Preparing & Handling Your HCA Job Interview with Confidence

Preparing for Successful Job Interview

Even the most qualified job seekers feel nervous before a job interview, but the more you prepare, the more at ease you will feel. Nowadays, job seekers may go through a number of interviews: a phone interview, an in-person interview, and sometimes a follow-up interview with a larger group. However, Health Care Assistants are mostly interviewed only once. In this article, we share a few tips with you on how to prepare for your interview and ensure that you make a great first impression on your potential employer.

Do Your Research

In order to ace your interview, you need to do more than demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the job and what will be required of you. You also need to show that you know the employer. You can do this by researching. Spend time reading their website, paying particular attention to the “About Us” page, current news releases, and any articles written about the employer. If you have any contacts or reliable sources, who can give you more in-depth information, make use of them to get a larger and more authentic picture. Doing this research is also a good way to develop a list of genuine and relevant questions to ask at the end of your interview.

Practice Your Answers

It’s essential to practice before the interview to have answers ready to go that will resonate with your interviewer. Read the job description carefully and think about the skills, accomplishments, and stories you have that match what they’re looking for in a candidate. This will help you clarify your thoughts and guide you when you’re preparing and practicing your answers. Search online for a list of common interview questions and also for specific interview questions regarding your position. Practice both so that you aren’t thrown off by classic questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What are some words your previous employer would use to describe you?” You can practice by yourself or enlist the help of a few friends or family members who will give you honest feedback. Do this until you feel comfortable and confident talking about your experiences and skills, but don’t try to memorize your answers. Being yourself is essential, and responses should feel and sound natural.

Prepare Yourself for the Big Day

On the night before your interview, make sure that you have everything in order, such as printed copies of your resume, references, and other application materials. Load the address of the interview location into your GPS app or Google Maps so that you can plan your journey. Next, choose an appropriate outfit to wear. Pack the notepad you used when preparing for the interview, a few pens, and some emergency items such as a stain stick, a phone charger or backup battery pack, and cash. And don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep so that you are well-rested on the big day.

Maintain the Connection

Waiting to hear whether you got the job can be nerve-wracking, so before you leave the interview, ask your interviewer these two important questions:

When will you be making a decision?

Who can I follow up with? When may I do that, and how?

To stand out from the crowd, send a short thank-you email immediately after the interview. Thank the interviewer for meeting with you, say how much you enjoyed learning about the role and the organization, and add something memorable about your skills that will reinforce why you are right for the job.

What’s Next

Now that you understand how to prepare for the job interview, if you’re ready to take the first step toward a career as a Health Care Assistant, look to publicly funded and private employers for HCA job opportunities.