After the Residency Interview: 3 Tips to Get you Started
With interview season in full-swing, I’m posting a mini-series on advice to help you stay confident during this time. Today, I’m talking about after the interview…what to do and how to reflect. Here are 3 tips for after the (pharmacy residency) interview to get you started.
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- Thank You: Congratulations on finishing your interview! Now is the time to start thanking the people you met during the day. Tip: Make sure you obtain a business card or list of your interviewer names (perhaps on your interview agenda) to make writing Thank You cards a little easier for you! When writing Thank You cards for your residency interviews, I highly recommend sending a paper handwritten thank you note. A handwritten note is more personal and demonstrates the extra effort you’ve put in to this process. For those with residency interviews late in the process (early March), you can also send an email thank you note to ensure it arrives before the final matching decision process takes place. For Thank You Cards, I recommend customizing the note for each recipient – add in a comment about a question/discussion you had. Be thoughtful and honest in these notes. Tip: If you’re sending several thank you cards to one institution you interviewed at, consider asking the assistant/secretary for the best mailing address and send all the cards in one large envelope for this person to place in employee mailboxes.
- Reflect: After your interview, reflect on what went well and what you thought about the program or institution. Ideally, try to set aside time to go through this reflection process within 24-48 hours after the interview. This helps keep the information fresh in your mind. Tip: Consider adding information to a comparison chart or spreadsheet to easily compare programs to one another if you’re interviewing at several residency programs or jobs. Be honest with yourself – even if this was your #1 program/institution going into the interview, you may have different feelings after the interview day. The environment, team dynamics and personality fit are all factors to consider when you’re searching for a position.
- Follow-up: Have an important question still lingering about the program/institution; reach out (in a professional manner) and ask it! Did you offer to follow-up with a question after the interview? Make sure you close the loop and follow through with this!
Thank you for reading. Any suggestions on after the interview- please comment below! Next week we’ll talk about Ranking Residency Programs…stay tuned!
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Jessica Louie, PharmD, APh, BCCCP is the CEO of Clarify, Simplify, Align and Host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast. Dr. Louie uses her signature Burnout Doctor Method to coach burned out pharmacists & professionals to simplify because work-life balance is a LIE. Align work into your life & break free from people pleasing, perfectionism and thrive in life on YOUR TERMS.