Interview Tips?

[dude6756]

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Hey everyone,

This is my first year applying to pharmacy and I was lucky enough to get my first interview which is going be on 11/14. I know as far as male attire, I should be wearing a shirt and tie, but should I wear an all-out suit with the jacket, or would that be too much? Also, as far as preparing for the interview, I'm a little lost. Is there anything I should be doing other than reviewing my resume, reading up on the specific pharm school I'm going to, or looking at possible interview questions on this site? For the people that were accepted to pharmacy schools, is there anything specific you did in the interview that you think helped get you admitted? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mochiko]

I know as far as male attire, I should be wearing a shirt and tie, but should I wear an all-out suit with the jacket, or would that be too much?

I guarantee at least 90% of the other interviewees will be wearing a jacket. In addition to what you said to prepare, you can also do mock interviews and read up on current issues of the profession.

 

[WhiteSnows]

Eyes contact, listen carefully, speak slowly, smile, be relaxed, well-prepare for the questions, try to say things that you have written in your application. Ask questions at the end.

 

[Sparda29]

Wear a jacket. Personally, I think that the jacket is more important than the tie. The tie causes me to sweat and gives me breathing problems during interviews.

 

[pkp]

I agree, you will stand out more if you are not wearing a jacket compared to if you were wearing a jacket but no tie

 

[WhiteSnows]

I agree, you will stand out more if you are not wearing a jacket compared to if you were wearing a jacket but no tie

You will stand out because you are the only one without the jacket. But, it may be risk of being different from everyone else. I think it is better to wear jacket. Do you want to stand out because of your talent? or do you want to stand out because of clothes?

 

[kbv]

Be myself
Have fun
Be passionate about my experiences/desires
Be intense with everyone I meet
Tell them I want the ---
Look sharp:
Appearance
Professionalism
Enthusiasm
Energetic
Connectivity
Engaging personality
Conversation
Positive attitude
Honesty
Upfront
Confidence
Speak slowly and clearly
Mannerism:
Mimic the actions of the interviewers
Visual/verbal style, culture
My selling points
Brief handshake
Smile
Judged 12 ft away when I walk in the room
Judged 12 in away when I shake someone’s hand
Answer it specifically and precisely and concisely
Maintain good eye contact
Lean slightly forward
Remain attentive
Enjoy myself
Like to talk about and share experiences
Show obvious interest in the position and what the interviewer has to say

(to be continued)...

 

[inquirer89]

Check the sticky at the top labeled "Pre-Pharmacy FAQ" and run a search throughout the forum...there is a ton of useful stuff that answers your questions.

I highly suggest wearing a suit. It's professional school, not a job interview at your local grocery 🙂

 

[Sparda29]

Check the sticky at the top labeled "Pre-Pharmacy FAQ" and run a search throughout the forum...there is a ton of useful stuff that answers your questions.

I highly suggest wearing a suit. It's professional school, not a job interview at your local grocery 🙂

Yeah, but for a job interview at your local grocery, you'd probably wear a shirt with jeans.

 

[medicalCPA]

Yeah, but for a job interview at your local grocery, you'd probably wear a shirt with jeans.

Earlier this year, I interviewed at a pharmacy school and I was wearing a polo and jeans for my interview. I got in, too.

 

[Sparda29]

Earlier this year, I interviewed at a pharmacy school and I was wearing a polo and jeans for my interview. I got in, too.

Blue jeans?

 

[calisoca]

During my interviews, 99% of the males had a full suit, tie, slacks, and dress shoes. One applicant wore cargo pants and a polo and stood out in the worst way possible. Talk about making a bad first impression. Why anyone would take that risk is beyond me.

 

[Sparda29]

Just remember that if you dress down during the interview, you're gonna need a lot of razzle dazzle.

 

[alenadoma]

I would say dress up...suit, tie, nice shoes. Don't you want to do everything you can to create a good first impression?? I would never want my inteviewer thinking "what is she wearing" while I'm trying to tell them why I want to be a pharmacist.
dress nice!!!!

