Interview Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so here's the deal. On the 10th of May I have an interview with the Admissions Council from the University of Waterloo. This is for admission into their Doctorate of Optmometry Program. Probably this biggest interview of my life and those 30 mintues could possibly decide the next 50 years of my life, so yes, I'm looking for advice anywhere I can get it. Please keep in mind that this isn't a simple job interview where an employer asks you a few questions. I'll be in a large boardroom with 6-8 people sitting on the committe drilling me with tough questions. I'd like some help from anyone out their who has had serious interviews of this sort, such as for Dentistry, Med school, Law, actual career job interviews etc.

What should I focus on?

1) Tips on basic interview ethics, ie. wait to be offered a seat, don't chew gum blah blah blah?

2) What questions should I be prepared for, I'd like to get an idea of the sorts of questions that might be asked, so I can get some info from say my optomtrist on things like whats the best part of the profession, worst etc.?

3) Whats the best way to win them over without coming off as a complete arrogant asshole or an ass-kisser extrodinare? I'm probably one of the youngest interviewee's so I have to prove my maturity, and show why I belong in the program and not the guy coming in after me thats got his honors graduate degree and is working through grad school right now?

Thanks alot for your help!

Be friendly

Dont lie or BS….if you dont know the answer….say so

Dont TRY to be impressive

good luck!

wear a striped suit like Dick Tracey would

Be prepared for some ethical questions. I don't know if optmetrists get asked the same sort of questions as other doctors, but I think those things will be there for sure. Although the best advice I can probably give you is not to take any advice from a message board full of teenagers.

Have a good idea of what you see in your future.

Interviewers like to see vision in a candidate, it shows that the applicant can look ahead and anticipate well, and that they percieve the course/job as a stepping stone to greater personal development or career goals (hopefully with the same company).

Sorry for all the optometry puns.

Be prepared for some ethical questions. I don't know if optmetrists get asked the same sort of questions as other doctors, but I think those things will be there for sure. Although the best advice I can probably give you is not to take any advice from a message board full of teenagers.

Thanks, and I do plan taking everything here with a grain of salt, but I do know amongst all the groms and immature (physically and mentally) people on this board, there are some hard-working guys/girls with real life expirence with this kind of stuff. It's nice to get a good variety of advice from many sources I feel. I can sensor out the idiotic comments like one already posted, but you never know who may mention something very important that could really help me out.

Thanks for the advice!

Keep it coming!

85 views and only 5 replies? Someones gotta have something worthwhile to contribute out there?

i second the ethics bit if it's anything like med school interviews. make sure you can clearly articulate why you want to be an optometrist, and don't say "the lifestyle"… :D

85 views and only 5 replies? Someones gotta have something worthwhile to contribute out there?

This is NSMB remember…..

Be prepared to defend you're answers. And in my oponion, keep you're answers general unless they ask for the answers to be specific. And never back you're self into a corner. They will try to pick out every vulnabrility.

Make sure your fingernails are well groomed and clean, keep eye contact with the entire committy when you are speaking. Challenge the questions they give you, answer them to the best you can and ask them how they can benifit you.

Just what my career and personnal planning teacher told me to do.

Presentation - better to be overdressed than underdressed. Make sure your shirt is ironed and your shoes polished. Remove facial piercings if you have any - you can express yourself artistically after you're accepted. If you have to bring paperwork (ie, resume, transcript) make sure it's a clean copy, not folded and in a full sized envelope. Have your name and phone # on all pages in case they get separated. No gum, brush your teeth before going to make sure there is no embarrassing lettuce or something. Shake everyone's hand, repeat their name when introduced to help you remember it, make eye contact. Don't say um a lot. A pause is better, and never as long as you think. Practice by having someone interview you a few times so that you can learn to think on your feet and maybe have some answers roughly prepared. "Tell me about yourself" is a classic practice interview question. Thank them at the end of it, and say you hope to hear from them soon.

I'd say be prepared for questions around ethics - both as a student and as a professional - knowledge of the profession, why you want to be an optometrist, what you would bring to the profession ie: why you chose that career, personal characteristics that are strengths and weaknesses, how you would address any weaknesses, what your patients could expect from you as a practicing optometrist. I'm not sure what educational background you need to apply, but maybe review some things before the interview.

Oh, and if they ask if you would give a friend your lab results because they missed the lab - say no. Tell them you would be happy to help your friend set up the experiment and be a resource for them but that you feel doing the lab is a valuable learning experience and just getting the results would not give them the same understanding of the subject as actually doing it. Or something along those lines. Just a tip that someone gave me for an entry exam I'll have to write if my GPA is high enough.

I've also been told to not be afraid to go back to earlier questions in the interview if you feel you can elaborate more.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

One thing that maybe one of the docs/med students could confirm, is that they'll also be looking at not just what you say, but how you say it. One important aspect of being a good doctor/nurse/etc is your "bedside manner". You can't act your way through that, be natural, but be aware they'll be observing small things, like how you listen (very important) eye contact, and the way you conduct yourself. Just try to be relaxed - as an optometrist, being relaxed and making your patients feel relaxed is important.

A note on being young, or less experienced: they know that already, and they probably want a mix of age and experience in their classes. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you can to appear mature and convinced that this is what you want, but don't be too concerned with being a bit different from some of the other applicants - it's an advantage. And if they've granted you an interview, it means that you have already done the hardest part, which is to convince them that you should be considered.

Good luck!

One thing that maybe one of the docs/med students could confirm, is that they'll also be looking at not just what you say, but how you say it. One important aspect of being a good doctor/nurse/etc is your "bedside manner". You can't act your way through that, be natural, but be aware they'll be observing small things, like how you listen (very important) eye contact, and the way you conduct yourself. Just try to be relaxed - as an optometrist, being relaxed and making your patients feel relaxed is important.

Very good points.

When hiring for a job, you want someone who is capable. Sometimes there are more than one candidate who are capable. So what gives one candidate an advantage? For me, it's eagerness/interest in the field, and it's personality. Being a well rounded individual usually implies stability, and that's an important factor in the decision.