the

interview
is
Right Your Hosts:
Emily Clemens
Steve Abel
Kyle Hultgren
Background: How to Play

• Be prepared
• Learn about yourself
• Learn about the
organization
• Practice
Overview

Application Interview Job Offer

Application
• READ CAREFULLY
• Don’t eliminate your application before it starts by missing
out on supplying precisely what the potential employer is
asking for
• Read ALL application instructions thoroughly
• Make sure you have completed ALL required documents
• Potential documents: portfolio, DI case, PowerPoint
presentation, or supplemental essay
• Application requirements will vary
• Be sure to review your spacing, grammar, and spelling!
Application

• Max 1 page • No limit

• Most pertinent • Include all
information information
• Common in • Common in
business healthcare

Resu
CV
me
Application
• Highlight skill-set, • Highlight skill-set,
achievements, achievements,
and experiences and experiences
• Focus: how your • Focus:
experience professional goals
benefits and how you can
organization contribute
Letter
Cover
of
Letter
Intent
Application:
Letter of Recommendation
• Identify at least three
• May include faculty member, preceptor or supervisor who
is familiar with work habits and competency
• Questions when choosing your three recommendations:
• How long/well do they know you?
• What of your attributes have they witnessed and do
these attributes align with the position?
• It is your responsibility to prepare your letter writers
Application:
Letter of Recommendation
• Information to provide to your writers
• CV
• A paragraph, or two, describing your professional goals
• Any specific program requirements, if applicable
• Deadlines for every program you are applying to
• Important areas to highlight in the letter
• Think back to your attributes (Slide 6) and why you are
interested in this opportunity
• Remember to send thank you notes to your writers
• Update your writers on where you end up
Application :
Letter of Recommendation
• Postgraduate training candidates:
• Residency vs. Fellowship
• Letters of reference should be sent directly to sites
• General letter of reference forms are done through
PhORCAS
• PhORCAS: Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized
Application Service
• Showcase your strengths, characters, and qualifying
experiences
PhORCAS Letter of Rec.
PhORCAS Letter of Rec.
PhORCAS Letter of Rec.
 Application
• Perspective of the
Manager Example Point System
• Application documents: Item Content Point Notes
past s
experiences assess the Education PhD 30
candidate’s ability to Masters 20
meet the job description Bachelor 10
• Selecting candidates for Job Experiences 20
interviews Qualificatio demonstrate
• Meet requirements ns capabilities and
• Include preferred talents toward the
experiences position
• Create a point system Work More than 2 years 20
Experience More than 1 year; No 10
more than 2
Overview

