What to Expect When Interviewing

When seeking an interview for an OT position:

Do Your Homework!

• Learn about the specific facility/organization, mission/philosophy/goals

• What is unique about this place that catches your attention as a place for future employment? What client population(s) served? Programs? Approaches to client management? What settings do they work in?

• Check social media/websites to learn what they’re engaged in, what’s important to them

• Ask yourself, “Would I fit in and why?”; think specifics

Cover Letter

no more than one page

• Introduction: who you are, recently graduated from Columbia University Programs in OT, etc.

• How did you learned about the position…

• Show your enthusiasm for the position…why you are suited for this position?

• Brief overview highlighting your experiences, skills- summary of elements in the resume, but not a duplication of the resume

• Promote yourself

• Conclusion

• Be careful to edit properly; if you are sending out cover letters to a few different places, make sure the letters appear individualized

Resume

attention to details matter

• HR checks for accuracy!

• Typical Sections:

  • Professional Summary/Objective

  • Education Experience

  • Clinical Experience

  • Work Experience

  • Licenses/Certifications

  • Awards/Recognitions

  • Professional Development

  • Professional Associations

  • Language Skills

  • Volunteer/Extracurricular/Interests

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY (example)

“On my Occupational Therapy journey of 3 years, I’ve learned that I have a passion for working with underserved communities. I’m eager to learn new ways in which to help those in need and am seeking a job with mentorship to guide me into learning a new specialty or how to better address the needs of these specific patient populations. I’m flexible across different settings, and I enjoy helping others to explore meaningful activities that increase their quality of life.”

Interview Process: Objective

Objective

• Newer OT: “To gain experience working cooperatively within an interdisciplinary team serving clients with varying disabilities to maximize functional independence.”

• OT with experience:

  • “Experienced, hardworking, and highly motivated individual hoping to obtain a position in the field of OT to promote health and wellness, along with helping people become independent in their everyday lives. Transitioned from COTA/L to OTR/L to optimize knowledge in the field of occupational therapy.  Interested in fast-paced environments with opportunities for clinical, educational, and professional growth.”

  • “To use my nearly 10 years of clinical experience, as well as the leadership and organization skills that I have developed as a Senior OT, to fulfill the role of Assistant Head of Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics at MS-CHONY.”

Clinical Experience

• New Grads:

• How do you describe your Behavioral Health Fieldwork II?

• What would a future employer be most interested in?

  • Describe setting, what kind of team were you on, clients served, age range, roles and responsibilities, assessments/treatments, groups vs. individual treatment, special skills/projects, documentation, telehealth use…productivity?

How do you describe your additional Fieldwork II experiences?

What would a future employer be most interested in?

• Describe setting, were you on a team, what kind of team, clients served, age range, roles and responsibilities, assessments/treatments, groups vs. individual treatment, special skills/projects, documentation, telehealth, productivity requirements

• Can you demonstrate on your resume experiences to highlight skills compatible with Level II fieldwork or any other work/educational experiences you have had?

Examples of teamwork or individual work that would stand out

“Getting to Know You…”….you’re in an interview….

Does an applicant have the right “fit” for the place of work?

• Mission of Organization…

• Population Served & Specifics about the skill set..

• “Fast-paced vs. slow-paced” environments…

• Team vs. Individual Tx…

• Schedule Requirements (Fulltime, Part-time, Days, Hours, Weekends, Holidays, what flexibility may or may not be built in)

look for and interview to the following:

• Motivation- driven, ability to manage hard work, desire for growth and development

• Skills & Knowledge- clinical experience

• Emotional Intelligence- how they cope, persevere, relate to others…

Behaviorally-Based Interviewing

excellent method to provide examples of work behaviors

• Attribute-based Interviewing focuses on specific behavior, i.e., problem-solving, conflict resolution

• STAR: method of how to answer questions 

  • Situation- describe the scenario and important details

  • Task- role/responsibility

  • Action- steps taken in this situation

  • Results- what were the outcomes achieved

Motivation

• What motivates your best, most successful job performance? Can you provide an example of this motivation in action in the workplace?

• How do you ensure that your personal level of motivation is high on a daily basis?

• What do you see yourself doing 3 years from now…5 years from now?

Skills & Knowledge

Clinical scenarios

• Describe patient/client experiences-types of diagnoses seen, settings trained/worked in…

• What assessments, treatment planning, outcomes….

• Describe what it was like working with clients, their families, S.O.s, other team members

• Describe incorporating evidence-based practice into treatment

Emotional Intelligence-Consider How You Might Answer These Questions

• Describe a stressful work situation you’ve had. How did you resolve that situation?

• Describe a time when you received feedback about your performance and you disagreed with the feedback? How did you handle the situation?

• Describe a time you had a disagreement with a team member and how you handled it?

• What would your colleagues say is the best thing about working with you?

• What is the most challenging thing about working with you?

Illegal Interview Questions:

• Age or genetic information

• Birthplace, country of origin or citizenship

• Disability

• Gender, sex or sexual orientation

• Marital status, family or pregnancy

• Race, color, or ethnicity

• Religion

Questions for Facility:

• Job Expectations (ask for a copy of job description)

• Productivity Requirements

• Dress requirements

• Hours (shift), days, weekends, holidays

• Is the job part of a collective bargaining unit? Union? How are pay increases determined? Annually? By merit?

• Growth opportunities, i.e., Career Ladder

• Level of supervision provided, i.e., frequency, what level of contact

• How orientation is conducted?

• How is performance evaluated?

Depending on the facility some of these questions are handled by Human Resources but should be asked anyway:

1. Length of probation:  Why is this important?

2. Specifics on benefits, medical, dental, optical, etc., time off including continuing education benefits, retirement planning

3. Pay Transparency Law 2023

   1. “Job posting must advertise the salary or salary range the employer believes, in good faith, to be true at the time of posting and should give the prospective applicant a legitimate idea of the expected pay.” Department of Labor Home Page/Department of Labor (.gov)-2023