5 Mistakes to Doom Your Medical Assisting Job Interview
As you near graduation, starting your job search can be intimidating, especially when it comes time for the dreaded face-to-face interview. You may not realize it, but it’s just as easy to over-prepare for an interview as it is to under prepare.
At EBI Career College, our career services professionals are here to help you prepare for your next big interview, so you feel prepared and confident to show off the skills you’ve learned in training and show why you can be a valuable member of a medical team.
Here are five things to avoid at your job interview that can seriously damage your chances of landing a medical assisting position:
- Showing up late: Being a medical assistant means having others depend on you. Being tardy to an interview is a bad first step. Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early. This is your first chance to make a good impression.
- Being unprepared: Be sure to print off a few fresh copies of your resume, cover letters, references and/or letters of recommendation on hand for anyone who may sit in on your interview.
- Lack of focus: Becoming a medical assistant can open doors in the healthcare industry but don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You have a lot to prove in the medical assisting profession before you move on to the next big opportunity.
- The “my weakness is also a strength” thing: The interviewer knows you have a lot to learn as a medical assistant. Be honest. Find a weakness and spin it into showing your ability to honestly critique yourself, but also use it as a goal for self-improvement.
- NOT asking questions: The best way to show you are genuinely interested in a job is to ask questions of your interviewer about the job or the medical facility and their expectations on the job you are interviewing for. Sample questions include “What skills make the ideal candidate for this position?”; “How is success measured for this position (or at this company)?”; and “What is the next step in the process?”
Discover a new career at EBI!
Take the first step toward an exciting new career in the healthcare field. Complete your degree in as little as 16 months. To learn more about our Medical Assisting degree program in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.
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Do’s and Don’ts of a Medical Assisting Job Interview
If you’re ready to start an actual career and leave the dead-end jobs behind you, EBI Career College is the place to start. Part of what we do is helping you transition from training to your job search.
We can help you prepare for a job interview, so you are able to sell yourself as a valuable asset to any team. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind as you prepare for a Medical Assisting job interview.
DO: Dress appropriately.
When you look good, you feel confident. A nice suit, or at least a pressed shirt and tie for the guys, and an office-appropriate dress or blouse and slacks for the ladies.
DON’T: Arrive late.
Be sure to arrive at your interview location 10 – 15 minutes early, just in case the company requires you to fill out paperwork.
DO: Research the company.
Learn as much as you can about the prospective medical facility in order to show you are as interested in working for them as they are work with you.
DON’T: Slouch, use slang or display any other bad habits.
Remember you are trying to make a good first impression and your every move is being analyzed to determine if you have what it takes to fit in at the company. Manners are free.
DO: Bring copies of your resume and letters of recommendation.
Be sure to have several copies of your medical assisting resume with you, as it is custom for others to sit in on an interview — as well as copies of references, letters of recommendation or your portfolio.
DON’T: Worry about salary details.
You want the interviewer to think you are first and foremost interested in working for the company, not just looking for a paycheck. Present your salary expectations only when asked.
Discover a Medical Assisting career at EBI Career College
When you come to enroll at EBI, our student service department can help you with writing a resume, job search and interview strategies. Find out how we can help you find the right career for you.
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