Interviewing for Jobs in Healthcare

Making the Most of Your Medical Career Interview

The staffing consultants at Medical Resources Staffing Services are committed to helping qualified candidates find jobs with respected healthcare facilities and organizations in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Since 1992, we’ve established long-term relationships with leading companies, learning the ins and outs of their businesses. Doing so has given us helpful insight into what they look for in candidates during interviews for positions they offer.

Our interview tips help ensure your meeting with your medical staffing consultant and a potential healthcare employer is a successful one. Remember, an interview with Medical Resources should be approached with the same attention and care you would give to any employer.

Preparation is Key

Showing up to any interview prepared, whether it’s at Medical Resources or at a client’s organization, shows your initiative as well as interest in the job. To prepare for a client interview, research the organization by asking your medical staffing consultant questions about the client’s company. Our consultants know our clients' businesses inside and out, and should be able to offer insight into company culture, operations and more.

If you’re not a Medical Resources candidate, research the company by visiting its Web site. If you know people who already work for the organization, ask them about the corporate culture, procedures or other insightful information. Take the time to learn everything you can about the organization and find ways to show how you can relate to the goals of the business.

Things to Bring

It’s helpful to have the following materials handy:

• Resume or curriculum vitae. If you’ve used Medical Resources’ online application, we will already have your resume on file; however, bringing an extra resume or CV as back up is a good idea. If you’re interviewing with a client of ours, bringing your resume or CV shows you’re prepared. Your medical staffing consultant will tell you how many copies to bring based on how many people you will be interviewing with.
• Professional credentials. If you’ve already created your online profile with Medical Resources, we will verify your licenses, certifications, degrees and other professional documents. If you’re not a Medical Resources candidate, bringing these items during a first interview is recommended for easy verification of your qualifications.
• List of references. Medical Resources will verify your references and confirm with the client organization that we have done so. If you’re not a candidate at Medical Resources, bring at least two copies of references to your interview, one for the hiring manager and the other for the human resources department. Be sure the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses on your list are updated. You can bring letters of reference with you as supplements to your references.

What to Expect

Every organization has its own interviewing style. At Medical Resources, we use interviews as a way to get to know our candidates on a personal level. We try to learn everything there is to know about you, from your likes and dislikes to your personality type and what types of settings you feel most comfortable working in. We do this to ensure the position we fit you with matches on both a professional and personal level for increased job satisfaction.

After your in-house interview with us, a follow-up interview with our client organization may be requested and it might be one-on-one, multiple interviews, one right after another or a panel interview. If you are a Medical Resources candidate, your medical staffing consultant will always prepare you for what to expect. If you are searching for a job on your own, you may not always know until you arrive for the interview, so be prepared for all scenarios.

With interviews, it’s natural to feel nervous - especially if it’s your first interview with the organization. Remember to relax, take deep breaths and maintain a friendly and conversational tone. Listen carefully to the interviewer and ask for clarification if needed.

Many candidates stumble on tough interview questions due to lack of preparation. Luckily, your medical staffing consultant will be able to prepare you for interviews at our clients’ organizations by reviewing questions typically asked during an interview for a particular role.

If you aren’t using Medical Resources for your job search, we recommended you anticipate questions you may be asked and practice your answers over and over before your interview. Being well versed in your answers to some of the most common questions will help you feel more comfortable. In addition to common interview questions, prepare for other questions that are job-specific that the interviewer will use to evaluate your skills and competencies.

Common Interview Questions 

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want to be in this field?
• Why should we hire you?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are your goals?
• What motivates you?
• Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years from now?
• What did you like/dislike about your last position?
• What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?
• What are three positive things your former boss or colleagues would say about you?
• What is your ideal work environment?
• Do you handle conflict well?
• Explain how you overcame a major obstacle.
• Describe a recent problem you encountered with one of your manager’s decisions. How did you handle the situation?

Medical Resources typically conducts all pre-employment skills testing prior to any additional interviews with clients. Testing varies based on the position you’re applying for and can include medication administration, typing, computer software tests and more. If you aren’t a candidate of Medical Resources, be prepared to participate in any skills testing or screening process the potential employer wishes to administer during the interview process.

Because most healthcare employers require a thorough criminal background check on every temporary, long-term contract and direct-hire employee, Medical Resources adheres to this guideline as well. Please be prepared to discuss any convictions or other matters with your medical staffing consultant. Falsifying any part of your application with Medical Resources is grounds for immediate termination.

Make a Lasting Impression

In addition to your responses to interview questions and skills testing, your interviewer is evaluating you based on your professional appearance, mannerisms, body language and conversation and communication style.

• Dress the part. When interviewing with Medical Resources, your clothes and personal grooming should be impeccable. Dress appropriately for your role, erring on the side of conservative fashion to show professionalism. Keep jewelry, makeup, overpowering fragrances, gum chewing and other distracting items to a minimum. Your medical staffing consultant will be able to give you more insight into the client organization’s dress standards if you should have an interview outside of Medical Resources.
• Arrive early. Punctuality is crucial and shows that you take the interview seriously. Plan ample time to get to the interview, anticipating traffic or other unforeseen circumstances. Aim to arrive 10 minutes prior to the interview start time.
• Be respectful. Treat everyone you encounter with courtesy and respect. You don’t know how much weight they might hold in the hiring decision.
• Be graceful. Because Medical Resources is evaluating you as a potential candidate for a position, don’t treat your interview casually. Show your interest in the position by exhibiting a positive attitude, showing a friendly expression, keeping good posture, making good eye contact, avoiding fidgety behavior and by offering a firm handshake. Showing poise, confidence and establishing a rapport with any interviewer sets a good tone for the rest of the interview.
• Ask questions. Prepare a list of questions to ask your medical staffing consultant about the assignment and client organization. If another interview is scheduled with our client and you have more in-depth questions you would like to ask about the organization face-to-face, that would be the time. Your medical staffing consultant should be able to answer any questions about pay, benefits, etc.
• Send a thank-you note. While many candidates omit this important step, sending a thank-you note to our clients after any interview leaves a lasting impression. Send a thank-you note promptly via e-mail or snail mail. Summarize your main selling points and let the interviewer know you’re still interested in the employment opportunity.