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Struggling with interviews


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I was just wondering if anybody else seems to have a problem with interviews? And not with only PA school interviews, but job interviews, etc..As in "i thought i did awesome!" But getting rejected/waitlisted instead?

I have been waitlisted at every single school I interviewed at, and Im just very frustrated with that.. Ive read all sorts of books, did my school research and practiced in advance but still seem so fall short. For example, it took me almost a year to get hired at a CNA job.

Just wondering if anybody is in the same boat or has any advice on that. Any feedback is appreciated!

I've struggled with PA school interviews too. Last cycle I had 5 interviews and I got 2 waitlist/rejections and 3 straight up rejections. Yikes. The only semi-concrete feedback I've gotten was one school said my responses were not "developed" enough and that I needed to relax. A couple family members have suggested I might not be coming across as enthusiastic or energetic enough in the interviews. Others have suggested my problems are due more to my application than my interview. 

 

What is strange for me is that, unlike you, this is the exact opposite of my experience with job interviews -- the last time I remember not converting an interview into an offer was when I was applying for a summer job bagging groceries as a teenager. Otherwise, once I get to the interview stage I'm in. I also struggled to get a CNA job, but only because I struggled to get an interview. When I got my first interview the manager literally cut it short early on in the interview, saying my answers to the first three questions were perfect and that he was worried that another department was going to try to steal me. More recently, I went to a PCT interview day at a local hospital. When I told the HR rep I'd probably be starting PA school soon he said he didn't think any of the unit managers would hire me for such a short tenure. But he went ahead with the interview and I got the job anyway. Granted, when you're interviewing for a CNA/PCT job your competition is less professional than what you're up against at a PA school interview, but it still makes me wonder if I'm really that bad at interviews or if I've just had a bad run.

This may sounds very weird towards this post but I'm totally opposite.  Had 4 pharmacy school interviews, 1 PA school interviews, 3 job interviews, and I got accepted to all of them.

 

First of all, make sure to know where you are having interview at.  Be sure to know their mission/goals, curriculum, and etc.  Ask them couple questions about your jobs/schools/etc.  Be confident answering their interview questions (make sure to practice first!).  Each institution may like to hear different answers from same question because of my very first sentence (their mission/goals).  Wear professionally.  Be there at least 15-30 minutes early.  Always have eye contact and smile when you are talking to interviewer/admission committee. When they are asking something negative aspects of you (for example, bad GPA, weakness..), make sure to add how you did to fix those negative things so you are not currently having them anymore. 

@kaidou1412 see thats the problem. I do all of those things. In fact, when i got my first waitlist, i honestly thought the problem was with my stats, not my interview skills. So to improve my stats, i started looking for PCT jobs at a hospital, to boost my HCE. I already have about 2600 hr of CNA work, but hospital job> nursing home job for PA schools. I interviewed for a PCTpoaition last week, and it went great, in fact the manager was talking about things ill have to do when i get hired, so thought the job was in my pocket. And then tjis morning i got an email saying i didnt get the job. This got me thinking that perhaps its actually not my stats, but something else.. Idk, just pondering over here, but thanks for the feedback!

@maynard, its interesting that u noted about not developed responses, and lack of enthusiasm.. Even though i prepare extensively for each single interview, and feel pretty enthusiastic before the interview (making friends with other applicants, first year students , etc), i feel like the second i walk into the interview room i stress out, and then dont do as good on the interview as id hoped?..

Soo i dont know.. But i hope you had better luck with interviews this cycle!

When I was preparing for my interviews I also read several books and read a lot of the posts on this forum. I have learned that you cannot have a practiced response to the common questions (Why do you want to be a PA, what are your strengths, etc). I've learned that you need to know some key points, but DO NOT memorize a particular answer. Also another thing that helped me was to go into the interview not putting too much stress on your self (I know it's hard b/c you've worked so hard to get to this point). But think of the interview as a conversation with a peer and them getting to simply know you, and you in turn getting to know the program. I found for myself this helped to take off the extra "edge" and I felt more relaxed. Lastly, eye contact, smile, and have confidence helped as well :)

