What are the most important things I should know about job interviews? How do they differ from residency interviews?
Ariel Hlavaty, Pharm.D.
2019–2020 PGY1 Pharmacy Resident
2020–2021 PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident
Indiana University Health AHC
Indianapolis, Indiana
The interview process for new pharmacists can be intimidating, even if they have gone through it several times already. There was an interview for pharmacy school, an interview for a PGY1 residency, and (for some) an interview for a PGY2 residency or fellowship. Now, the interview is for a job. Even though the “rules” of an interview still apply, both the employer and the prospective employee are approaching the interview from a different perspective than in previous interview situations.
As I just mentioned, the rules of an interview still apply: be well dressed and groomed for the interview; be on time, polite, and courteous to the people you meet in the interview; maintain a professional demeanor; be prepared with questions for your interviewer or interview team; and don’t ask about money during the first interview. However, there are additional details to keep in mind that may help you better prepare for an interview and potential job.
- Tailor your questions to be about how you will provide for them (the employer), not how they will provide for you. In pharmacy school and residency interviews, your questions likely focused on the resources and support provided by the school or residency program. They were about patient contact hours, research opportunities, and opportunities for experience. In a job interview, the employer is interested in how you will help them achieve the department’s or hospital’s goals. Employee satisfaction is still an important feature to evaluate (see No. 4), but consider asking the interviewer, “What are some work goals that you have for the person you hire for this position?” You should learn about your potential places for employment and ask how you might support or create new services. Consider questions such as “Do you (the employer) see the person in this position as playing a role in any special services within the hospital or college/university?” and “What are some things that do not yet exist here that you would like the person in this position to potentially establish?”
- Be realistic about what you have done in your previous training. Both school and residency training offer a wide array of experiences and exposure to unique clinical and research programs. However, in some instances, this experience and exposure is relatively superficial and not enough to make you proficient in that area of practice or research. For example, despite having a 1-month Infectious Disease rotation with involvement in an antibiotic stewardship program, you may not be suited to take on the role of antibiotic steward immediately upon hire. You should let the employer know that your experience is limited and not try to sound more experienced than you really are. The exception to this is for pharmacists completing specialty training, given that they have spent at least 12 months focused on this one practice setting. The good thing is that employers already expect this from new applicants just graduating from training programs. Most will be supportive of the learning and growing period.
- Understand that you are still learning and growing and may have to “climb the ladder” to reach your ideal work position. Most residencies are designed to expose residents to 3–5 years of clinical experience in 12 months or less. All of this exposure to higher-level clinical functioning may skew your perception of what a job should look like. Although there are always opportunities for jobs that are primarily clinical, many have clerical, service, and distribution components. All of these processes are vital for a clinical pharmacist to understand, and just because he or she has responsibilities in these “nonclinical” functions does not mean that clinical skills and training are not being used. If you are concerned about how your time will be divided between clinical, administrative, and distribution functions, consider asking, “What opportunities will be available to advance and take on a more clinical or administrative role?”
- Be willing to compromise, but don’t surrender your beliefs, style, or personality. Your first “real job” may not be ideal, but you should still be aware of what will make your job satisfying and rewarding. For some, it is just being gainfully employed. For others, it may be the opportunity to grow in the position and possibly advance to other positions (either internal or external). And for still others, it may be finding a cohort of colleagues that are good to work with. Regardless of your benchmark for a good job, make sure you feel engaged by the organization. Evaluate whether the limitations of the potential work environment are manageable or deal-breakers. Are these limitations outweighed by the benefits of the environment? Ask employers about these limitations and learn more about the situation. Knowing the background may bring clarity to the situation and make it less of a limitation.
As intimidating as interviewing for a job may seem, residency program preceptors and directors have been hard at work preparing you for the job market. Graduating residents and new practitioners have a good breadth of experience to draw on and develop in any work environment. The challenge in transitioning from a residency interview to a job interview is that the interviewer is now looking to add to his or her permanent staff, not hire a temporary trainee. Your marketability will be accentuated if you are aware of what the employer needs, express interest in helping the employer achieve that goal, and are willing to work with the employer to create a mutually beneficial work environment.
Daniel Longyhore, Pharm.D., M.S., BCACP
System Director, Knowledge Management
Geisinger
Danville, Pennsylvania