10 Steps to Acing an Interview

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How often do you spend time dreaming about leaving your current position and moving into another that has better hours, better pay, better benefits or a shorter commute? How many times have you put off searching because the thought of interviewing intimidates you? You’ve got the skills, and you’re a great technician that rocks in the treatment room. Here are some tips to reduce your stress and show your skills to your interviewer.

1. Be Prepared

Revamp and print copies of your resume. Remember to bring your licensing credentials and have a pen and notepad ready with you. When picking out an outfit, wear what will have you feeling your most confident, and arrive approximately 15 minutes early.

2. Observe

While you are waiting for the interview to begin, watch the staff. Observe how they move and catch their vibe. Try to match this when you interact during the interview. It will subliminally create a bond with the team.

3. Smile3. Smile

Greet each person you are introduced to with a warm smile. Make each smile distinct, specifically making eye contact with each person. Lose the frozen copycat smile and make it genuine. Save your biggest smile for the most important person in the interview process, and let them feel your spirit with your smile.

4. Speak Purposefully

Start as many sentences as you can with "you." It will catch the listener’s attention and get a more positive response. When you are asked a question, instead of responding with "that’s a good question," say "you’ve asked a good question."

5. Listen Intently

Listen carefully to the word choices that your interviewer uses, and echo them back. For example, when asked visual analogies like "How do you see yourself?" and "What do you picture?" reply with visual words like "From my perspective" and "I see." For an auditory interviewer, questions will be phrased in terms of sound. Reply with auditory echoes like "I hear you" and "that sounds good to me." An interviewer who is kinetic is going to ask "How do you feel" questions. Use kinetic adjectives in response like "I’ve got a good grasp on" and "I feel I’m a skilled skin therapist."

6. Be Responsive

As your interviewer is explaining something, give positive feedback in short phrases. Again, be sure to match their word choices when doing this.

7. Create a Bond

Use words like we and us when you're talking. Even if it’s a casual comment on the weather; this fosters a sense of being a part of the team.

8. Match Body Language

You don’t have to parrot exactly, but if the interviewer has crossed their legs, cross your ankles. Turn your body so it is not directly opposite theirs at a sharp angle. Be careful not to invade personal space but create a bubble of intimacy.

9. Give a Proper Goodbye

At the end of the interview, don’t let the thank you hang out alone. Instead, follow it with something like "Thank you for the tour of the clinic and the interview."

10. Follow Up

Write a thank you note on the same day or within 24 hours, with specific details about the interview.

If any of these steps seem awkward, practice them until they are natural. Then when you’re in the interview, you will come across as authentic

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