The 5 W's of Interviews: Who
The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview, and now that I have given you the rundown on the 5 most common “resume wrongs,” let’s move on to some interview tips.
The interview is critical. No one fails an interview and still gets the job. Much like resumes you need to make a good impression right from the beginning. They say the interviewer makes up their mind about you within the first couple of minutes after meeting you, so you need to get it right.
I am going to devote my next few blogs to exploring the “5 W's” (who, where, when, what and why) of interviewing.
Let’s begin with “Who.”
It’s exciting to get that call to be invited to interview for a job, but before you hang up and start doing a happy dance you should get a few important pieces of information beyond the date and time.
Find out WHO will be attending the interview. I know this sounds a little obvious but it’s a good idea to establish whether the interview will be a one-on-one interview or a group interview. Interviews are nerve wracking enough and getting surprised by a group or a panel interview will only increase your stress. Good manners also dictate that you bring a copy of your resume for each person in the interview, so you will be glad you asked! Make sure also to get the names of each attendee so that you can do some research on their background prior to the interview. It’s helpful to know a little something about the person or persons you will be trying to impress.
I’m going to include location in the “who” category as well. Make sure you are clear on exactly where the interview is going to take place. Again, this is not as silly as this may sound. Many healthcare organizations have multiple locations or they may wish that you interview at their business office rather than the actual clinic location. Confirming the address will get you to the right place but if you want to get there on time don’t forget to check for possible construction detours. I don’t know about where you live but I am constantly amazed at the way entire roads seem to disappear overnight. Ask where you should park. Is it a ramp or meters? Nothing like a getting a parking ticket or being towed to ruin your big interview day. And most importantly, get a contact phone number just in case a flat tire or some other unforeseen circumstance occurs.
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