It's been a while since I've posted, but I now have a few interviews lined up for March (the first one is in just 2 weeks!)
First off, I'd like to refer you to a fellow blogger's post about preparing for GC program interviews. It has a lot of useful advice and includes suggestions from current GC students!!
This cartoon has nothing to do with genetic counseling, but I liked it!
Now that you've had a chance to get a great overview of the interview process, I'd like to share what I'm doing to prepare for my interviews. Disclaimer: These are just my suggestions and may not work for everyone.
Mock Interviewing: This has probably been most helpful to me so far. Since I graduated a while ago and no longer live near my undergraduate university, I haven't been able to utilize the interview services offered by the career center. I've had 2 mock interviews via video chat with other applicants. This is a great opportunity to practice your answers to questions in a more realistic setting (versus rehearsing out loud by yourself) and get feedback.
Tips for Mock Interviewing: I find it helpful to share my CV and personal statement with the person with whom I'm mock interviewing beforehand and I have them send me their CV and personal statement(s) as well. That way, we can come up with specific questions for each other beyond the typical ones such as, "Why do you want to be a genetic counselor? Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to attend this specific program?" It's great to practice answering those questions, but I find it especially helpful to work on answering questions that ask me about specific aspects of my application. Programs are interviewing far more applicants than they will accept, so it's important to find ways to make yourself stand out. For example, if I see that someone volunteers with Crisis Text Line, I'll ask them what that experience has taught them and how it has prepared them for a career in genetic counseling. If they mention in their personal statement that they're particularly interested in prenatal genetic counseling, I'll ask about that. Was there a case they saw while shadowing that really impacted them?
Writing Out Answers to Questions: I have a google doc with a list of questions I've compiled that are likely to be asked in an interview. Thinking about these questions ahead of time and writing out what you might say can definitely help you feel less on the spot. The "tell me about yourself" or "why genetic counseling" questions are very open-ended and you want to find a way to emphasize the most important points concisely. Additionally, you may get behavioral type questions like "How do you deal with someone whose opinions you disagree with" or "Tell me about a time when you received feedback you didn't agree with. How did you respond?" I know for me, I can't easily come up with answers for those types of questions on the spot.
Researching the Program: Most programs will provide you an itinerary and you will be able to see with whom you're interviewing. Often, this list will include the program director, assistant program director and clinical rotation coordinator or clinical rotation supervisors. It may be helpful to look up these people beforehand and learn a little about them. What is their title? How are they associated with the program? Maybe one of your interviewers has research interests similar to yours. Consider reading her publications, so you can talk about it if you have a chance. Or if an interviewer is a genetic counselor in a specialty that you're interested in, bring that up! Don't go too crazy with this though. It's good to have a little background, but you don't want to seem like a stalker either :P
You also will want to research the program. What aspects stand out to you? Do you like that the program has an emphasis on disability advocacy? Or that you spend a full semester in a laboratory rotation? If you're interviewing at multiple schools, it's important to keep them straight! It's important that you can explain why you want to go to this program. By reviewing the program website, you will also be able to come up with questions to ask during your interviews. It is important to have several questions already thought out ahead of time because you will definitely be asked: "What questions do you have for us?" It will reflect poorly on you if you don't ask any questions, as it will seem that you're not that interested in the program or haven't done your research.
Reviewing your Personal Statement/CV: The interviews are not that long and it's important you emphasize the experiences that have been most relevant. If you volunteer as a victim's advocate, what skills have you gained from that experience that will translate into genetic counseling? Was there a particular job you held or an activity that you participated in that really influenced your decision to pursue genetic counseling? The more specific you can be, the better. Again, you want to stand out and vague answers are not as helpful. Sharing a personal story such as how you counseled a suicidal person through Crisis Text Line or talking about a specific shadowing experience that really impacted you can go a long way in helping you appear as a unique applicant.
I hope this post has been helpful. I also encourage you to check out this podcast from DNA Today! 4 current students discuss the interview and match process and how they prepared for interviews.
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