The key to a successful interview

Whether you’re looking for a job in laboratory medicine or seeking the perfect candidate for a position in your lab, an afternoon short course on July 28 at AACC's Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo covers all the bases of successful interviewing.

Oftentimes, the advice you see in articles and other resources is generic at best. “Interviewing 101: Strategies for Successful Hiring, Getting a Job, and Negotiating an Offer” (73217) offers an interactive session, providing tangible examples of what to say and how to prepare.

Panel speakers will present several interview vignettes that will invite the audience to analyze specific questions and responses. Also included is a panel discussion that gives participants an opportunity to share their personal situations and ask questions.

Learning to match an excellent candidate to the right opportunity is a challenge, the session’s moderator, Carmen Wiley, PhD, scientific director at PAML in Spokane, Washington, told CLN Stat. “There is nothing more frustrating than placing a talented individual in the wrong position. It is frustrating for the employer and the employee. Creating an accurate job description is a critical first step to drawing the right candidates to your position,” Wiley said.

Fresh with the idea of presenting a job search and interview from multiple perspectives, Wiley reached out to Chris McCudden, PhD, a clinical biochemist at The Ottawa Hospital in Ontario, Canada, and Christina Lockwood, BS, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, to join her as co-presenters.

All three speakers in recent years have successfully navigated the interview process from both the interviewer and interviewee perspectives. Collectively, they agreed that a successful session would include an interactive demonstration, combined with practical tips.

“Many interviewees have not had the opportunity to sit on the other side of the table, such that they may never have seen an interview. Any viable candidate should keep some basic rules in mind and at the same time take a hard look at the potential employer,” McCudden said.

Keeping in mind that laboratory medicine is a career, not a job, it’s important for interviewees to determine if the employer is a match for their career goals, he continued. “At the same time, it is essential to represent one’s own skills and professionalism during the interview. Some things can be anticipated, and should be prepared, while others rely on thinking on the spot,” he explained.

McCudden, Wiley, and Lockwood also emphasized that the job search is a journey for all parties involved. Thoughtfully considering the other’s perspective will benefit both the interviewer and the interviewee. Examining all viewpoints also sets the stage for a successful negotiation, added the trio.

“The very concept of negotiation may fill you with dread as you envision two parties inherently at odds with each other on opposite sides of a table. However, negotiation is really an opportunity to discuss and cooperatively reach a successful agreement. With thorough preparation and practice, you will net benefits beyond a higher starting salary at a new job,” Lockwood said.