First Interview In Healthcare

[Dillon]

I’ve been applying to jobs within the healthcare field over the weekend and out of maybe 5 I applied to I landed my first interview positioned a 1-2 days later as a patient transporter with a local University hospital that has anywhere from a 800-900 bed capacity. I think a job like this will be a great way to gain real world experience in what working in a hospital is like while going to school to be a radiology tech.

I know a few members on this forum are in the healthcare field and I was wanting to know what would a hiring offically typically look for when interviewing someone, Personality as someone who is motivated and determined or experience (years of experience)? This is my very first interview involving the healthcare industry and I want to make sure I do well in this. I feel the interview process in more structured in a way when it comes to working in healthcare and personally that would easier for me in terms of predictability but I could be wrong.

I appreciate any suggestions or any general insights on what can help me stand out or maybe what I should know about working in healthcare.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

1. Are you willing to learn new skills?
2. Are you willing to deal with people (patient's and family) at their worst?
3. Are you reliable?
4. Are you focused and detail-oriented?
5. Can you prioritize?

One thing you might want to do beforehand is a "job shadow". Spend a day or two with people to show you all that this particular organization offers. At our hospital we have people job shadowing at least a few times a week, we pass you along to different people in different areas of the hospital so you get a better feel for the environment and what is really involved. You can decide later what you might be better suited for, then apply for those positions.

Put yourself in a position of power, but this is a reciprocal situation. What are you going to offer me? What can I offer you? Figure out why YOU are a better candidate than someone else. In other words, DO NOT put yourself in a position where "I really need this job", because they don't want to hear that. What can I do for you, what can you do for me.

 

[Aspychata]

Great post, many of us struggle with what does the interviewer look for?

 

[Masked Man]

I have been in the role of hiring manager a few times.

A few things come to mind:

You will be asked if you have any issues with the job description. I looked at the job description (patient escort/transporter) at our facility. We require the applicant to be able to lift/carry/push/pull a max of 50 pounds occasionally and 20 pounds regularly. At our facility, an applicant will be pushing patients in wheelchairs all over the hospital as part of the job, and also have to clean the equipment after every use. Your facility will probably be similar.

You will probably also be asked a series of questions that are designed to establish how you interact and respond to uncertainty and other people. For example:

Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a co-worker and how did you handle it?
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult/unhappy person and how did you handle it?

I think most importantly, have a look at what the job description involves and be familiar with it. Also be somewhat familiar with the facility. Is it a teaching hospital? A community hospital? What sort of patients will you be serving? That sort of thing.

Finally I think the thing to keep in mind is that the interviewer wants you to be the right candidate. Interviewing people is no fun, and we want to just be done with it. If you can show that you've done sufficient homework about the role and you've got a good head on your shoulders, you've got a great chance to land that job.