Jedi Mind Trick Interview Secret

Lately I’ve seen a ton of advertisements and commercials on the web for the “secret” to landing your dream job.  They advertise that there is a little known secret, a special Jedi mind trick, or some other incredibly amazing little known question to ask that will land you your dream job.  I’ve got news for you, there isn’t.

What is out there is great advice, great ways to show you are interested and eager but not desperate, and opportunities to show that you are the right candidate for this job without resorting to begging for the job.  So for this blog, I’m going to give some of the advice I give to job seekers who are interviewing for travel and for full-time positions.

1.    Prepare for the job interview and do your homework.  There are a lot of really lazy people out there who don’t even bother learning the basics about the facility where they are applying.  Go to their website and look at the “About Us” page. It will give you all kinds of information that will be great to talk about during an interview.  Most hospitals love to talk about their additions, donations, equipment overhauls, etc.  So when you have one of those awkward silent moments, you can bring up how great the new addition looks in the computer generated mock ups.  I guarantee you the HR manager or hiring manager will be surprised you noticed and they might even say, “Geez, how did you know about that” and your answer would be, “Well, I’m very interested in working with you and I wanted to know all I can about you before I applied.”

2.    If you have read my other blogs, you might know I hate keywords on a resume.  I hate it when people put “on time, professional, courteous, hard worker, etc.” on their resume.   If I’m thinking of hiring you, I have no choice to assume that you will be all of the above.  I’m assuming that you are not lazy, rude, and late on a regular basis.  So when a manager asks you if you have anything else to ask or add to your interview, I’d challenge you to say the following, “I’d bet most applicants tell you they are on time, professional, courteous, and how much of a people person they are; it’s not that I’m not all of that, but I’d rather tell you that if you hire me, I’m going to be the employee you want me to be.  You’re the boss, so when you say jump, I say how high.  My role as an employee is to solve your problems, not to add to them”.  I guarantee you, if you say that, you will stand out in a positive way.

3.    Most jobs you apply for will have four parts: the application, the phone screen, the phone interview, and finally the in-person interview.  Don’t make the mistake of not preparing for the phone screen before the phone interview. The phone screen is HR calling you to see if you match the basics of the job, verify some of your information, and also just get a feel for if you can pass the “idiot test”.   Remember step 1: hopefully you have done your homework.  HR likely is not as familiar with your modality as you are, so don’t use abbreviations or department slang, and never “correct” them.  If they call it an ultrasound tech position and you prefer the term sonographer, is there really a difference and is this the time you want to expand on your thoughts as it pertains to the difference? No.

Think of the phone screen as a sales call. They may be calling you but you are the one making the sale.  To paraphrase one of my favorite movie lines “Either you are selling them on why they should hire you or you are selling them on why they shouldn’t; either way a sale is made.”  When they ask you questions, don’t give them one word answers, expand on them.  If the question is, “Do you have experience in vascular ultrasound?”, then your answer should not be just “Yes.” It should be, “Yes, in fact I have seven years of dedicated vascular ultrasound working in a very busy fast-paced environment. In fact, I was not only responsible for the vascular ultrasound but I was also responsible for quality control and our lab certification.”  When you are asked a question, use it as an opportunity to answer the question and then add extras about yourself.  Have you ever watched a politician answer a question? The good ones answer the question and then add something more about themselves.  The bad ones side step the question and simply choose to answer some other question.  Don’t be a bad politician.

You must have answers to those standard questions that we all get asked.  “What is your best quality, what is your worst quality, etc.”  A couple things on answering those questions: make sure it is truthful and make sure you have a real experience to draw on.  When they ask you your worst quality, don’t say “I work too hard.” Everyone says that and it’s kind of an internal bad joke in HR.   Maybe your answer is that you get emotionally attached to the well-being of your patients and you’re working on getting less attached.  Show that you can recognize a fault and that you are working on it.  And no, I would not mention that you enjoy calling in sick occasionally and you are working on doing it less often.  Moderation is everything.

4.    If this is the job you want, don’t be afraid to tell the department manager when you get to that point that this is your dream job.  There is a difference between seeming desperate and being upfront and frank.  When you get to the end of the job interview, tell the hiring manager, “After speaking with you it has just confirmed my belief that this is where I belong. Some people say you should act not interested or play coy in these situations but I’m not interested in playing games.  I want to make sure you know I’m very excited at the opportunity to work with you and I hope I’ve shown that.  If there is anything that makes you think that I’m not the right person for the job, I’d love the opportunity to change your mind.”

 

AndyHannemanAndy Hanneman is an Account Manager in the Diagnostic Imaging division of Aureus Medical Group. Andy has been on a personal mission of health for the last 6 months trying to get to a better point of health and wellness. Having dropped 135lbs, his days are most often filled with wondering what a piece of pizza would taste like and drooling when watching his twin daughters eating mac and cheese. While not concentrating on his health, Andy can most often be found re-enacting scences from “Tool Time” as Tim misusing power tools and running after his beautiful daughters.

800.456.5857 ext. 6054 / ahanneman@aureusmedical.com / Twitter

One comment

  1. Always be prepared to walk away from a bad situation. If you get the feeling that the manager or director does not respect you as a potential part of their team, but looks as you as their next disposable employee to abuse, walk away, or at least raise your bill rate and get paid. There is usually a reason when a facility has several positions available and high employee turn-over. Bad managers do not go-away because they can no longer work clinical. Bad managers are recycled. Bad managers are always fearful of losing their jobs so they become “Yes” women or men to whomever is above them. They are focused on protecting their job instead of helping you do yours. Far too often, it is the clinical workers that suffer on many levels. Always ask the person who is interviewing you their philosophy towards how they treat their employees. See if you get a canned answer, or one with some thought behind it. If you are walking into a bad situation, be prepared for it. Your license is always on the line. Make sure you get the bill rate you deserve. If you are going to get abused mentally, make sure you are being paid for it. As professionals, we need to stick together. Always have your fellow traveler’s back.

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