You have just received a phone call from an employer in regards to a job interview, but are you really ready for it? In order to be fully prepared, you must do major research about the organization including years of operation, plans for the next 5 to 10 years, services they provide involving the community, company goals, and vision. You must also plan how to get to the employer’s location by using different modes of transportation and, if possible, take a trip there the day before your interview to get familiar with the area. Preparing the questions you will ask the employer, more likely at the end of the interview, will certainly help you to ace it - - - - not waste it. Another important part is to work on your business attire so that you could make an impact the very moment the interviewer lays eyes on you for the first time. Finally, you must practice, practice, and practice. Arrange a mock interview with a friend, or relative to build up your level of confidence and expectations. By doing so, you will show how seriously you are taking the interviewing process and the employer’s time.
Workshops encourage cooperation and motivation among the participants and although the term workshop sometimes intimidates participants, at SBI-NYC we promote and host interactive workshops that are known for achieving positive results... Preparation of our graduates for the workforce.The real world!!! Once in a group setting most people tend to open up and share their experience as well as hear other people’s point of view. Participants are able to build on the ideas of others while learning from our sessions and our graduates have been successful in spring boarding their career onto the right path after attending a few of these workshops.Each workshop coordinated by Career Services is tailored to the needs of our students and graduates. Some of the workshops we host are Resume Writing, Interview Preparation and Job Search Techniques. There are also special circumstances that allow us to customize a training session with the partnership of an employer such as a clinic or company seeking medical personnel. Our Career Services team is equipped with the talent and resources to develop workshops to meet the needs of our students and graduates.
Our most recent workshop was a combination of a Clinical Review and our Interview Preparation where we worked closely with Dr. Peerzade to prepare our Medical Assistant graduates for an opportunity with a company that needed candidates to assist with Health Screenings. Companies like this visit our campus regularly and either hire candidates on the spot or select a group for another interview at their site. This is why we implore a professional attitude from our students and graduates at all times. Once you have been enrolled you have made the choice to be a medical professional and our ongoing workshops will assist in preparing you for employment.
Besides working in accord with Dr. Mohammed Peerzade, our Assistant Dean, we have also coupled our resources and efforts with Geneva-Marie Louis and Maria Merida our Pharmacy Technician and Medical Billing and Coding Program Directors respectively to provide a continuous series of workshops for our students and graduates. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming workshops.
Today’s job market can be very challenging in finding employment. Most companies are turning away from the simple job application from CareerBuilder, Indeed and Monster. The key to today’s job market is being prepared from the beginning to the end in order to successfully find employment and that begins with networking.
There are many websites people use today to advance themselves in their career and to stay ahead of the curve in finding employment opportunities. Below are some good sites to use to find Doctors/Medical Offices/Clinics in your area and the field you are most interested in.
Websites for networking:
www.doctorsdig.com
www.bookofdoctors.com
www.queensmd.org/qms/index.asp
www.clinicalsociety.org/index.htm
www.doctors.at
These are just a few of the many websites people use to find and network with Doctors throughout the five boroughs.
Another good way to network to find contacts in larger offices is through LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com) LinkedIn is a professional networking site designed for people to meet and network with people in all industries. There are many groups focused on health-care in the state of New York that would be good to join to meet other medical professionals. My advice is to create a profile and join as many groups as you can find. Here are some great groups.
LinkedIn Groups:
Health Care and Medical Positions Networking Group
Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY)
Medical Billing & Coding Forum
The Association of Healthcare Human Resources Administrators of Greater New York (AHHRA)
In all, these methods take time, hard work and perseverance. You will hear many negative responses from people you contact but it can take only one positive response to find that next job.
