The Craft of Interviewing John Brady Still the
The Craft of Interviewing John Brady
Still the best!
Why would you care? Learning how to interview will make you better at being interviewed Professional school Job market Press Interviewing is interviewing If you’re going into medicine, you’ll be doing LOTS of interviewing These skills, then, have clinical applications
Landing interviews Email Call Subject’s assistant Social networking Linked. In, Academia. edu, Twitter, etc. Real life networking Who do you know in common?
No rambling, apologetic queries!!! Dearest most exalted Grand Pubah the Great, I am a lowly, unworthy worm undeserving of even your briefest glance. Nevertheless, I thought maybe perhaps because you’re so amazing and kind that you might possibly help me by granting a few moments of your precious time….
Get to your point by the 2 nd or 3 rd sentence… …or you might as well not make it at all.
Do your research! Preparing for interviews • CV/resume • News articles/press releases • Publications • Personal websites • Interview colleagues, friends, family, etc.
Reviewing charts In a clinical setting Patient histories Lab tests For unusual presentations or cases this could include background research, too.
Asking Questions
It’s extremely easy to over prepare for an interview. You don’t want to be too rigid.
Nevertheless, you should have a strategy. An angle or some means to find an angle
At a minimum you want to know: Know what you want to know Who What Where When Why
You’re going to learn unexpected things. Let the conversation flow!
Make a list of things you want to know by the end of the interview so you don’t forget to ask. And don’t let the subject run away with the interview.
Open vs. Closed Questions
Invite or require short, single word answers Close-ended questions How are you today? Is the AVM painful? Was Dr. Ducker easy to work with? Useful for establishing rapport and verifying facts. Beware! They can kill a conversation quickly. In general, it’s better to avoid close-ended questions whenever possible.
Invite more thoughtful responses, leaving room for the subject to go on tangents Open-ended questions Mrs. Kelly was in a tremendous amount of pain. How did she manage that pain as the parent of young children? Dr. Ducker seems like a very focused individual. What is it like working with him? What do you feel are the most important advances in your field over the past 5 years? What are three books anyone starting out in your field should read? Get in the habit of using open-ended questions!
Start with simple questions Builds rapport and trust Move to questions to gain information Arrange questions strategically Save provocative or uncomfortable questions to the end This absolutely holds in a clinical setting as well. Would you start an examination with a nervous teenager by asking how many sexual partners they had or their drug use?
Let’s watch this in practice
Avoid vacuous questions “Peyton, how did it feel to win Super Bowl 50? ” “Well, Jim, to be honest it was just another day at the office. I mean, this is what I get paid to do, right? ”
Avoid common, over-asked questions Over-asked questions signal a lack of preparation. It helps if you know your subject ahead of time. If possible, read other interviews of the subject. It’s a safe bet that obvious questions have been asked, and asked… “Your name is Yasha? What an interesting name. Where does it come from? ” “Wow! You know, in 50 years no one as ever thought to ask me that question before. I’m so glad to have the chance to tell you the fascinating story of how two hippie parents in the 1960 s thought it would be fun to give their child an exotic name!”
Let the conversation flow… …but stay in control and stay on task.
“I strongly disagreed with Dr. Ducker’s approach to the surgery. ” “Oh? Why was that? ” “Can you give me some examples of what you mean? ” “What specifically did you object to? ” Be alert and get the specifics
Don’t be afraid to play dumb! Let your subject provide simple explanations, clarifications, and analogies. They’ve probably had more practice. Their explanations reveal something of their personalities.
Don’t be afraid of silence! Use it to your advantage.
Save 1 or 2 questions to bring the interview to a defined end. How would you like to be remembered? If you were new to this field, what are some questions you would ask?
If possible, record your interview But get subject’s permission!
But also take notes!
Take notes!
Take notes!
Taking interview notes Note times when you ask each question Either actual time or recording time Makes it much easier to find answers later Note the time whenever your subject says something quotable Note the time whenever something the subject says surprises you Take other notes, too, just as you would in a lecture
Arrive a little early so you can take notes to help you set the scene and show some personality. Are the office colors bland or vibrant? Is the lab organized or cluttered? Is there artwork on the walls? Are there any plants? Are family or pet pictures on display? Are there any unexpected books on the shelves?
Ask if it’s okay to follow up with questions When done, be courteous Ask for the best way to do that Email, phone, social media, etc. Thank them for their time Walk out like the professional that you are Don’t cling Don’t linger Don’t fawn
And finally, Transcribe/organize your notes as soon as possible.
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