When I was preparing for my interviews I also read several books and read a lot of the posts on this forum. I have learned that you cannot have a practiced response to the common questions (Why do you want to be a PA, what are your strengths, etc). I've learned that you need to know some key points, but DO NOT memorize a particular answer. Also another thing that helped me was to go into the interview not putting too much stress on your self (I know it's hard b/c you've worked so hard to get to this point). But think of the interview as a conversation with a peer and them getting to simply know you, and you in turn getting to know the program. I found for myself this helped to take off the extra "edge" and I felt more relaxed. Lastly, eye contact, smile, and have confidence helped as well :)

Thats a pretty good approach.. I still have two more interviews, and actually one more job interview so maybe ill try that.. Thanks :)

One other thing I forgot to mention. After getting my final rejection this cycle, I thought long and hard about what my problem is. After a great deal of introspection, I realized that in certain situations where I am being questioned and evaluated by an authority figure, I have a tendency to freeze up. I thought this was normal, but I now realize I do this a lot more than the average person. I come from an abusive background and sometimes these situations call up feelings, expectations, and coping mechanisms that once served me well but are now getting in my way. I find this is especially true in the PA interviews where the interviewer gives me the "poker face" (i.e. the interviews I got straight rejections from) and where the interviewer is a white male. I think that making that connection is going to help me relax a little more this go around.

 

Don't know if that helps anyone else, but for what it's worth...

One other thing I forgot to mention. After getting my final rejection this cycle, I thought long and hard about what my problem is. After a great deal of introspection, I realized that in certain situations where I am being questioned and evaluated by an authority figure, I have a tendency to freeze up. I thought this was normal, but I now realize I do this a lot more than the average person. I come from an abusive background and sometimes these situations call up feelings, expectations, and coping mechanisms that once served me well but are now getting in my way. I find this is especially true in the PA interviews where the interviewer gives me the "poker face" (i.e. the interviews I got straight rejections from) and where the interviewer is a white male. I think that making that connection is going to help me relax a little more this go around.

 

Don't know if that helps anyone else, but for what it's worth...

Yeah, it helps.. I was thinking similar thing. If i get a "poker face", then i start obsessing over the fact that im not getting good feedback, and freeze up and cant focus on questions anymore

The day will come when you will have been the interviewer many, many more times that the person being interviewed. Then you too will give advice!

 

Try to be a bit more comfortable in your skin. While it's great to develop rapport with an interviewer, sometimes it just won't happen. Try to be good with that. You don't need them to be your best friend, just someone who judges your responses to questions.

 

I think a lot of people freeze in interviews. It's natural, especially if you view every one of them as a make or break deal for your life's dreams. Don't be cocky but, as my old college roommate used to say, "act like a senior at the freshman dance." You got invited for the interview so you are in the neighborhood. If you don't get in here, you'll get in somewhere else. If you don't get in this year, then you'll get in next year. Bottom line: don't FEEL desperate and don't BE desperate!

 

Rehearsal is fine, especially if it clarifies your answers (without over-rehearsing them), but don't let it only make you more self-conscious. Knowing the place's mission and all that stuff is nice, but don't parrot back their website to them.

 

Be relaxed. Be yourself. Know what you want. Make a personal connection if you can but, if not, just be competent.  And recognize that you will not die today, regardless of the outcome.

 

Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

Have you tried doing some practice questions with someone? Maybe even videotape your responses.

 

It also might just be bad luck - sometimes there are just a ton of applicants out there. I think every program turns away great people it would like to accept if there were enough seats.

Yeah, practiced it with my fam, and practice some questions in my head, or out loud in the car daily..

Good point about the amount of seats.. Tough competition when 2000 people apply for 40 spots :/

Don't let the competition scare you; you only have to get one of those seats and, if you get an interview, you are in the running to do just that.

 

Run your own race; don't let what everyone else is doing make you lose focus.

Polly,

 

I was in your shoes just a few weeks ago! Same situation. My interviews went like this:

 

Interview 1: Wow, I did great! I'll get in for sure! Denied admission.

 

Interview 2: I think I did pretty good here but don't know if I sold them on it. Waitlisted

 

Interview 3: They really seem to like me and even threw in a few compliments. Waitlisted

 

Interview 4: My God this school and its professors are beyond horrible. Get me out of here asap. Still awaiting decision

 

--It was at this point that I sat down, thought about where I'd screwed up, and changed a few ways I was answering questions. I knew I had one interview left and thought about the weak things I may have done. In one case it was a prerequisite I'd need to have finished for the program (to be done in spring for summer matriculation). In another case it was emphasizing the wrong parts of my application/experience. I spent quite a while in the hotel room the night before just watching comedy I liked and facetiming with my wife; I knew I needed to be relaxed and enjoy myself for the last one.

