Hone Your Skills to Prepare For a Job Interview

Competition for jobs in the medical laboratory is fierce, and even the smartest job seekers need to be on their game for a job interview. Learn what two ASCP pathology and laboratory professional leaders recommend for preparing for that all important job interview.

Dana Bostic, MBA, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CM, advises laboratory professionals preparing for an interview to know what you excel at so that you can articulate that with confidence.

“Before the interview, think broadly about what you do and compile a list of the tests you have performed or the equipment or instrumentation you have worked with,” she says. “Don’t underestimate any project you’ve worked on. For example, if you validated a new instrument, be sure to mention it. There are employers who are seeking laboratory professionals who have performed that kind of work.”

For the actual interview, she advises researching the organization ahead of time to see what its vision and mission statements are. Learn what its patient population is and what testing services it offers. Come in with questions to show that you are interested. Remember, you are conducting an interview as well.

Have a willingness to learn, a tenacity for the job, and dedication to excellence.

The candidate also needs to research the area they are looking to move to. Dana Altenburger, MD, FASCP, suggests candidates be open-minded to working in different geographic locations.

“I work in Central Illinois, where we have three and a half pathologists in our practice,” she says. “As we are a small group, we really look for a candidate’s personality to show through so that we can determine whether they would be a good fit with our group. In a small group like ours, you are with your colleagues all the time. It’s not like an academic environment where you might see a colleague once a month. We’re a group of Type A people and you need to be able to work in that setting.”

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