Improving interview skills

[O2ShootTheJ]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I had two interviews this year (VCU and UMD) and while the interviews didn't go horribly, I would have liked for them to have gone better. I'd say overall my interviews were so-so, but I want to be able to stand out so I can get into a school next year if I need to re-apply. What are some ways to improve my interview skills?

 

[Dgeorg6]

SDN's interview question section.

so where exactly is this section located? lol

 

[UCSFx2017]

"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it." - Band of Brothers

Use the same concept.

The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already been denied by dental school. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as an interviewee is supposed to function: with confidence and without anxiety.

Look at SDN's interview question section. Research the school. Know the profession. Know the answers to obvious questions. Don't script. Just improvise with a few memorized facts. Know yourself and you'll be able to express yourself successfully. Be genuinely confidant. The interview should be conversational so ask appropriate questions when relevant topics come up naturally. Not just questions about the school but questions about the interviewer as well. Remember that this interview is supposed to show how well you can "click" with or get to know someone you just met. In private practice, you'll have to get to know patients and form new relationships relatively quickly. Have good body communication with an open chest. Either fold your hands together or leave them open if you're not gesturing. Don't touch yourself. Always smile. Interviewing gets surprisingly easier after your first and maybe second one.

so where exactly is this section located? lol

http://studentdoctor.net/schools/?view=dental

http://studentdoctor.net/schools/school/asdoh/survey/26

^This is the most significant advantage that SDN gives to its users.

 

[Teeths]

"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it." - Band of Brothers

Use the same concept.

The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already been denied by dental school. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as an interviewee is supposed to function: with confidence and without anxiety.

Look at SDN's interview question section. Research the school. Know the profession. Know the answers to obvious questions. Don't script. Just improvise with a few memorized facts. Know yourself and you'll be able to express yourself successfully. Be genuinely confidant. The interview should be conversational so ask appropriate questions when relevant topics come up naturally. Not just questions about the school but questions about the interviewer as well. Remember that this interview is supposed to show how well you can "click" with or get to know someone you just met. In private practice, you'll have to get to know patients and form new relationships relatively quickly. Have good body communication with an open chest. Either fold your hands together or leave them open if you're not gesturing. Don't touch yourself. Always smile. Interviewing gets surprisingly easier after your first and maybe second one.



http://studentdoctor.net/schools/?view=dental

http://studentdoctor.net/schools/school/asdoh/survey/26

^This is the most significant advantage that SDN gives to its users.

I really like this idea. Thanks for mentioning it 🙂

 

[proteeth]

I would practice your answers in front of your webcam.

Practice talking professionally.

Show them your passion / enthusiasm for dentistry.

Know your application well.

Practice the most frequent questions.

 

[dentalWorks]

So I had two interviews this year (VCU and UMD) and while the interviews didn't go horribly, I would have liked for them to have gone better. I'd say overall my interviews were so-so, but I want to be able to stand out so I can get into a school next year if I need to re-apply. What are some ways to improve my interview skills?

good eye contact, but not stairing like a creepy person

 

[pinpoint212]

IMO, Hand gestures help you look more dynamic and help you articulate your ideas.

 

[O2ShootTheJ]

Thanks for all the good advice everyone. I was not aware of the interview section, so my apologies on that!

 

[Dancindarlin23]

So I had two interviews this year (VCU and UMD) and while the interviews didn't go horribly, I would have liked for them to have gone better. I'd say overall my interviews were so-so, but I want to be able to stand out so I can get into a school next year if I need to re-apply. What are some ways to improve my interview skills?

If you are still in school, see if your school offers practice interviews at your career center. You should practice and full out. Some people are blessed with such natural ability and poise that they don't have to, but more often than not, it is necessary. Your actual interview should not be the first time you are playing out for real.
Do everything from getting into the suit, to not reading your answers, to having it as long as it will actually be. Even if you over-prepare, if nothing else, it makes you feel so much less stressed during the real thing and totally prepared for any future interview you may face.
There are tons of sources for potential questions so think of general answers for as many as you can (you don't want to sound like a robot, with complete memorization) so that the likelihood of being thrown for a loop is decreased. Maintain eye contact, smile (but not unnaturally), show enthusiasm when you feel enthusiastic about something, use gestures where appropriate, and DON'T feel afraid to say "That's a really interesting question, let me think about it for a moment" if you are thrown off and do not have an answer! Taking a few seconds of silence and coming up with a good answer is better than blurting out a really messy or even fabricated answer. Be confident and be yourself, not who you think they want you to be. If they don't like you as your true self, you probably aren't a good fit with the school, anyway. Lots of luck.

 

[ATG20]

"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it." - Band of Brothers

Use the same concept.

The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already been denied by dental school. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as an interviewee is supposed to function: with confidence and without anxiety.

