Surviving the Phone Interview and the Deposition

What does one have to do with the other? I bet that was your 1st visceral gut reaction when you read the title–right? If so, allow me to explain and reveal the similarities these two unlike events hold. But, more importantly, let me explain how to deal with them while improving your outcomes when faced by either one in your career.

 So how are they possibly similar? Essentially, at their core they both are basic interrogative (fact-finding) dialogues between two parties. Basically, during a phone interview, the potential employer is seeking to uncover and/or ascertain past employment “liabilities”. 

Likewise, so does the plaintiff's attorney, s/he wants to uncover and/or ascertain where the liability came into play when the patient suffered a negative outcome (damages). Keep in mind, that each party has an agenda to meet. Generally speaking, in both instances, PAs can not only survive but actually shift the odds in their favor by keeping these tips & principles in mind when confronted by either one: 

1. Be Relaxed—being tense will only increase your stress level and thus fog your recall abilities during the interrogatory engagement.  Be natural—don’t pretend, just be yourself and things will go more smoothly  

2. Scripted or unscripted?—try not to worry about giving “the perfect answer”. Just a truthful one. Otherwise, it will sound too contrived anyway. Concentrate on the question and not on the interrogator’s tone or inquiring style or techniques used on you. By employing this strategy, you will be yourself all throughout the conversation. Avoid canned responses.

3. Be disciplined—avoid giving rambling responses or giving knee-jerk responses. Attempt to keep your answers focused, meaning to the point (the questions asked). Experts suggest &  believe that responses under 30 seconds are always best unless otherwise asked to elaborate by the querying party. It will make you look poised, confident, and assured. 

4. Be factual—it is important to be specific and objective. Do not assume or editorialize incidents or circumstances. Truthful responses are always best. If unsure, request the interrogator to rephrase the query. Also, give examples of past work performances. Substantiate all your responses.  How do the liabilities stack up? No one would argue that both situations are the same. 

Sure, the stakes are higher during a deposition than with a phone interview. But, I for one, wouldn’t disagree either, yet, they can be analogous in so many ways. Therefore, after reading this article you should have less to fear when confronted with either situation in your career. And without a doubt, ramifications can be significant in both instances, especially when unprepared comments are made either during the phone interview or the deposition. A costly mistake can lead you to a lost job offer or a career bump along the way. On the other hand,  a poor deposition performance could cost even more. In either case, you still have the ultimate chance to turn the tables around a bit in your favor if you can keep your composure while remembering these commonalities in mind and implementing these four tips to the best of your abilities during these stressful incidents.