Application Interview Job Offer

Interview:
Before the Big Day
• Learn about the organization
• “Pre-introduce” yourself to the program
• May reach out to players in the organization if you
have sincere interest and questions about the
program
• Ensure this interaction is meaningful
• Find out about the company/organization’s goals,
structure, trajectory, etc.
• Learn about your interviewers
• How long have they been in their position? What is
their practice? Where did they train?
• What will interaction will they share with the person in
Interview:
Before the Big Day
• List questions to ask about the organization and position
• Include questions specific for each interviewer
• Avoid questions that can be found online
• Review your application materials
• Remind yourself of your experience and interest in the position
• Practice interview questions
• Find opportunity with peers, preceptors, pharmacy
organizations
Interview:
The Day Of!
• Bring your padfolio including CV, pen, paper, questions, and
business cards
• Turn off your phone
• Arrive at least 15 minutes early
• Take notes after each interview
• Hand write or email thank you notes to interviewers (per
interviewer) the day of
• Memory will help create a detailed note
Interview
• Perspective of the Manager
• Provide a sense of hospitality to the interviewee
• Demonstrate reflective listening skills
• Ask any secondary questions based on the interviewer’s
responses
• Keep consistent set of questions for each candidate
• Looking for a candidate that meets the needs of the
organization and fits with the personality/mission of the
organization
• What attributes in the interview does the manager look for
in candidates (including community, industry, and
institutional)?
Interview :
Example Questions
• General
• Tell me about yourself (Max 5-minute answer)
• Describe your ideal job.
• Who are your role models – why?
• Why should we hire you versus another candidate?
• Why did you choose your major?
• Which classes did you like best/least – why?
• Do your grades accurately reflect your ability? Why or why not?
• Where do you expect to be in five years?
• What do think is the biggest issue facing pharmacy today
• Have you done anything to improve yourself this past year
• What about the position interests you?
• What will you bring to this organization?
Interviewer & Interviewee
Come on Down: Round 1
Interview:
Example Questions
• Experience
• How has your education prepared you for your career
• What have you learned from your work experiences?
• Describe how you handled a difficult situation and what
you learned from that experience.
• How do you think a former supervisor would describe
your work?
• Tell me about your ___ experience (based on CV)
Interviewer & Interviewee
Come on Down: Round 2
Interview:
Behavioral Questions
• Used by roughly 80% of companies
• Offers an alternative pathway to determine strengths and
weaknesses
• Determines how the candidate may respond in certain
scenarios
• Concentrates on specific examples from the candidate’s
past
• Questions focus on how the candidate “did” behave
versus “would” behave – what was learned?
Interview:
Behavioral Questions
• Describe the background of the situation (i.e. events
S Situation that took place before you became involved).
• Where/when did it occur?
• Who else was involved?
T Task • What exactly happened that made you demonstrate
the action?
• What did you do and how?
A Action • What steps did you take?
• Include specific dialogue whenever possible from all
parties involved.
R Result • What happened as a result of your actions?
• Describe the outcome(s).
Interview:
Example Questions
• Behavioral/Situational
• Tell me about a situation when something you said or wrote was
misunderstood. What did you do to resolve the situation? What was the
result?
• Describe the most difficult problem you have ever faced at work or school.
What steps or actions did you take to solve the problem? What results
were achieved?
• Give me a situation in which you have been able to use a newly acquired
skill or knowledge. What was the particular skill or knowledge? What was
the situation? What was the outcome?
• Describe a time when you had to deal with the public. Who was involved?
What did you do? How did those involved respond?
• Give an example of a time when you helped solve a problem within a
group. What precipitated the problem? What action did you take? What
was the outcome?
• Tell me time where you had an out of the box idea. What resulted from this
Interviewer & Interviewee
Come on Down: Round 3
Interview:
Inappropriate Questions
• Legal considerations in formulating interview questions –
CAN NOT ASK
• Age
• Arrest or conviction record
• Credit rating
• Disabilities
• Marital and/or family status
• Military record
• Name/national origin, or religion
• Photographs (okay if they ask if you’re comfortable with your photo taken)
• Not comfortable? You could provide printed work that is unique to you
that reminds them of you without a photo
• What do you do if you do get asked these questions?
Interview
• Candidate
• Reflect on your experience in the interview
• Assess your fit for the position right after the interview
and several days after  your thoughts/confidence in the
position may change over time
Interview
• Perspective of the
Manager
• Evaluation tool
• Should be written
• Be consistent across
candidates
• Avoid scoring scales with
wide ranges (e.g. > 5
points)
Overview

Application Interview Job Offer

 Job Offer
• Thoughtful before accepting
• Decrease credibility by falling back on a previously accepted
position
• Be honest with the manager if you’re awaiting another offer
• Negotiate –while these is limited flexibility, many just accept
the first offer
• Perspective of the Manager
• Tally scores from interview evaluations
• Discuss with peers, as appropriate
• DO NOT offer if your “gut” says no
• Offer must be in writing
• Should provide specifics including pay, start date, etc.
 Assignment
• Practice interviewing using the questions
from this presentation
• Recommend volunteering a friend or
family member as your interviewer (face-to-
face or virtual)
• Recommend recording yourself to review
later
• Complete a reflection (max 300 words)
• How well did you provide depth and
specificity in your responses?
• Upload to blackboard for 20 points
participation credit by April 28th 11:59pm
References
• Cunningham, J.R. (2009). Get a job!: Interview survival skills
for college students. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Blair W. Browning & John R. Cunningham (2012) Students
better be on their best behavior: How to prepare for the
most common job interviewing technique, Communication
Teacher, 26:3, 152-157, DOI:
10.1080/17404622.2011.650700