laboratory CLIA certified and/or CAP accredited?

– Does the lab have ergonomic chairs, desks and microscopes?

– What safety equipment is available in the prep area?

– Are there continuing education opportunities?

– What would be some of my duties the first year of employment?

– What would be the ideal candidate for this position?

Questions for Supervisor/Pathologist

• Can you tell me more about the position and the type of person you are seeking?

• What would a typical work day be like?

• What are the measurements for success within your laboratory/department?

• What will be the measurements of my success in this position?

• What is your vision for your laboratory/department for the next few years?

CollegeGrad.com

Questions for Peer Interviews

• Why did you decide to join this organization?

• What were your initial expectations? Were they met?

• How have your expectations changed over time?

• What do you consider your organization’s strengths and weaknesses?

• What can you tell me about working for your manager?

• What is the typical management style?

CollegeGrad.com

AFTER THE INTERVIEW: next steps

Follow Up

• Within 24 hours of interview

• Follow up letter

– (collect names of those you met at the interview)

– Thank you

• Appreciation of time

– Mention something specific about interview that made it great

– Reinforce your interest

– Include contact information

• Follow up with a phone call

– Limit you calls to one a week and keep them brief.

Sample Follow Up LetterDear _____________

Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed the discussion and the opportunity to meet a highly motivated team of professionals.

I am impressed with your laboratory and department. Your continuing education and dedication to quality are of particular interest to me. I feel that my program is preparing me well for work in your type of laboratory.

I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Name and contact information.

Your hire will most likely be based on:

• You’re competence and skill in handling the job responsibilities. (30%)

• Your potential value and scope of your contribution to the organization.

• Your chemistry & fit with the environment & culture. (50%)

• Your interest in taking the job, your enthusiasm. (20%)

Hire Me, Inc: Interviews That Get Offers. Roy J. Blitzer

Good Luck!