Staying In Control of Your Message
By Jennifer Anne Hohman
Interviews can be stressful, no doubt about it! I’ve found in my work with PA clients that preparation (especially for difficult questions) is an effective way to promote confidence and even turn anxiety into excitement about meeting with a prospective employer. Effective preparation involves careful assessment of your abilities as a clinician (and person) and how they correspond to the job, and also working out your replies to commonly asked difficult questions in advance.
General Advice
Some general advice on maintaining your calmest, most winning self and staying on message: when asked a challenging question, take a breath. Avoid rushing your answer to fill the silence, especially after a difficult question. Pause and think about what you really want to convey—you are in charge of your story and how you tell it. No matter what you are asked, you can confidently present the information you wish to convey. Here are some common difficult interview questions and ways to respond:
How did your last job end/why are you looking for a new position?
As with all interview questions, it’s best to keep your reply as positive as possible and avoid offering criticism of another employer: this will usually be held against you and work against the professional image you want to convey. Unless you left or are leaving due to employer issues (examples include an employer’s bankruptcy, or their illegal or unethical conduct), consider saying: “I’ve achieved a good deal while with my current/last employer but am interested in exploring opportunities where I can grow as a clinician. I applied for this opportunity because it seems to fit these parameters and I’m excited to learn more about it.”
I see you have had some time away from practice—can you tell me about this? What did you do during that time period to maintain your skills/certification? Are you ready to practice now?
This question comes up frequently for PAs returning to practice after time away, typically for family-related reasons, sometimes for health-related ones, or after a detour into nonclinical work. AAPA offers excellent guidance on maintaining your readiness to return to practice, and has helpful guides for PAs who are preparing to take a break from practice.
What new insights or experience did you gain during your time away from practice? How might they be a benefit for an employer? Be ready to discuss, as well as how you maintained your readiness to return to practice and your enthusiasm to do so.
What are your salary expectations?
This is perhaps the number one nerve-wracking question faced in the interview (especially for new grads). The key is knowing how to deftly sidestep it so that you don’t make the mistake of either: a) pricing yourself out of contention; or, b) lowballing yourself and ending up with an offer you won’t want to take. It’s to your strategic advantage to defer any discussion of salary specifics until the employer makes a formal offer. State that you would require more information about the entire benefits package and other details (such as its schedule and full duties) to discuss salary and that you are confident that the offer would be a competitive one.
Before the interview, review salary data from AAPA’s Salary Report to establish your salary target range. This way, if it seems imperative that you discuss salary specifics, you’ll do so based on solid data. AAPA’s salary research includes a number of key variables such as state, specialty and years of experience and is an amazing resource not only in establishing salary targets but also in negotiating fringe benefits.
Not only are fringe benefits a key issue to factor in when assessing salary, they can provide fertile ground for improving an offer if salary remains lower than you’d like (but still within your range—no point in trying to improve an offer if it falls into the walk away zone). Additional paid time off, retirement plans, scheduling flexibility, sign-on and loan repayment bonuses can all add value to an offer.
What would you describe as your weaknesses?
Here’s another discomfiting question to answer in a strategic, prepared manner—you won’t want to be caught flat-footed and stammer, or end up in a regrettable confessional mode! Instead, plan what you’ll say with an honest accounting of a non-terrible issue/tendency that you’d like to improve. Examples might include perfectionism, a tendency to take responsibility for things beyond of your control, or a need to work on your electronic medical records expertise.
Describe a significant professional challenge/failure, and how did you address it?
It’s never easy to talk about failure, especially in a high-pressure environment. An employer knows this. In asking, they are probing both what you share and also how you react to this difficult question being asked. The key to answering this one well is to identify a setback or challenge which was a learning experience, yielding a new degree of insight, resolve, or knowledge that made you a better PA. Write a couple of paragraphs about this experience prior to the interview to fully explore your thoughts on lessons learned (and as with all of the questions discussed in this article, practice your replies with a friend before the interview).
This job is in a different specialty than what I see listed on your resume. How can we know you are ready to make the transition?
The wide-open road of medical practice uniquely available to PAs is amazing—but it entails convincing an employer in a new field to take you on when you decide to change your practice area. When I work with clients interested in changing specialties, we identify transferable skills and experience to make the case for the transition, editing CVs and cover letters to reflect these. This editing process is a great preparation for in-person discussion of knowledge-based and transferable skills (areas of medical/surgical expertise, leadership and practice management skills) and also personal traits/qualities (communication skills, dedication, compassion, diligence, professionalism) that will allow you to change specialties successfully and hit the ground running once hired.
Are you considering other positions at this time?
If yes, answer affirmatively and expand a bit upon the key characteristics of the winning job: a chance to grow in the specialty of your choosing, work with great collaborating physicians, and solid compensation. Note the ways in which the position you are interviewing for seems to fit the bill.
Interviewing for a Great Job: Difficult Questions to Ask Them
Interviews are a great opportunity for you to learn more about the culture and priorities of a potential employer—and empower yourself as an active interview participant by asking probing questions. Here are some to consider:
- Have you worked with PAs before?
- Do you have any currently on staff, and if so will I have an opportunity to meet with them?
- What is your vision of optimal PA-physician team practice?
- How would you describe employee turnover?
- What is your philosophy of patient care/what mission guides this practice/institution?
- How would you describe the financial health of this practice/company/institution?
- What changes do you foresee in the next five years?
- How do you see my role/position growing over time?
- Do you offer employees a written contract and an opportunity to negotiate one?
- How could I help you achieve your clinical and business goals?
- Does this position include opportunities for leadership/research/partnership?
- What is your family leave/maternity leave policy?
I hope this article helps readers prepare for interviews with confidence!
Jennifer Anne Hohman is founder of PA Career Coach, a service dedicated to helping PAs create healthy and sustainable careers. Send your PA questions and concerns [email protected].