So you've completed your training, assembled a great CV, and are lining up job interviews. But have you thought about what you'll say when you meet your prospective employer? Many radiology residents haven't, according to a radiologist who shares his secrets for successful job interviews.
As a group, radiology residents are bright, organized, and well-prepared in their professional lives. However, their interviewing skills are often lacking, which can hurt them in the job market, said Dr. Fred Lee in a presentation at the 2013 RSNA meeting.
"It's always shocking to me how unprepared people are for interviews," said Lee, who is a professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin. "If you're called for an interview, your CV has already been looked at, your board scores have been looked at, and the organization has made a determination that you are qualified technically for the job."
Dr. Fred Lee from the University of Wisconsin.All of this means that very little of the interview will focus on job skills. What the interviewer wants to know is whether you're a good fit for the organization.
As your potential employer looks at you in search of the right fit, there are pitfalls that can kill your chances right off the bat. First and foremost, avoid giving the interviewer an opportunity to dislike something in your comments, demeanor, or behavior, according to Lee.
Creating a good impression doesn't mean pretending to be someone you're not, though -- that's a guaranteed disaster, he said.
"You can't fool your way through an interview," Lee said. Who you are "oozes out of every pore in your body ... so the idea is not to be someone that you're not, but to highlight some of the more favorable aspects of your personality -- or the part of you that's a great fit for the job."
Specifically, interviewers are looking for a personality match, the ability to fit into a team environment, and the ability to represent the organization, he said. After all, the most important thing an organization can do to ensure its success is get the right people on board -- people who can function as a team.
"Physicians today are no longer the solitary white knight who swoops in to save the day; they're mostly members of a high-functioning team, and you have to demonstrate team behaviors if you want to be on that team," Lee said.
Push the positive
In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, author Daniel Kahneman looked at the value of positive versus negative interactions during the day. The results revealed that a single negative interaction has the psychological power of five positive interactions.
The lesson there is to avoid any negative interaction with an interviewer because it will weigh heavily on their minds, Lee said. On the other hand, positivity is a force multiplier, and it will boost your chances in an interview.
To pull off this feat, think of a few things you want the interviewer to know about you before he or she leaves, then structure these points in the context of being a team member of the organization. Ideally, these points should aim to distinguish you from other job candidates.
Get the story right and make it interesting, Lee said. Talk about "aha moments" and themes to which everyone can relate, and make sure every word is truthful. Repeat this "allegory about who you are" before you leave so that the interviewer gets the message.
Learn about the job
Research the job before the interview starts, Lee advised. "There's almost nothing more insulting than to be interviewing someone and they don't know who you are, they don't know what the job is, and they know nothing about the organization," he said.
So study the organization, but don't overdo it and make it look like you're trying to be a star. Research yourself while you're at it -- for example, make sure your Facebook page isn't loaded with negative images of you, he said.
Think about the questions you're likely to be asked, and write down your answers. Interviewees will almost certainly be asked why they want to work there, for example.
"Spend a little time doing research and get your answers really smooth," Lee said. "You can come out looking really good if you have certain answers that are ready to go."
In responding to the interviewer's questions, use personal experience and speak in experiential rather than hypothetical terms. Don't simply answer yes or no: Break your answers down into several parts.
For example, think through the following: What was the situation? What happened? What did you do? What was the result? What did you learn? These are all important parts of the story you are crafting, Lee said. It tells the interviewer something about you, and if it's well-prepared, it can show that you are well-organized and thoughtful.
"Don't be afraid to talk about the things that went wrong," he said. "But if you're going to talk about failure, talk about what you learned from it ... how you modified your behavior to do a better job or become a better person because of that failure."
Keep your answers relatively succinct, he added. Interviewees should practice their ability to craft succinct and interesting answers with friends and solicit their feedback.
Interview day
Once you're ready to go, fuel yourself with protein and complex carbohydrates for breakfast, with minimal amounts of simple carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar. You don't want a sugar crash in the middle of the interview, Lee said. Interviewing can make for a very long day.
Also, bring an updated CV with you, and don't assume that your interviewer is prepared and organized, he said. Be ready to provide a quick capsule summary of who you are.
Arrive early for the interview, dress conservatively, and know where you're going. Remember that the interview starts the minute you walk through the door.
"My secretary does a lot of screening for us about who's an appropriate candidate for our fellowship program," Lee said. "She's very adept at pointing out people who are good with everybody around them. So don't abuse the janitor."
Keep in mind that an interview is a conversation, not a monologue, so be aware of the principle of reciprocity. An interviewee should aim to be talking about 70% of the time.
"Humans are programmed to do a back and forth, and if you have a monologue that never stops, you are violating the principle of reciprocity," Lee said.
A little self-deprecating humor is OK, but don't go too far, he advised. Listen to the questions carefully, as talking over the interviewer also violates the principle of reciprocity. And don't forget the importance of body language.
"There have been some studies [indicating] that people make up their minds about a candidate within the first 30 seconds of an interaction, so you don't want to violate that interaction with bad body language," Lee said. And of course, don't bring up politics, gender issues, or other potential land mines.
"Don't dawdle, make sure you get to your point, talk about positivity, and [demonstrate] energy and passion without hyperactivity," Lee said.
Also, don't brownnose. And if you're invited for a meal as part of the interview, skip the red sauce and don't get drunk.
Finally, a thoughtful and carefully written thank you note, personalized for each recipient, can spell the difference between sealing the deal and getting downgraded as a candidate, Lee said.
