Overall,
I feel that my interview went well and smooth. I would give it an 8/10. After
watching my video, I think my posture and tone were appropriate, as were my
responses. To prepare for the interview, I utilized the interview resources on
BlackBoard and reviewed possible questions. Rather than typing out my proposed
word-for-word answer, I only created bullet points to enable me to expand on
the topic without sounding rehearsed. I also had a peer ask me a few questions
prior to the interview and had her provide feedback based on my answers.
I
surprised myself during this interview. I have never been completely
comfortable “tooting my own horn,” but I realized that if I want to work in a
facility that I really desire to be in, I have to advocate for myself and
express how I am valuable for that facility. I was afraid prior to my interview
that I would down-play my abilities and strengths, but while talking to Dr.
Hughes, I realized that I am not just making up these strengths. I am
valuable and I do have great skills to contribute to facilities. I
deserve to have my abilities recognized and I know that I can do that when I
have a position as an OT, but until then, I have to use my voice to do so.
After watching my video, I feel that I was able to clearly communicate my
points without crossing the line of boasting about myself. I feel successful in
and of that itself because I am definitely a victim of imposter syndrome in
these situations.
Something
I really want to work to improve in the future is my comfort talking about salary.
I had that topic on my mind prior to my interview and thought I had worked up
the courage to bring it up, but I ended up avoiding it. I think I did this
largely because I feel that I should maybe talk to other OTs or healthcare personnel
about how to approach and address this topic in an interview. I also want to
ensure that I am not basing my position strictly off of pay, I want to know
what benefits and such are offered through the facility. Unfortunately, I also
need to gain a better understanding of those benefits in order for me to judge
what is appropriate and not necessary when deciding on a salary after
considering those factors.
Something that will be helpful that I learned
through this process is that I am prepared, although I often don’t feel this
way. Once I had the opportunity to describe my qualities, I realized that I
need to learn to embrace those qualities because that will not only contribute
to my confidence, but possibly my future employers’ and clients’ trust. A
confident practitioner is essential when being an OT. I also want to have the
ability to empower others and help them to feel just as confident, but I couldn’t
do that without being personally confident first.