Sabotaging interviews!

[sayNOtoNP]

Hello everybody,

I have a big dilemma that I wish someone can chime in on.

I applied to 15 programs due to not being optimistic that I would even be considered by 1. I ended up getting 6 interviews so far but no acceptances. I feel like I keep sabotaging my interviews because I cannot answer 2 of the questions straight. The first question is "Why do you want to be a PA"? Second, "Tell me about yourself". I fumble my way through these 2 questions, and I get the feeling that the interviewers may see me as not enthusiastic to go to PA school or something like that. 

I am also out of a job right now so I'm not actively involved in healthcare and I'm sure that messes my answers up as well.

I would love to hear what anyone has to say about this.

 

Thanks 

[UGoLong]

As a PA, you will have to establish rapport quickly with a stranger. So, for the most part, the interviewers probably care less about your specific answers than they are about how able you are to think on your feet. Decide what you want to say when these questions are asked and then just do it.

You've been crawling over broken glass to become a PA: I've got to think that, deep down, you probably know why you are doing that. Decide what your story is when they ask "tell me about yourself." They want to like you; give them a reason in 30 seconds or so.

Good luck!

[VarsityMed]

The good news is that you know which questions are tripping you up and you can also (almost) guarantee that they will be asked in some shape or form during the interviews.

So practice them! Write out your answers in. Say it in front of a mirror. Record yourself answering them. Have friends ask you the questions and get their feedback on your delivery.

You don't want to sound like you're reading from script but use this to your advantage and work on your responses. Blind passion usually doesn't work in interviews; you have to prepare for them. You can also Google how to answer these questions. There are lots of good examples for how to tackle these. Look back at personal statement. How can you give a TL;DR summary of what you wrote?

[sayNOtoNP]

15 hours ago, oceanmedicinetravelpa said:

Are you getting rejected, waitlisted, or ghosted after your interviews?

Hello, thanks for responding.

I have not gotten any responses, so I assume that means ghosted. 

I know that that does not mean that I was rejected, but I do know people that got right in who interviewed the same day and even after me. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by sayNOtoNP
Misspelled

[sayNOtoNP]

4 hours ago, PApivot said:

The good news is that you know which questions are tripping you up and you can also (almost) guarantee that they will be asked in some shape or form during the interviews.

So practice them! Write out your answers in. Say it in front of a mirror. Record yourself answering them. Have friends ask you the questions and get their feedback on your delivery.

You don't want to sound like you're reading from script but use this to your advantage and work on your responses. Blind passion usually doesn't work in interviews; you have to prepare for them. You can also Google how to answer these questions. There are lots of good examples for how to tackle these. Look back at personal statement. How can you give a TL;DR summary of what you wrote?

Hi, 

Thanks for sharing this. I was told that they want to hear new information that's not already on my application , LOr, ect. I am also a bit older than the average applicant and I sometimes feel that I have a lot to pull from and sometimes feel that nothing is relevant.

[Varda]

If you have the money, maybe consider a mock interview service. I paid for one to practice MMI specifically, but we also covered the same questions you're having trouble with, and I received good feedback about my answers. They send you a video of your session and I actually watch the traditional questions part of it before each of my interviews just to make sure I am keeping the important points fresh. It can be expensive, but since improving your interviews might make the difference between applying another cycle or getting accepted it could be worth it. Good luck! 

[VarsityMed]

47 minutes ago, sayNOtoNP said:

Hi, 

Thanks for sharing this. I was told that they want to hear new information that's not already on my application , LOr, ect. I am also a bit older than the average applicant and I sometimes feel that I have a lot to pull from and sometimes feel that nothing is relevant.

They don't want you to parrot back your PS word for word, but you will absolutely be repeating at least some of what's already in your application. Not every interviewer will have read your application either so definitely be prepared to talk about things that are in there. The interviews give you a chance to elaborate more, share different stories, and go in more depths than what you already submitted.

I'm a slightly older applicant as well and made sure to acknowledge my non-traditional background but focused on my more recent healthcare experiences. If you're getting interviews, you definitely have relevant things to talk about even if they are a year or two old.

[sayNOtoNP]

4 hours ago, Varda said:

If you have the money, maybe consider a mock interview service. I paid for one to practice MMI specifically, but we also covered the same questions you're having trouble with, and I received good feedback about my answers. They send you a video of your session and I actually watch the traditional questions part of it before each of my interviews just to make sure I am keeping the important points fresh. It can be expensive, but since improving your interviews might make the difference between applying another cycle or getting accepted it could be worth it. Good luck! 

Great advice, but I have done a few of those already and still can't seem to get it straight.