 

Interview 5: I like what I see here. I like sitting in this classroom. Heck, I could see myself sitting in this classroom. The students here really look happy. The professors are excited. Wow, this interview isnt stressful at all. We're not splitting hairs over hypotheticals. This is great! I feel happy. Well, I gave it my best. Accepted, c/o 2017.

 

 

 

The only advice I can leave you with is to keep calm, let your personality hang loose, and recognize that you are being interviewed from the moment you walk onto campus to the moment you leave. When you are at the right school for you the shoe just plain fits. I wish you the best of luck. This was my second attempt (first round last year got no interviews) and like they say "all it took was one". Please PM me if you have any other questions and best of luck!

My advice: don't think of it as an interview as much as a conversation.  You already are qualified for the program, they wouldn't invite you to interview if you weren't.  So you aren't trying to prove anything here.  They are trying to get to know you and make sure you are someone they want to spend time with.  If its a job interview, they are wondering "is this someone I want to spend time with?  Would I have lunch with this person?".  If its a school interview they are thinking "Is this someone we want representing us?  Will this person get along with out staff and other students?"  So, now that you aren't trying to prove anything to anybody, just be yourself.  If you're nervous, tell them your nervous.  Act like a human, be honest to yourself and honest with the interviewer.  If you are faking or giving canned responses it is obvious to them and they will put your file right at the bottom.

 

Also, if you struggle with PTSD maybe you should try talking to someone and getting on some meds.  If you have performance anxiety talk to your provider about a beta blocker.

Is it very common for people to feel so-so about their interviews, like it could go either way, and then have it turn out in their favor? My interview at my top choice program was my second interview and I'm still agonizing over how it went. I don't think I totally bombed it, but I don't feel as good about it as my first interview (I ended up getting into that program). I think my genuine desire to go to that school really came through but I definitely slightly stumbled over the off-beat questions. I tried to be myself but I was so dang nervous!

 

I know it's fruitless to stress over it since I can't change anything now, but am I being too harsh on myself? *hyperventilates*

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If you got invited to an interview then you are in a good position.  Your biggest goal in the interview should be to just make them feel comfortable talking to you.  They are trying to get to know your personality, not see how well you answer questions.  Honestly the back and forth conversational stuff is more important than the structured questions. 

 

Here is a blog post that gives advice on how to interview well.  It discusses each type of question they might ask you on the interview and gives you strategies on how to answer.

 

http://pajourney.com/2015/01/29/interview-questions-to-practice/

If you're getting interviews, your stats are not the problem. 

 

Maybe you aren't applying to the right schools?  I know in my intereivews some went amazing and I was totally relaxed and left feeling like that school was a good fit for me and there were others where I just felt like they were judging me and I was unimpressed with their system and didn't even care if I got in.  Also, if you've applied multiple times or are dealing with multiple rejections you need to get that out of your head when you interview.  You can't be thinking "this is my last chance" kind of stuff....interviewers could pick up on that.  They want to see excitement and passion, not desperation.  Remember that it's not always about how YOU think you are presenting yourself but how they PERCEIVE you.

 

I tend to be a good interviewer.  It's really about confidence.  You'll have a basic idea of what they will ask so know how you would answer it but don't memorize it.  Let it be natural and converstational.

You have to tell the schools that waitlisted you that you really want to go there. Keep yourself in their minds.

One thing I've learned about interviews is to just be yourself. Don't try to answer what you think they want to hear. They don't want those answers anyways. They want something genuine, even if it isn't the best answer. I've felt like i've done really bad in some interviews where I had too many awkward pauses, too many "um"s, or times when I knew I could have answered something WAY better. However, those schools saw something on your CASPA application they liked better than the 800 or so other applicants, and all they want to see is how you interact with other people.

 

Be yourself, try to be funny, ask questions, show that you're really interested in the program and that you're devoted to becoming a PA. The only questions you should REALLY prepare for are the "tell me about yourself", "why do you want to become a PA?", and "why this school?". The rest will just have to come to you on the fly or else it'll look like you read something from a "how to get into PA school" book that has already been used as an answer before.

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