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Have an interview coming up soon, but not sure how to prepare? We’re here to help! We’ve put together 10 tips for new graduates and experienced eye care professionals alike on how to find the best job opportunities, prepare for the interview, and land the position even when competition is high. Check out Part 3 of our video series below!

In case you missed the previous videos from our series, you can get caught up on Part 1 here and Part 2 here!

Tip #5: Prepare your references and research the practice

First and foremost, contact your references and let them know they may receive a call or email from the practice. Most practices will do a reference check immediately following the face-to-face interview. Your references should be people who genuinely want to see you succeed in your professional career and do well. An example of a good professional reference could be a former coworker, a current employee, or a past or present residency/fellowship director, They should be able to answer questions about you on the fly and have seen you in a clinical setting and in the OR. For instance, how do you handle patients vs how are you surgically? They should also be able to describe your strengths and weaknesses in detail and in a professional manner.

Be sure to research the practice as well before your face-to-face interview. Research the practice’s website and look up information about the owner, staff, and other associates in the practice. Make yourself familiar with which procedures they perform, what level of experience they have, and how they market themselves to those around them. This will allow you to learn a lot about the practice before you interview.

Tip #6: Prepare a list of questions for the practice

You are trying to make a long-term decision and find a position where you can spend many years, so it’s just as important for you to interview the practice as it is for them to interview you. As such, it’s important to have a list of questions prepared, as this shows you are genuinely interested in the practice and will help you to make an informed decision when that time comes. As a bonus, it will also take some pressure off of the interviewer, which can play in your favor in the long run.

Here are 12 questions you can use when interviewing with your prospective employer:

1. What are your treatment philosophies? (ex. conservative vs aggressive surgeon)
2. What would be expected of me as an employee, and what role would I be expected to fill?
   (example: only seeing patients who have a history of glaucoma vs comprehensive/general cataract)
3. Tell me about your patient base: families, geriatric, pediatric, etc.
4. What demographic changes have occurred with your practice in the last ten years, and
   what changes are on the horizon?
5. Do you actively market or depend on referrals?
6. What kind of equipment do you use?
7. What about your practice are you the most proud of?
8. Where do you see the practice in five or ten years?
9. What are your professional goals?
10. What are your goals for the practice?
11. Are you referring a lot of a certain type of case out of the practice?
12. What specific things are you looking for the new Associate to bring to the practice?

Hopefully these questions will allow you to make the right decision and find a practice where you can spend the rest of your career!

In the next few weeks we’ll be covering the remaining tips on our list, so be sure to keep checking back for more helpful interview tips and career advice in the near future! In the meantime, if you’re looking for an associateship, partnership, or ownership opportunity, don’t hesitate contact us today! We’d love to help connect you with the right opportunity.