The Pharmiweb.com pharmacy news website posted a compelling piece in spring 2021, a piece intended to help employers make job candidates feel more at ease during pharma job interviews. Reading it makes one wonder how many employers go out of their way to make candidates as comfortable as possible during the interview process.
We thought it might be good to look at the issue from the other perspective. How can you, as a job seeker, work with an employer to make the job interview better? Are there things you can do that, when combined with employer efforts, create the best possible interview scenario? We believe so. This post will discuss a few key strategies prompted by similar strategies discussed in the Pharmiweb piece.
1. Know Before You Go
Employers are encouraged to help job candidates prepare for their interviews by giving them as much interview information as possible. They are encouraged to pass along:
- interviewer name(s)
- an estimated interview length (e.g., 30 mins.)
- a description of the interview and assessment standards
- a list of everything candidates should bring with them
- the location candidates should report to for the interview.
If an employer sends you this information, be sure to read it over and thoroughly understand it. Do not be afraid to call and ask questions. Should you not get this information, don’t be afraid to ask for it. It is better that you ask rather than having to scramble on the day of the interview.
2. Greet the Interviewer Warmly
Next up, interviewers are encouraged to greet candidates warmly. You should do likewise. Go into the interview with a smile on your face and a hand ready to shake. Introduce yourself in a professional and business-like manner. In all likelihood, the interviewer or HR team will introduce themselves as well. They may offer you a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, etc. Do not be thrown off by that.
3. Avoid Potential Distractions
A good way to introduce tension into an otherwise congenial interview is to be distracted. And in the modern era, the quickest way to be distracted is by notifications from your phone. You can help make for a better interview by turning your phone off. If necessary, consider leaving it in the car.
You have used our pharmaceutical job boards to send out resumes and get interviews. You have done all the right things to land those interviews. Don’t throw it all away by having to interrupt the interview to turn off your phone.
4. Relax and Be You
Interviewers are trained to look beyond your answers to try to understand your personality. You can help by relaxing and just being you. Be prepared for questions and comments designed to reveal whether your personality fits in with the company’s culture. You certainly shouldn’t try to pretend you are someone you’re not, but don’t be afraid to play along.
5. Keep Things Positive
Finally, it is easy to let negativity seep in when talking about past job experiences, education, etc. Do your best to keep things positive. Avoid negative talk that could otherwise spoil your positive attitude. And if the conversation does seem to be steering toward the negative, do your best to turn it back to the positive.
Our biotech and pharmaceutical job boards are fantastic tools for helping you land interviews. But when the time comes, how an interview turns out is up to you and the employer. Do your best to work with the employer to create a positive experience. Doing so will ultimately work in your favor.
