Medical Assistant Programs at

Interviewing for a Medical Assistant Job

Moving from Training to Employment

• Once you have completed your medical assistant training, you’ll want to put your hard-earned skills to work. But first, you will have to land a job.

• Here, we offer tips for how to go from student to professional medical assistant with the basic interview skills you’ll have in order to find your first job.

• We’ll also discuss advanced interview skills including interview prep advice.

Basic Medical Assistant Interviewing Skills

• It’s important to remember that the things that made you a good student will make you an excellent job candidate. These include:– Punctuality

– Positive attitude

• Everest College’s Career Services coaches are available to help students refine important job interview skills, including:– Making a good first Impression

– Knowing your strengths and weaknesses

– Learning from mistakes

Punctuality

• As with any type of job interview, arriving to the interview early shows the employer that you are responsible and take the opportunity seriously.

• Punctuality is especially important in the medical field because doctors, patients, lab technicians, and other medical staff members are all very busy.– Arriving at an interview early shows respect for

their time.

Positive Attitude

• Medical assistants deal with many people on a day-to-day basis. – When interviewing candidates, employers are

looking for personable individuals with positive attitudes.

• The medical field can be stressful, so a sunny outlook is preferred in most offices. – If you have a positive attitude, you may have a

better chance at finding a job.

First Impressions

• “First impressions are lasting impressions.” – A job interview is like one extended first

impression.

• To make the best impression:– Dress professionally– Smile– Use eye contact– Be prepared to answer questions– Use your positive attitude!

Know Your Strengths & Weaknesses

• When you know your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to demonstrate your value as a medical assistant and how you’ll fit into the work environment.– This is exactly what the interviewer wants to know!

• Feel free to explain all your best strengths. You should also have one weakness prepared – it’s okay, everyone has weaknesses.– When discussing your weakness, be sure to focus on

how you are working to overcome it. Provide examples if available.

Learn from Your Mistakes

• An interview may not always lead to a job, but it is always a valuable learning experience.

• Review the areas where you think you fell short and work on improving them before your next interview. – If possible, contact the person who interviewed

you and ask for some brief guidance as to where you can improve for future interviews.

Advanced Interviewing Techniques

• In addition to basic interviewing techniques, you can impress the interviewer and increase your chances of getting the job by doing the following:– Anticipating interview questions and coming

prepared with thoughtful answers.– Demonstrating knowledge of specific jobs tasks.– Preparing questions for the employer. Research

the employer and know in advance what you want to ask about.

Anticipating Interview Questions

• The best way to get ready for an interview is to prepare thoughtful answers to common interview questions. – Google the company you’re interviewing with to

see if there are standard questions they ask prospective employees.

– Once you’ve prepared your responses, have a friend ask you some standard interview questions so you can practice your answers.

Standard Interview Questions

• Standard interview questions include:– Tell me about yourself.– Why did you choose this career path?– Describe your ideal job.– Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult

situation at work. How did you handle it?– How would your instructors describe you?– What are your career goals?– Where do you see yourself in 5 years?– Why do you want to work here?

Demonstrating Knowledge of Specific Jobs Tasks

• During your interview, it’s important to demonstrate your knowledge of the job. You can do this by using examples in your answers.– Discuss experience gained during your

medical assistance externship.– Discuss clinical knowledge gained during

your medical assistance training.

Preparing Questions for the Employer

• At the end of the interview, you will have a chance to ask the interviewer any questions you may have about the job.

• Preparing questions before hand:– Demonstrates your enthusiasm for the job.– Demonstrates your critical thinking skills.– Ends the interview on a positive note.

Everest College Career Placement Services

• Medical Assistant students at Everest College can benefit from expert job placement coaching from Everest’s professional Career Services team.

• The Career Services team helps students with:- Resume writing- Setting up interviews- Arranging externships- Fine-turning interview skills- Mastering job search tools

Join Everest College’s Medical Assisting Community

• Visit the Everest College Facebook page to hear from medical assistants and current or prospective students.

About Us• Corinthian Colleges, Inc. offers medical

assistant training and education through its Everest College, Everest University, and Everest Institute campuses nationwide.

• We are the largest educator of medical assistants in the United States.

Request More Information

• Please call 1-(866) 210-6524 or visit the Everest College Website to request more information about becoming a medical assistant.

• We look forward to hearing from you!