November, December and January are the busiest months of the year for the U.S. medical students and international medical graduates looking to secure a position in internal medicine residency.LifeHack.org and QuintCareers list top 10 interview blunders - try to avoid them:
- Poor handshake
- Talking too much
- Talking negatively about current or past employers/managers
- Showing up late or too early
- Treating the receptionist rudely
- Asking about benefits, vacation time or salary
- Not preparing for the interview
- Verbal ticks
- Not enough/too much eye contact
- Failure to match communication styles
Most importantly -- don't try to be somebody else, just be yourself.
References:
10 Interview Bloopers. LifeHack.org.
Avoid These 10 Interview Bloopers. Deborah Walker.
Residency Interview Advice from Fat Doctor
Unsolicited Advice to Residency Applicants. Intueri, 2007.
Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
Related reading:
How the Match Works(’Cause everyone’s been asking, “So did you get a job?”). Over My Med Body, 02/2008.
Top 10 interview mistakes. CNN, 05/20008.
How to perform on the residency interview. Conrad Fischer's Blog.