Top Interview Tips for Landing a Physical Therapy Job

You’ve completed your schooling and your clinicals, and now you’ve snagged that coveted interview. What can you do to make sure you nail it? Try out these interview tips to have the best possible interview, and land that job.

Before the Interview

1. Practice your pitch.

The interview is your opportunity to sell yourself. What makes you uniquely qualified for this job? Why do you want to work in physical therapy? Take the time to really think about why you’re the best person for the job, and practice saying it aloud until it rolls off your tongue. If possible, have a friend help you, but make sure you choose one who is willing to give you honest feedback.

2. Prepare answers to typical interview questions.

Some questions tend to crop up in nearly every interview:

·         What are your greatest strengths?

·         What do you consider your weaknesses?

·         Tell me about yourself.

·         Where do you see yourself in five years?

Create answers to these questions ahead of time, and practice them until they are smooth. Interviewers are looking for strong answers that indicate you will be a good team player, a hard worker and loyal to the company. Make sure that all of your answers indicate your strengths AND weaknesses. When interviewees are honest about their experiences at PT schools, employers trust they will be honest on the job as well.

During the Interview

1. Arrive early.

No matter what type of job you are applying for, you absolutely have to arrive to the interview early. Aim to arrive about 15 minutes early. If you are worried about traffic, try to get there about a half-hour early, and spend the extra time in your car reviewing your prepared answers. Don’t eat anything on the way there; you don’t want onion or garlic breath to be what does you in.

2. Be confident.

Even if you are terrified, pretend to be confident. Just like the saying: Fake it ’til you make it. Have a nice, strong handshake, think about your answers and avoid “umming” and “ahhing.”

3. Listen carefully.

Don’t make assumptions, and don’t let your mind wander. Listen carefully to each question that you are asked. You may be asked questions you haven’t prepared for, and if so, take time to carefully think out your answers, working to highlight your strengths and qualifications in every answer.

Following the Interview

1. Follow up.

Send a polite email thanking the interviewer for the interview. Communication keeps you fresh in the interviewer’s mind, which can make a huge difference. Don’t try tricks like sending cookies or gift cards. This makes you look desperate and might leave the interviewer wondering why you are resorting to “bribery.”

2. Answer the phone.

Keep your phone with you, charged and turned on at all times. You cannot afford to have a call from HR go to voice mail. Many others may have interviewed for the job, and if the decision was close, the interviewer may very well decide to skip you and go down the list to the next candidate.

Incoming search terms:

No related posts.

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 Uncategorized

No comments yet.

Leave a comment