This is a 5 Part series on Interviewing Tips for Physical Therapists a resource available from PediaStaff:
Part 1: Preparing for the interview.
Part 2: Phone vs. Face-to-face Interviews.
Part 3: During the Interview.
Part 4: Answering & Asking Questions.
Part 5: Following up after the Interview.
General Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer
The following questions are some of the less “clinical” questions that an interviewer may ask you. Unlike questions about your specific therapy experience, school training, and exposure to materials and methodologies, some of these below can trip you up if you haven’t thought through some answers in advance.
- 1. Tell me about yourself – They are asking you to tell them about your qualifications– specifically, education and work experience with emphasis on knowledge, skills, and accomplishments/performance indicators that relate to the job at hand. You should preplan a two – to ten-minute answer depending on your amount of experience. Be concise and to the point on this and all your answers. Try not to be rigid or scripted. If you are interrupted by the interviewer, follow their lead.
- 2. Why are you considering making a change? – You definitely need a reasonable, logical answer that relates to items such as greater earning potential, limited authority, lack of opportunity for growth, lack of meaningful work, etc. Whatever you do, DO NOT bad-mouth your current employer! Lack of loyalty can kill the entire interview process.
- 3. What do you consider your major strengths? – Obviously, your answer would relate to the skills that are needed to effectively perform the therapy job for which you are interviewing. Before you depart for the interview, make sure that the recruiter you are working with describes in detail, the tasks and responsibilities of the position.
- 4. What do you consider your major weaknesses? – Play this safe–you’re not in a “true confessions” session. The best answer is a weakness that could really be a strength – For example, “I’m impatient with people who don’t work hard; sometimes I get too involved with my work;”
- 5. What do/did you like best about your current/last job? – A good answer is “the people.” you got along well with them; they trusted your judgment, etc.
- 6. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? This may translate as – Are you going to stick with us? Your answer should be along the lines of “As long as I like what I’m doing and am growing, I feel that upward movement in responsibility will develop accordingly.”
- 7. What are your long-term goals? Movement into a corporate management responsibility is a reasonable goal, but be cautious about putting rigid time limits on it with the interviewer. You especially need to be careful, because the only corporate management position might be held by the interviewer asking the question!
- 8. Do you have any problems following company/organizational policy? The interviewer wants to determine if you are ready to follow rules and regulations (generally regarding services to be provided) Cite the fact, if true, that you’ve never had problems following policy.
- 9. What do/did you like least about your Current/last job? – Talk in generalities. Lack of challenge and growth are good, standard responses.
- 10. What are your pay rate/salary expectations? - Your best answer is to say offer what you were making in your past job and state that you are looking for a competitive offer. There will be plenty of time to negotiate and talk specifics after the interview is over and you are back at home. Your most important goal is to convince the employer to hire you. The terms of that employment should be discussed after they have decided to bring you on board.
- 11. What do you like to do in your spare time? – Although this may be an innocent question, it is sometimes a fishing expedition to determine whether your leisure pursuits could interfere with your commitment to work. Handle with care.
- 12. I’m a little worried about your lack of.XYZ experience or training. – Don’t be intimidated by the question, it’s a good sign. It means the interviewer generally likes you, but has a reservation or two. Grant that you understand the concern he/she might have, and immediately give him/her something concrete to put his/her mind at ease.
- 13. Why did you leave your last job? – The fact may be that you were terminated and chances are the interviewer knows that and is simply interested in how you’ll handle the question. NEVER make excuses. Don’t paint yourself as a victim or scapegoat. You might say, “Things didn’t work out after a while, I have no hard feelings. I learned a lot there.
- 17. Of what are you proudest in terms of your accomplishments in your present or former positions? – This question calls in the same category as “Tell me about yourself” and provides an opportunity for you to detail accomplishments that will “sell” you. Our only caution: Don’t lose control of your ego. We have seen candidates give a 30-minute monologue about how great they are. Be factual, concise, and modest. Don’t confuse confidence with ego. Limit your presentation to 3 to 5 minutes.
Questions You Should Consider Asking
(Especially whenever the interviewer asks, “Any questions?”)
The following are questions that you should prepare to ask (at the appropriate time). The purpose is twofold: (1) to demonstrate your serious interest in the position; (2) to provide information that allows you to effectively evaluate the career development potential offered by the position.
- 1. Why is this position available?
- 2. What is your background (the interviewer’s) and that of the top managers in the department? What attracted you to this company/organization? Get your interviewer active in the conversation; this will go a long way in recalling you later in his evaluation.
- 3. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the person whose place I would be taking? (If applicable)
- 4. What would you say is the number one challenge for the person who accepts this position?
- 5. What would you say are the main strengths a person who gets this job needs to have?
- 6. How do you feel the company/organization is perceived around town, and why? What are its perceived strengths and weaknesses?
Rules for Asking Questions
- 1. Have a list (take notes when appropriate and batch your questions for the end/Q&A)
- 2. Don’t cross-examine or interrupt
- 3. Focus your questions on the job
- 4. Ask questions that require explanation
AVOID questions relating to:
- 1. Days off
- 2. Vacations/Holiday Schedule
- 3. Benefits
until the job is offered.
Remember you are there to display and sell your ability to contribute. The perks and extra benefits of working there are totally irrelevant (assuming a reasonable match between your current earnings and what the job can pay) until you have an offer in.
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