Look at SDN's interview question section. Research the school. Know the profession. Know the answers to obvious questions. Don't script. Just improvise with a few memorized facts. Know yourself and you'll be able to express yourself successfully. Be genuinely confidant. The interview should be conversational so ask appropriate questions when relevant topics come up naturally. Not just questions about the school but questions about the interviewer as well. Remember that this interview is supposed to show how well you can "click" with or get to know someone you just met. In private practice, you'll have to get to know patients and form new relationships relatively quickly. Have good body communication with an open chest. Either fold your hands together or leave them open if you're not gesturing. Don't touch yourself. Always smile. Interviewing gets surprisingly easier after your first and maybe second one.



http://studentdoctor.net/schools/?view=dental

http://studentdoctor.net/schools/school/asdoh/survey/26

^This is the most significant advantage that SDN gives to its users.

👍

My advice is that it's most important to be natural, i.e. do not rehearse every answer and try to regurgitate it in an interview. I've been told by former employers that I interview well, so I thought the dental app process would be a breeze. I skimmed the Interview Feedback section before my first interview and thought "I'm set." I choked at the first interview...all those responses I memorized went out the window, and I found myself fumbling for a stored response instead of doing what should have been done, speaking from the heart. As lame as that sounds, I performed the best doing so and the next three interviews all landed me acceptances (the failed interview didn't).

Like what UCSFx2017 said, find a mindset that keeps you calm. My approach was a bit different than his. I just allowed myself to not care going in; if I didn't get in, meh, I'd reapply. I feel that too many pre-health students go WAY overboard on prepping for interviews to the point of anxiety. Skim the questions they ask from the interview feedback and get a general idea of how you'd answer some of the tricky questions. Treat it as any other interview, and demonstrate that you're a qualified student who's genuinely interested in the field, and you'll be just fine.

 

[Dancindarlin23]

👍

My advice is that it's most important to be natural, i.e. do not rehearse every answer and try to regurgitate it in an interview. I've been told by former employers that I interview well, so I thought the dental app process would be a breeze. I skimmed the Interview Feedback section before my first interview and thought "I'm set." I choked at the first interview...all those responses I memorized went out the window, and I found myself fumbling for a stored response instead of doing what should have been done, speaking from the heart. As lame as that sounds, I performed the best doing so and the next three interviews all landed me acceptances (the failed interview didn't).

Like what UCSFx2017 said, find a mindset that keeps you calm. My approach was a bit different than his. I just allowed myself to not care going in; if I didn't get in, meh, I'd reapply. I feel that too many pre-health students go WAY overboard on prepping for interviews to the point of anxiety. Skim the questions they ask from the interview feedback and get a general idea of how you'd answer some of the tricky questions. Treat it as any other interview, and demonstrate that you're a qualified student who's genuinely interested in the field, and you'll be just fine.

I agree, you want to be natural, and not try to "memorize". But I am someone who can have trouble recalling things or coming up with examples on the spot. So if I had a general answer in mind, it helped. OP--You may or may not be one of those people.

 

[flatcamelbak]

The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you've already been denied by dental school. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as an interviewee is supposed to function: with confidence and without anxiety.

I agree with you about the confidence, but it would be difficult to be confident after internalizing that they are failing at their goal.

Confidence doesn't come from pre-accepting failure, imo. Knowing you are a kick ass person is where confidence comes from. In our little slice of the world, this could be good stats, research, altruism, etc. Before people head into the interview, they need to get it in their head that they are getting into school.

 

[O2ShootTheJ]

I don't really prepare too much for the interviews. A few questions I knew were coming I mentally prepared for a bit but other than that I go in blind. The main question that always trips me up is the one you know you're going to get, "Why dentistry?" For some reason I know why I want to do it and what I want to say in my head, but it never comes out right. Just gonna take some practice I think.

 

[ttpharm]

Yeah to be honest, I disagree that believing you already got denied from dschool is going to help your interview schools. Just work on being confident and charming. Be positive. It's really based more on how you present yourself than what your answer to a specific question is, although it is a factor. Ask the interviewer questions and be truly interested while being positive to their answers.

 

[Teeths]

I don't really prepare too much for the interviews. A few questions I knew were coming I mentally prepared for a bit but other than that I go in blind. The main question that always trips me up is the one you know you're going to get, "Why dentistry?" For some reason I know why I want to do it and what I want to say in my head, but it never comes out right. Just gonna take some practice I think.

This is the standard question that I get a little nervous about. I know exactly why I want to, but I feel like my answer is a little long and trying to make it more precise without losing detail is difficult

 

[UCSFx2017]

Whatever helps!

 

[Seahawk]

Hang around dentists.

I've been around dentists my whole life...You become like one of those men who lives with wolves or something......I might not be a dentist but I know exactly how to act and communicate with them to blend in and have them accept me as their own. 😀