Fresh hiring market news and perspectives.
ETS is your greatest resource.

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 4 of our video series below!

In case you missed the previous videos from our series, you can get caught up on Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here!

Tip #7: Remember the basics

You already know how to dress professionally, show up five to ten minutes early, silence your cell phone, smile, and make direct eye contact, so let’s skip to the things you may not have thought of. First, treat all staff members with courtesy and respect. Most practice owners feel their staff are like family and will listen to their opinion, especially if negative. We have seen owners not make offers to otherwise excellent candidates because they treated a staff member poorly. Don’t let that happen to you!

Second, show some enthusiasm! Believe it or not, more practice owners hire based on personality and positive attitude than any specific clinical skills.

Third, show sincere interest in the hiring doctor’s situation. Understand that they have a problem that needs to be solved. Have they recently lost a key associate or partner? Is the practice growing so fast that they can’t keep up with demand? Once you have a clear understanding of the owner’s motivation to hire an associate, you can decide mutually if you are the solution.

Finally, if you are interested in the position, let the owner know! Don’t be afraid to say something like “I just wanted to let you know I’m very interested in this opportunity and I’m ready to take the next step, whatever that should be. How should I proceed from here?” This of course does not mean that you would accept any offer from the practice, however, it opens the door and let’s the practice know that you are very interested in the opportunity and are ready to discuss the contract or meet partners and staff.

Tip #8: Remember the thank you cards

Have the thank you cards in the mail within two hours after your interview. If you time it right, the practice will receive your thank you card the very next day. To do this, buy the thank you notes prior to your interview. When you’re at your interview, be sure to get business cards from everyone that you speak with so that you can have the correct spelling of their name and their title. Two or three days after the interview, give the practice a call and let them know that you are still interested in this opportunity unless they’ve given you specific times when they will get back with you.

While it’s important to let the practice know that you are very interested in the opportunity, if the practice or doctor lets you know that they will contact you in a specific amount of time, wait until that specific amount of time has passed before you contact the practice again. You don’t want to come across as overbearing or overly aggressive.

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.