Less Professional for Interviews

[sierra1364]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi All,

So, I've been preparing for interviews and I had a mock interview yesterday, and apparently I came across as over-prepared. By this they meant that my answers were solid on paper, but they weren't really able to read into me as a person. I think this is because my default demeanor for interviews tends to be more professional than what is required of a med school interview when they actually want to just get to know you as a person.

Does anyone have any tips on how to overcome this? I'm not socially inept or anything, but I just don't know how to come across as more laid-back/more "real" in an interview.

Thanks!

 

[LizzyM]

Perhaps you should imagine that the interview is a conversation in the living room with a classmate's parent rather than a "professional" thing. Smile and be friendly as if you were meeting your lover's parents for the first time.

Don't write your answers. Don't rehearse your answers. Try to be thoughtful but spontaneous; it comes across as more genuine.

 

[Cerena]

I find the conversation approach is best! It's good to have ideas for what you will say in an interview, so practice is good. But try not to act as if you mentally checking off prepared answers.

The purpose of the interview is to see what you are like. And I think that Lizzy's conversational approach is the best way to provide insight into what you genuinely are like as a person 🙂

 

[jkm07]

Perhaps you should imagine that the interview is a conversation in the living room with a classmate's parent rather than a "professional" thing. Smile and be friendly as if you were meeting your lover's parents for the first time.

Don't write your answers. Don't rehearse your answers. Try to be thoughtful but spontaneous; it comes across as more genuine.

Awesome 👍. Never thought about it like that before.

 

[sierra1364]

Thanks for your help, everyone! I really appreciate it!