 

[alenadoma]

Earlier this year, I interviewed at a pharmacy school and I was wearing a polo and jeans for my interview. I got in, too.

correct me if i'm wrong..
but if i remember correctly, with your stats, you could probably get in wearing sweatpants and a hoodie!!

 

[medicalCPA]

correct me if i'm wrong..
but if i remember correctly, with your stats, you could probably get in wearing sweatpants and a hoodie!!

That just made my evening!

 

[medicalCPA]

Blue jeans?

Oh yeah.

 

[xo sotypical]

How do we feel about girls and nail polish?

 

[alenadoma]

How do we feel about girls and nail polish?

I wore light pink for my michigan interview. I think as long as its classy (not blue,yellow,orange,green...you get my point) nail polish is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Texas PharmDoc]

How do we feel about girls and nail polish?

Just paint your nails in the school colors with the mascot in the middle on one hand and spell out the mascot name on the other hand.

 

[fhx06]

Conservative still seems to be a good way to go, regardless of what school you are applying to. This is a professional school you are applying to so giving a sense of professionalism is probably a good idea.

Also, don't bother trying to practice and memorize questions for interviews... chances are you come off as rehearsed and rigid. This may differ from school to school, but I would venture a guess that most interviewers want to get to know the real you, not the forms and statistics version of you.

 

[medicalCPA]

Also, don't bother trying to practice and memorize questions for interviews... chances are you come off as rehearsed and rigid. This may differ from school to school, but I would venture a guess that most interviewers want to get to know the real you, not the forms and statistics version of you.

I disagree. My first two professional school interviews were a disaster, partly because I had not thought of the questions I was asked. For subsequent interviews I practiced, mostly by asking myself probable questions and rehearsing my answers in front of a mirror. That helped tremendously, as I noted how I sat, how I looked, and even how I spoke, and I adjusted my bearing to one that was more natural.

Also, had I not come across a particular question in interview feedback, and prepared an answer beforehand, I would have totally bombed my interview last month. That was the most important question my interviewer asked me. So I am a big fan of rehearsing potential interview questions. If you bomb an interview, you don't get a do-over.

 

[alenadoma]

I disagree. My first two professional school interviews were a disaster, partly because I had not thought of the questions I was asked. For subsequent interviews I practiced, mostly by asking myself probable questions and rehearsing my answers in front of a mirror. That helped tremendously, as I noted how I sat, how I looked, and even how I spoke, and I adjusted my bearing to one that was more natural.

Also, had I not come across a particular question in interview feedback, and prepared an answer beforehand, I would have totally bombed my interview last month. That was the most important question my interviewer asked me. So I am a big fan of rehearsing potential interview questions. If you bomb an interview, you don't get a do-over.

What was the question??

 

[medicalCPA]

What was the question??

The question was, "Have you ever made a mistake in your actions or in your judgment, and what did you do to fix it?"

 

[pkp]

You will stand out because you are the only one without the jacket. But, it may be risk of being different from everyone else. I think it is better to wear jacket. Do you want to stand out because of your talent? or do you want to stand out because of clothes?

Oops, sorry that's exactly what I meant. You wil stand out negatively b/c you will be the only one not wearing a jacket!

 

[alenadoma]

The question was, "Have you ever made a mistake in your actions or in your judgment, and what did you do to fix it?"

Oh goodness! Would you mind sharing your response??

 

[medicalCPA]

Oh goodness! Would you mind sharing your response??

I told my interviewer about how I forgot to do something, and how it ended up almost killing someone close to me. It wasn't something I could fix, but I mentioned how - because of that incident - I currently make a lot of "To Do" lists (I won't go into the specifics of my response). I'm really glad I prepared for that question beforehand. Thinking on my feet is definitely not my forte.

 

[dinoant]

I think that dressing up is a sign of respect for the college. That you care enough to dress nice, well groomed and such. As for specifics I would go for a full conservative "dress". You don't want to have clothes that insinuate that your better than them. Yet you don't wanna dress like you don't give a crap.