Post Interview Reflection

 One of the last classes students must take on campus before leaving for level II fieldwork is Leadership Development II. The "II" is there because this is the second leadership course we have taken while in school. Leadership Development I was one of the first classes we took when we started school, which was to introduce us to the campus, course load and the profession of occupational therapy. Leadership Development II is now preparing us to leave campus and enter the professional world of occupational therapy. One of the assignments in this course is having to complete a mock interview. Each student is assigned a company who is currently seeking a full-time occupational therapist to employ. It is our job as students to prepare for the interview. Afterwards, the instructor gives us feedback on our performance. The goal of the assignment is to simulate job interviews in order to prepare us for the process after we graduate.

I had some technical difficulties logging into the zoom room prior to my interview start time. Once everything was figured out I was immediately thrown into another "breakout room" with my interviewer. To say the least, I was a little flustered. I was not late to the meeting but rather the meeting began earlier not giving me much time to collect myself before having to sell myself. Overall, I think the interview went well. I am very aware I said "um" a lot. Unfortunately, it is a terrible habit I'm struggling to break. The interview seemed to be going smoothly until I was asked the question "so what are three things you are looking for in a future employer?" The question threw me off because it was something I had not thought to prepare for. Beside me was a notebook that had notes about my three strengths, three weakness, and how I contribute to a team atmosphere but no requirements of a future employer. It really made me start thinking about what an employers can give to me rather than only what I can give to an employer. It is something important that I need to think more about in preparation for a legitimate job interview after graduation.

To prepare for this mock interview I researched the company's website to gain more information into what exact services and clientele they serve. I also looked through some of the interview resources provided on blackboard. One of the links entitled "Five Words You Should Never Use to Describe Yourself in an Interview" did not work, which made me kind of bummed. In past interviews I always feel like I give very generic descriptors of myself and my strengths so I was curious if any of the words I use were on the list. 

It was my understanding that the mock employer would provide individualized feedback regarding our responses and professional demeanor (nervous ticks, repeat works, etc.) after the interview was over. However, my interviewer just gave generic responses in conclusion to the interview, which I didn't find as helpful as I thought it would be. I expected more thoughtful feedback but it felt as though I was being rushed off the meeting.

As I mentioned before, next time I will be more prepared for the "so what are three things you are looking for in a future employer?" question. It is a good question to be prepared for as well as one I should put some thought into.

I learned that it is important to be honest with your interviewer(s) but it is all about how you phrase your honesty. In the interview I got asked if this company was my first choice. In all honesty, mental health setting is not my first choice nor is working with children. However, I politely responded to the interviewer by stating I am a new graduate with an open mind looking to gain experience. I have worked with children on one of my rotations but feel more comfortable working with adults due to my prior work experience in an outpatient clinic. I guess I technically didn't answer the question but the interviewer responded positively to my response.