Featured Article: Applying for Jobs and Interviewing by Marielena Mata, PhD

As we progress through the steps of the job search in this blog series, today I want to focus on actually applying for jobs and interviewing, but first, let me share a story.  Recently, I was advising a young woman who is about to graduate from college.  She has had a part time job at an organization and some new positions had opened.  She was interested in a particular role but was concerned she did not have enough experience.  I told her to apply anyways but she was worried it would not be well received because she knew the hiring manager and she knew she did not have the experience required in the job description.  After much back and forth, she did apply and while she did not get that job, she was offered another position that had not been listed.  The moral of the story is - if there is a job that sounds really interesting, apply for it! 

Now, there is a need to be realistic in terms of requirements.  You have a better chance of getting the job if you meet some of the requirements but you do not have to match all of them.  In fact, I’ll tell you a little secret - I would never hire someone who meets all the requirements because they would get bored very quickly.  In general, the range of years of experience is just that, a range, and there is flexibility around it either based on what you bring to the table or by adjusting the level of the position.  Degrees are a little bit trickier, there are positions in industry that do require an MD and it is unlikely they will hire someone with a PhD but many positions that require a PhD may have options for Bachelors and masters with additional years of experience.  The rest of the requirements tend to describe specific skills that might be needed and here is where the hiring manager has flexibility to look for someone that has some skill that is prioritized over the others.  If you are a match for that skill, everything else can be learned on the job.  

Let’s say now you have applied to several jobs that look interesting, you are a solid candidate and you get a call for an interview.  If it is a screening interview, you can choose to take it right there or reschedule to a better time.  I have done both depending on a number of factors: I was busy, I didn’t feel I was prepared to have a call or just went ahead with it because I wanted to move things along but that first call is critical for you to make a good impression and move on to the formal interview process.  My key tips for this first call is to be enthusiastic and honest.  You will likely be asked why you applied to the role and some key questions about your skills.  You might want to ask some basic questions about the role, particularly if they are non-negotiables, like whether relocation is required.  This is NOT the time to ask about salary or how much vacation time you get.  There will be time for that later but for now, you want to get to a formal interview.  An important thing to remember is that a screening call goes both ways.  They want to see if you are the right candidate but you also want to explore if this is the right role for you.  I have had screening calls where I knew there was no point in moving forward and I said as much.  There is no need to waste their time and mine if I already know I won’t be interested in the job.  While practicing your interview skills is important, it is hard to be truly honest and enthusiastic if you already know you don’t want the job.  

Let’s say that the screening call went well and you got invited to an interview.  Interviews can be conducted in many ways.  I have had interviews that took all day and I talked to many people.  I have had interviews that lasted exactly 1 hour while I talked to a panel and I have had interviews that are scheduled over several days or weeks to accommodate schedules.  In any case, you will meet with teammates, collaborators and managers and you want to make a good impression while assessing if these are the people you want to work with.  As you prepare for the interview, do your research on the company and the people you are interviewing with.  At a minimum, look them up on LinkedIn but also do a Google search and look for presentations and/or publications that you can refer to.  

There are lots of guides on how to interview but my most valuable piece of advice is to be yourself and focus on understanding what the job entails.  Ask questions about the role, the people you will be working with and the culture of the organization.  If you are asked about your salary expectations, make sure you have done your homework and you have a reasonable range to work with but you can also keep it vague until a job offer is made.  If a question makes you uncomfortable, know the rules about what they are allowed to ask and feel free to decline.  I have been asked my salary and indicated that it is unlawful to ask in California.  I have also declined to answer other personal questions that were not pertinent to the conversation.  

At the end of the interview, you should have a good sense of whether this is an organization you want to be a part of.  Make sure to send thank you notes, either paper ones or via e-mail/LinkedIn and highlight something about the role that is of particular interest or how you think you can contribute. 

Now that the interviews are over, the worst part comes - the wait!  Sometimes these decisions take time. They might be conducting other interviews and business is still continuing.  You may follow up after a certain amount of time which will depend on whether they gave you a timeframe or you are looking at other roles.  Hopefully, you made a great impression and you get that call with a job offer! Congratulations! Now the negotiation begins…