Making a Great First Interview Impression

Even in the tightest talent market – and healthcare is in the worst it has seen in decades, there’s still satisfaction when you’re called in for an interview. Your CV or resume has gotten your foot in the door – you meet the necessary qualifications for the job. The next step is making a good first impression and keeping that going throughout the interview process.

Making a good impression builds on your skills and qualifications. You may be the right candidate for the job, but the interview process assures you’re the right candidate for the organization. How you comport yourself, how you treat others, and how you represent your personal and professional brand are all factors in the institution’s decision-making process. Make sure you check all the right boxes along the way.

Be timely.

It’s important to be on time for your interview. It shows you respect the interviewer’s time and schedule. If unforeseen circumstances force you to be late, like a huge pileup on the highway, call and let them know you’re stuck and ask if they’d like to wait or reschedule. Get there as soon as possible if they’re willing to wait. If you must reschedule, make sure to be at the next interview on time.

It’s even better to be early for an interview, but not too early. Fifteen minutes before your scheduled time is acceptable. Sitting in the lobby for a half-hour or an hour is not. The message you send when you’re too early may be that you’ve nothing better to do with your time. Stop in the cafeteria for a coffee before you head up to the department or HR too early.

Look the part.

‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’ is sound advice. Even if the facility knows you’re squeezing in an interview after an all-night shift, taking time to change out of scrubs is a good idea. It doesn’t take long, but it signals professionalism. From the most entry-level to the board-level, dressing professionally and being well groomed is critical to making a good first impression.

Be polite to everyone you meet.

You may not think the receptionist that greets you is integral to your getting the job but treat her with disrespect and you may find out. Many recruiters ask their gatekeepers how the candidate comported themselves while waiting. Were they congenial? Were they impatient and demanding? You are being judged – that’s the point of an interview – by everyone you encounter.

Put your phone away and on silent.

Unless you’re a surgeon waiting on an ETA for a replacement heart, put your phone away. Yes, answer your emails while you’re waiting in reception, but silence your phone as soon as you’re called in to interview and put it away. Interrupting the interview to take a call or respond to a message is not going to get you the job.

Look them in the eye.

Interviews aren’t stare-down contests, but you do need to look the interviewers in the eye. Eye contact demonstrates confidence in who you are and truthfulness in the things you say. When you avoid their gaze discussing your qualifications or background, they may not assume you’re simply uncomfortable with eye contact. They may assume you’re exaggerating your professional history. If you must, look between their eyes, but make sure you’re face-to-face as much as possible.

Be prepared.

The best candidates make sure they know about the institution as well. Take time to review the facility’s website – see what their priorities are; what’s new, where they excel. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to demonstrate exactly how you fit into their mission and vision. You’ll also be in a better position to ask smart questions about the role, the department, and the facility.

Sell yourself.

Once you’ve gotten past the resume screening hurdle, it’s clear you’re qualified for the job. Few recruiters or department heads will waste their time on people who don’t meet the necessary criteria. The interview process is a chance to sell yourself to the institution. Their question is why should they hire you instead of the next candidate? This is your opportunity to tell them.

Selling yourself involves highlighting your personal skills, qualifications, and background, of course. But it also involves discussing how you can be an integral part of the team. Spend time talking about your role in past positions as an individual and a part of a larger group or department. Touch on how you contributed to or helped further the institution’s mission or guiding principles. This will give the interviewer insight into how valuable you will be for their facility.

Don’t be tone-deaf.

There’s a difference between representing yourself and bragging – even humble bragging. You want the impression you make to be of confidence, not arrogance. If you’re the top dog at your current facility you don’t need to toot your own horn. If you’re not, but pretend to be, you’ll probably be found out.

As you discuss the role, resist the temptation to correct and make suggestions on ‘how we do it,’ or ‘how we do it better.’ You’re not being asked for an efficiency audit, you’re being interviewed. You may see room for growth or adjustments, but you need to get the job to affect them. Unless you’re specifically asked what you’d do differently, what you may consider constructive suggestions could be insulting to the person on the other side of the desk.

Ask questions.

You’re interviewing the facility as well. Ask what they’re looking for in a candidate, why it’s a great place to work, and of course, what the timeline is for hiring. If you’ve done your homework and taken a deeper look at the facility’s website and press, you may be able to ask questions that provide more insight on whether you’ll be the right fit for them, and they for you.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression – don’t leave it to chance. Plan how you’ll show any interviewer you’re the right person for the job at a glance and beyond.