Applying for jobs in the medical field can be rather stressful. In order to get a job you really want you will have to make sure your interview goes according to plan. Whether you’re applying for work in a hospital, a doctor’s office or any other healthcare facility, your interview is an important part of the hiring process which you will have to be prepared for in advance.
If you’re fresh out of your training and don’t have a lot of experience with handling interviews it is only normal for you to feel unsure about it. Here are some helpful tips in order to help you nail your Medical Assistant interview, even if it is your first one.
Practice answering potential questions
One of the most important aspects of all interviews are the questions the applicant will be asked. The questions will give you the chance to talk more about your abilities, anything worth noting in your resume and your past working experience as well as your future goals and aspirations.
There are quite a few different types of questions interviewers usually ask Medical Assistant applicants and they can truly help you prepare for your big day. Here are a few examples:
- Do you have any past experience with patients?
- Do you enjoy working with people?
- How would your past colleagues describe you as?
- Do you remember a challenging experience with a patient? How did you handle it?
- Do you have experience with patient documentation?
- Why do you think you will be a good choice for this healthcare facility?
All of these questions will help your interviewer get to know you better, get an understanding of your work ethics and sense of responsibility as well as your training. What you need to do is answer with honesty and don’t be afraid to show your knowledge and skills without being afraid you might be showing off.
Dress to impress
A very important part of nailing any interview is dressing for the part. In the medical field, employees are expected to look and behave a certain way and in an interview, the way you dress can say a lot about your character.
Dressing more on the formal side will help you look professional and modest. While most medical assistants will wear scrubs on their day to day job, wearing them on the interview probably isn’t the wisest idea. A good idea would be for you to choose a darker and solid-colored outfit that will show your seriousness about the job you are applying for.
On top of that, it is also important to look clean, with short cut fingernails and minimal jewelry and perfume. Since you will be working with patients in a more direct way, you need to show your future employer that you are interested in the way you present yourself as this is the first opinion they will form of you.
Don’t forget to also ask a few questions
In every interview, there comes a part where the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions to ask them in regard to the job application, the facility you will be working for or the interview itself. This is a good opportunity for you to answer any questions you might have and to also show the person across from you that you are serious about this position.
While you don’t have to write anything down and present them with a list of questions, having a few things to ask in mind is a good place to start. If you want to show interest in the job, you should ask some questions about the other medical assistants that work in the facility and their working experience there.
It is also a good idea to ask about your opportunities for progression in the facility. If the job is enjoyable but you don’t have many opportunities to advance, you might want to keep in mind that the job can end up getting boring for you.
While it is not necessary to ask questions, it is a good idea to have one or two prepared so that you can show the interviewer you have been thinking about this job position and the opportunities it can offer you.
Show them how you would fit in
Last but not least, another thing you should try to achieve through your interview is helping your interviewer see you as someone who will be able to fill a gap in the company. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities always have people coming and going and always need personnel that will help them handle the large amounts of patients that visit on a daily basis.
Some of the things you can mention in order to achieve this are whether you enjoy working under pressure or not and if you have any strategies to be more efficient with your work in a shorter amount of time. Being confident in your abilities and self-sufficient in your work are qualities every employer in the medical field expects of their employees.
By showing them you have the right traits needed for the job you applied for, you can show your interviewer you are serious about fitting in and helping the business grow. What everyone is looking for is an employee that will be able to be part of the solution of any issues and if you show them you can fit in, you will have more chances of landing the job you want.
Land the job of your dreams easily
Interviews will always be stressful and hard to deal with but it is important to keep in mind that there are ways for you to prepare yourself in order to achieve the best result possible. The tips mentioned in the article will help you prepare for your medical assistant interview in order to be able to land the job of your dreams no matter how experienced you might be. And if you are reading this while waiting for a potential employer to get in touch, consider reviewing your resume to improve your chances of getting noticed.
As long as you have faith in your skills and you are willing to work hard to achieve your goals, you will definitely be able to find a rewarding job that will give you all the experience you need in order to prepare you for a lifetime career in this field of medicine.