Tips Archives - Medical Talent

You’ve got an interview lined up – congratulations. Since it’s likely you’ll be talking with someone either face to face, on the phone, or over a video call, it’s vital that you make a good first impression. And saying the wrong thing can derail your candidacy before it even gets started.

Here’s what not to do during your next job interview:

#1: Claiming you’ve never made a mistake.

No one’s perfect. Trying to claim you are will only make you look bad. The hiring manager doesn’t want to hear that you’re flawless – they want to hear how you overcome obstacles, admit your failures, and learn from them.

#2: Asking about salary right away.

It’s always a best practice to have the employer mention salary first – that way you can negotiate from there. Asking about salary too soon shows that you’re only in it for the money, and most employers will be quick to stop considering you after that.

#3: Speaking negatively about yourself.

It can be easy to be self-deprecating in an interview, but you want to avoid this. Don’t speak in terms of the things you can’t do; speak in terms of the things you can. You can be honest about your skills and experience without speaking negatively about yourself.

#4: Being too personal.

Unless the conversation veers toward personal things like family and children, it’s best to stay away from them unless the hiring manager goes there first. At this stage, the employer isn’t interested in your personal life – they’re interested in you as a job candidate.

#5: Asking why the position is open.

Avoid asking why the position you’re interviewing for is open. It could touch on an uncomfortable or sensitive subject for the hiring manager. Instead, ask “what does the progression of this role look like?”

#6: Appearing bored or disinterested.

This is a quick way to get yourself written off. Be engaged and listen actively throughout the entire interview to show you’re really interested. Otherwise, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

#7: Not having any questions.

Almost every interview will wrap up with the hiring manager asking you if you have any questions for them. Saying “no” makes it seem like you’re uninterested or just plain lazy. Come prepared with a few questions ahead of time.

Ready For Your Next Interview?

It’s time to put your interview skills to good use. Contact Medical Talent to learn about open roles and browse available jobs here.

Let’s face it: most of us don’t like talking about ourselves, much less bragging about our skills, qualifications, or accomplishments. But the truth is, that’s exactly what a job interview is for. If you have a job interview coming up, you’ll want to be ready to talk about your skills and qualifications in a compelling way.

Here are a few tips on talking about your skills in your next interview:

Be specific.

As much as you can, be specific about the skills you have and talk about real-world scenarios in which you’ve used them. Rather than saying you’re familiar with a computer system or database, for example, talk about specific ways you used the knowledge of that system in your previous jobs to benefit the team or your employer. Instead of simply saying you are a good communicator, tell the hiring manager about a specific time you used good communication to produce a positive result.

Put it in numbers if you can.

In addition to being specific, try to be quantitative when you can. This means putting it in numbers – instead of saying you helped the team become more efficient, tell the hiring manager how you helped reduce overhead costs by 10% last quarter. Being able to point to quantifiable results you’ve achieved is a powerful way to make an impression on the hiring manager.

Talk about what you’d like to get better at.

It’s also perfectly acceptable in interviews to talk about skills you would like to improve upon, but be sure to frame it in the right way. Say something like, “I feel that I’m already familiar with [skill or qualification], but I think I could really deepen my understanding with your company and help to teach or mentor less experienced team members, too.”

Don’t forget about transferrable skills.

Even if you don’t have direct experience in certain skill sets that the job you’re interviewing for requires, you probably have some transferrable skills. These are skills related to the job you’ll be doing if you’re hired, even if they’re not exactly the same. Transferrable skills can be “hard” skills – perhaps you’ve used a customer relationship management (CRM) system in the past, and it gave you knowledge of working in large databases – or “soft” skills, like communication, problem-solving ability, and teamwork.

Put Your Skills to the Test

Ready to impress a hiring manager in your next interview? Let us help. Contact the team here at Talent Corps to find your next opportunity.