A critical part of a job interview is to clearly convince the employer why you are the ideal candidate for the position. Before answering this question ask yourself the following: What positive traits would I bring to this company if I am given the opportunity to work here? At this point, poor job interviewees would probably say “I am good with people”, “I am a good employee”, or “I really like it here; it seems like a good opportunity for me.” Instead, you must focus on those strong professional assets that will make you the adequate person they are looking for. By stressing how professional, reliable, and dependable you are along with your matching skills or job experience, you will impress the interviewer over other candidates and probably be on the way to that job you hope for.
The best answer should focus on the following three areas, your Education, Experience and Skills. Call this your “Career Commercial.” It should last at least 1 minute and go no longer than 2 minutes. NOTHING PERSONAL – (Do not talk about the kids or where you were born.)Do not reveal anything personal such as your age, marital status or religion.
Always remember E, E, S. The best thing to do is write a short, organized statement of your Education, Experience and Skills and practice your pitch. You do not need to begin your commercial with: My name is Dominic Sheppard as they will have already made your acquaintance when you entered the room.
All the employer really wants to hear about is your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the practice/clinic. Your Career Commercial should be thought about, written and then practiced a few times, preferably with someone else or in front of the mirror so that you can observe your own facial expressions and gestures. Trust me, it will help!!!
Good luck on your next interview and keep a cool, composed and confident posture as well as a positive attitude.
“Pharmacy Technician wanted.No experience necessary, you pick your schedule.$14/hr”
I can assure you, you have not.Hospitals and retail pharmacies want experienced candidates.Those retail pharmacies that hire entry level candidates want to start them between minimum wage and $10/hr.Why?Per the hiring managers - “because I have to teach them everything about working in this store”.
However, most of the graduates apply online to hospital jobs and later wonder why nobody is replying back or calling for an interview.Our grads then tell us “I don’t know what happened”.Well, the Career Services team does know what happens – in most cases you are not yet qualified for those jobs.
To break into a new field, sometimes you have to walk backwards, to start going forward.One of the major obstacles in getting started at your new career is the fact that you may be earning more now at a “non career-focused” job than what you will be offered as an entry level Pharmacy Technician.It’s a difficult decision but one you will have to make if you are serious about changing fields.As you know, statistics show that there is growth in the healthcare industry.Once you have gained experience in that new field, you should hear back from employers that want to see you, interview you and hire you and offer you more rewarding salaries and benefits. But don’t underestimate the value of your education. Especially in this economy, your education is likely what is getting you in the door at that entry level job.In our opinion, the days when education as a Pharmacy Technician wasn’t necessary to get the job are about to be over.
My advice to you is to get the experience you need.How are you going to get it?Sometimes you do so great at your externship that they make an offer to you.It may be that they want to start you part-time and later hire you full-time. Or it may be that they want you to work an afternoon schedule that finishes at 9pm. Please be prepared for these situations and ready to accept these offers.If there isn’t a position available at your extern site, you should apply for those retail pharmacy technicians’ jobs that you qualify for.There are many chains such as CVS, Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and Walgreens.Smaller neighborhood pharmacies are a great way to get started in your field.
Generally, when we're looking for a job, words like 'fun' don't come to mind. However, with some simple tips and tricks (many taking less than one minute) you can completely revitalize and re-energize your job search and turn looking for a job into something dare I say... fun! It takes 27 seconds to make a first impression. Let potential employers get the best impression of you by showing up to the interview 15-20 minutes early, armed and ready with plenty of copies of your resume and having done your homework on the company (employers love seeing candidates who are passionate and excited about themselves and the work they do!) . The power of positive thinking can never be underestimated especially when looking for a job. When you make a conscientious decision that each day will be a good one, productive and a step closer to finding the job you are looking for...it WILL be. Happiness and positivity are contagious! During your search, try to surround yourself with people and outside influences that will help you to achieve your goals.
Reward yourself on a daily or weekly basis for your efforts. A half hour walk costs nothing and truly works wonders for boosting your spirits. Volunteer work is another great way to spend even a couple of hours a week and can help in the long run for building your resume and potentially leading to full time employment.
