Three tips for a successful interview

With interview season upon us, I thought I would share my best tips for confidently answering those hard-hitting questions. 

Tip #1: Create a messaging document. 

A what-now? A messaging document. I used to work in communications and public relations, so preparing people for interviews with news outlets was actually a part of my job. Essentially, you come up with a set of questions you expect the interviewer may ask you, and write up how you'd like to respond. 

You can find questions galore online (from The PA Life, The PA Platform, and AASPA, just to name a few). Choose a nice variety, and start writing out your answers -- even to the ones that seem easy! For example, "tell me about yourself" might seem really straightforward, but you want to say a few key things about yourself without yammering on forever. 

I took this really seriously. I chose 48 questions and wrote out answers for each one; my messaging document ended up being over 11 pages long. Dang! But I felt really prepared. 

Tips for writing out your answers:

• Be as specific as possible, and use examples whenever you can (even if they don't ask for it). It's one thing to say you're a team player, and another to show how you've worked effectively with a team in the past. 
• Think, "why would they be asking me this question?" or "what are they trying to learn about me when they ask this?" For example, I was asked "How many hours a week do you plan on studying?" They want to know that I'm committed, that I have a plan for handling the strenuousness of the courses, and that I have a plan for effective studying. 
• Try to have a "happy ending" for all the questions with a negative focus (ie., tell me about a time when you worked with someone you didn't like, tell me about your weaknesses, tell me about a time when you didn't meet expectations, etc). Be sure you explain how you learned from the experience, or what you did to improve that working relationship, and so on. 

After I wrote out all my answers, I printed it out and practiced, practiced, practiced. This meant reading it out loud over and over again. I highlighted some of the key words and phrases I wanted to be sure I hit on if I was asked these questions. 

Now, they're probably going to ask you questions you didn't prepare for. And that's fine! By creating this messaging document, you've (hopefully) thought through plenty of scenarios regarding your patient care and other work experiences. Ideally, you'll be able to draw on these experiences that you've already thought through and apply them to these new questions. 

As for my experiences... I was definitely asked the dreaded "what's your biggest weakness" question! I didn't do any group interviews with other students, but all my interviews were me with two faculty members/PAs. And I wasn't asked any "goofy" questions, like "if you were a candy bar, which would you be?" But I've heard you should be prepared for this kind of thing, too!

Tip #2: Remember you're being interviewed the whole day/weekend. 

The interview goes beyond just the Q&A. Keep in mind, you'll be going on a tour, maybe will have time to chat with current students, and will have time to interact with your fellow candidates. Yes, you're feeling competitive, but keep in mind that they want to see who you are as a person. 

Obviously, be yourself. But be polite, ask good questions, be engaged with any discussions, and be friendly with the other candidates. The interviewers want to see what you're like as a person, and if you'll fit in with their program, so be on your A-game from start to finish! 

Tip #3: Dress to impress!

Let your personality be what grabs their attention, not your outfit. For the women, this generally means a pantsuit, comfortable/low heels or flats, simple jewelry, and simple makeup. I strayed from this slightly because I had heard every single person shows up for these things in the same outfit and you end up being in a sea of black pantsuits. 

So, I kept my outfit very tasteful and professional, but switched it up a bit. I wore the same outfit to all my interviews (hey, it was a lucky outfit!), and it was black heels that were super comfy and had a relatively thick heel, a black pencil skirt with very subtle white lines (this skirt definitely went to the middle of my kneecaps to be appropriate), a dark purple blouse with a black suit jacket. Jewelry and makeup were simple, and I wore my hair down and straightened (I never curl my hair so interview day was not the day to attempt that!). 

I did NOT spend a bunch of money on this outfit. I already owned the jacket (I think it has been $30 from Kohl's previously). And I found the blouse and pencil skirt on clearance at Kohl's shortly before the interview (both for <$10!). The shoes I had splurged on much earlier, and they were from DSW for probably close to $70. The most expensive shoes I own! 

Without the jacket on the left side; with a cardigan for a job interview on the right! #LuckyShirt