Your first interview invite, congrats!
I know when I received mine, it was exciting but also nerve-racking. Let’s get you prepared to ace that interview!
Interview Tips
- Before scheduling your interview, check your calendar to ensure you choose a day that gives you enough time to prepare questions and feel confident.
- Contact the program to ask if they can connect you with current students to speak with.
- Prepare a few answers to common questions
- Why podiatry?
- Tell me about yourself
- In your personal statement, you talked about [blank]. Can you expand on that topic?
- Find a location to do your interview if not in-person
- Look at the lighting
- Notice the sound level
- Are you planning to wear headphones in the interview? If so, do they connect to your device without any problems?
- Is your background professional, or do you plan to use a virtual background?
- Choose an outfit that is professional but also comfortable.
- I would recommend choosing a formal outfit
- Women -> Blazer with a blouse or a nice blouse paired with dress pants
- Men -> Dress shirt with or without a tie and a suit jacket or sports coat paired with dress pants
- I would recommend choosing a formal outfit
- Prepare a few questions for your interviewer
- Ask them about their career.
- Do they have any articles published?
- Ask them what they do for fun.
- What is the best part of podiatry in their opinion?
- If they’re part of the faculty, ask them what makes this program stand out compared to others.
Need some outfit inspiration? Check out these links below.
Websites/YouTube
https://www.swiftwellnessmag.com/blog/business-casual-outfits-women-need
I found my inspiration from Miss Louie on YouTube.
https://www.theessentialman.com/blog/business-casual-style-guide-men
My male classmates have mentioned that they found The Style O.G on YouTube helpful.
Now that we’ve decided what to wear, let’s go over what you should bring with you on interview day.
- A notebook and pen
- A water bottle or drink of your choice nearby (if virtual interview)
- A spare set of headphones in case you have technical difficulties (if virtual interview)
- Your device’s charger (if virtual interview)
- A snack
- Chewing gum or mints
I finished my interview. Now what?
The first thing you should do after your interview is start writing a thank-you email to your interviewer. I know it might feel a bit awkward at first, but trust me—I’ve lost count of how many times a simple thank-you note has led to the interviewer sharing their personal contact information or offering to stay in touch. If you cannot find their email on the school’s website, reach out to the school and ask for the person’s email to send a thank-you email.
The second thing I recommend is checking the program’s website to understand their specific post-interview process. For example, the program I applied to mentioned on their site that it would take about two weeks before applicants heard back.
The final thing I recommend is to take a deep breath and do something you enjoy. I know—easier said than done. But stressing over the interview won’t help at this point. Your application speaks for itself, and you gave it your best shot during the interview. Now, it’s in the schools’ hands.
