Tomorrow's Pharmacist October 1999 p52-54
Edited by Pamela Mason

Interviews

Success at interviews - preparation

By Ailsa Benson, MSc,

So your letter of application worked and you have got the interview! Well done - now you need to plan for the interview itself. Knowing the structure for a typical interview and planning how to use that to your advantage is crucial.

Before going to an interview, remember that research and preparation are vital. Your aim should be for you to make the selection decision, not the interviewer. It never ceases to amaze me how few applicants actually do research before interviews. Before the interview, make sure that you have information about the company as well as the job. If a job information pack is not provided, ask if one is available. Use your network of family, friends and colleagues to gather information about the company, the nature of the work and the type of person it would suit. Make sure you can find your way to the actual location for the interview. How will you travel? Where will you park a car? How long will the journey take? Check in ten minutes before your due time for interview.

What to wear

First appearances count! Decide what you are going to wear - my advice is not something new. Aim to be clean and tidy from your hair to your shoes. Make sure you feel comfortable in the clothes that you do wear. Watch necklines, hem and trouser length. These should not too short on the lower half for either men or women so, no male hairy legs on show or large expanse of female thigh, or too low a neckline for women. If you wear jewellery, check to ensure it does not get in your way or make lots of noise! Consider what would be appropriate for you to wear in the job itself. What image would your employer want you to convey? Make sure that you match this at your interview. Go easy on fragrances - whether aftershave or perfume, or garlic from the meal the night before.

Job specification

In their planning, interviewers will have drafted out a job specification. You need to spend some time thinking about the type of person they are looking for and how you match up. Most job specifications will list the essential/desirable requirements in terms of education, qualifications, training, experience, skills, personality and any other special requirements. The clues to some of these will be found in the job advertisement and in the job description if one is available. Your own family and friends and acquaintances may also be able to help you fill in likely requirements from their own experience. This preparation is vital. You need to match yourself to these aspects and use opportunities in the interview to indicate the ways in which you do match them. Ask yourself too what are your unique selling points. Be very familiar with these, and again, use opportunities in the interview to put them forward. Be as much yourself as is possible but moderate according to the job specification.

Introductions

Most interviews follow a tried and tested format of establishing rapport, then working through your biography by asking questions and answering your questions. Remember - the objective is to use this time to see whether you match that job specification. First impressions count and start from the moment you enter the premises of the company. Many interviewers make up their minds in the first few minutes about the general acceptability of a candidate. So hold yourself well, with your head up and a smile on face as you walk into the interview room. Keep your right hand free to shake hands, with any bags, gloves or cases in your left hand.
Greet the person by name and use it judiciously during the interview. Checking out beforehand who will be interviewing you gives an opportunity to rehearse any unusual names. If your own name is unusual, make sure you explain how it should be pronounced. Make sure you are sitting comfortably on the seat, leaning slightly forward and adopting an open and relaxed position. Accept a drink only if you see the interviewer is having one or if you need one to stop the nervousness of a dry mouth. Check that there is somewhere easy for you to place the cup and saucer!
During the first few minutes the interviewer will be attempting to settle you down, and establish some kind of rapport. Stereotypes may well rule! There will be small talk - your journey here, the weather and current hot news are all examples of topics that could be covered. The interviewer will be trying to establish some kind of empathy with you, and many will be unconsciously looking for things you share in common. So watch and listen carefully to the verbal and non-verbal behaviour of your interviewer. Endeavour to subtly match it. Of course, if the interviewer scowls at you, it will be more sensible to keep a neutral expression!
If your interviewer's opening gambit is about something you dislike or on which you have strong feelings, neutralise or moderate your response. You can check out if you and the interviewer are of one accord by altering your own non-verbal behaviour to see if the interviewer then models you. If you think there is something about your appearance that would fit a stereotype, decide whether that might be an advantage or a disadvantage. If the latter, you will need to work hard to counteract it. Stereotypes can relate to, for example, accents, physical appearances, and even which school of pharmacy you attended.

Your capability

The second and most significant part of the interview relates to your biography. If the first few minutes of rapport gave the interviewer a feel for your personality, the second part is primarily concerned with your capability to do the job. The interviewer will be matching what you say to the job specification. So, you will be given opportunities to talk about your experiences - the convention is that you do most of the talking. Use every one of those questions you are asked to put these experiences into the context of the job for which you are being interviewed.
Avoid making bald statements - use action words and carefully chosen adjectives that are, in your judgement, likely to be relevant to the job specification. Note that you will be judged not only on the content of your answer, but also its relevance to the question. Your use of logic and structure will also be considered. Non-verbal responses will be noted along with verbal behaviour. For example, if you suspect there is a requirement to work with others, describe any previous experiences by using words like "we", "together", "us", "the group" and so on. If budgetary control is important, talk about how you costed out an activity and kept the budget or how you saved up for something important.

Common questions

Common questions that you will get asked include:

Why have you applied for the job?
Why do you want to leave your present job?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are your future career plans?
What are your hobbies and interests?
What would you bring to the post?
What have been your achievements to date?

Of course, the questions asked might not be quite as bald as the examples given, but those are the aspects that will be covered. Favourite questions of mine include, "If I met a friend of yours, how would he or she describe you? And if I met an enemy, what would they say?" and "What was it you liked best about that job? And least?" and "What are you most proud of? And least ?"
The interviewer will also be looking for recurring patterns of behaviour in your life. Preparing answers helps to place a metaphoric tick against part of the interviewer's specification.
Be positive about failures you have experienced. Demonstrate that you have the potential to develop from mistakes - whether those of your own or those of others - and to understand pressures that affect others you have worked with. Do not blame them for failing you. Your preregistration tutor may not have been very supportive, but use this to demonstrate how you managed the situation. If there have been domestic problems that explain a gap in your history or a dip in your grades, find the opening that allows you to explain this - not by telling a sob story, but rather how you managed to come through adversity positively.

Ask questions

Your time to ask questions comes at the end of the interview. Use the opportunity to check out areas to do with the job about which you are uncertain. Keep the questions to a few - four is ideal, no more than six - well chosen ones. Use this time to gently draw the attention of the interviewer to positive, relevant aspects about yourself that have not yet been uncovered.

Panel interviews

Some interviews are conducted with more than one person. In this situation, start by answering the question by looking at the questioner, but intermittently move your head and eyes over the others present. Use the names of the individuals on the panel - this helps to make it seem a little less formal and rather more personal. If you are asked to do some kind of assessment tests, then go about them with a positive approach. Be ready to talk about the tests and how they help judge your suitability for the job.

Conclusion

Leave the interview with a positive statement, for example, thanking the interviewer for the interview or saying how interesting the job sounds. Keep your head up high, and remember to shake hands and use names! If you are unsuccessful - even if you did not want the job - write and ask for feedback. This will help you with your next interview.
Confidence in an interview comes from good planning and rehearsal. Be enthusiastic about the opportunity. Job inter- views provide valuable experiences and information that you can use in other situations. And remember - it should be you that decides whether the job is yours.

Ms Benson is head of training at the National Pharmaceutical Association

Tomorrow's Pharmacist October 1999 p52-54 Edited by Pamela Mason