Interveiw Update

Since we last talked, I have had mucho more interviews. The process itself is quite overwhelming. There have been sites that I have fallen in love with, but that don't quite offer the training experieces/supervision/job opportunities/etc. that I want. There are others that seem a perfect fit but that are in a location that holds no appeal to me. Some offer training and supervision that almost feel too comfortable and too much exactly like what I have been doing in my traning thus far. Others pay only enough to not starve. And some are in really really really really cold locations. Others are in really really really hot locations. How do you put all of that into a matrix and make an informed ranking decision?

I don't want to go site by site through my interviews anymore, mainly because that's not what's going to be helpful to anyone who really wonders about this process, and it frankly exposes a bit too much of my hand to anyone who just stumbles upon my life as I report it here. So here are my tips...

*Spend about an hour before the interview the night or morning before rereading your essays and the program materials for that site. Ask yourself what questions do you have? What rotations do you see yourself in? Why do you want to be at this site?

*Do not memorize answers to those questions that are floating around that you might be asked. Do think about them, plan for them, and expect them to be asked. But, do not become a robot with memorized and recalled answers. You're a clinician, a therapist. Use your gut sense of who is interviewing you to respond with the best and most relevant things that you want to say.

*When asked about what you're passionate about outside of psychology or the profession, be honest. Don't use this as an opportunity to promote yourself or the work you did in this or that campus organization, ministry, etc. That's arrogant. Genuinely say that you love to hike, or travel, or watch movies, or to shamelessly dote on your doberman. They want to know you're a person with a life that's not all about achievement or your work.

*Be able to talk about your mission and vision beyond what role this internship site might play in that process. You're not telling the truth and they're not believing that your whole life you've been waiting to work in that site doing exactly what they're doing there. It might be a great fit, but what bigger reasons make it a great fit?

*If a fellow applicant/current intern/interviewer acts unprofessionally, do no return it tit for tat. If they curse, you don't. If they talk about someone or some place negatively, do not sink to that level. Just give an "Oh really?" response and try to move on.

*Look around at the interns that are there currently. Do you fit well with them? Would these be people that you would enjoy working with? Look around at the applicants around you. These are the other people with whom you might work. Could you see yourself with them? If the answer is no to most of them, this might not be a good fit.

*Do not bash your training program. Think long and hard about what weaknesses you will discuss, because you will be asked that question.

*Do not talk about other interviews, other sites, or ask other applicants about other sites. Unless you're utterly alone without any professionals from that site around, it's going to put someone on the spot, and that person may not want to disclose that they got 1 interview, or 10, or that site in that state sucked or was fantastic.

*Wear a suit. Don't wear sequins. Be friendly to others, talk and have fun.