Why Interview Skills Matter for CSD Professionals
The interview is often the final step between you and your dream job. It’s your chance to expand on your clinical expertise while showcasing critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal, and leadership skills. It also allows hiring managers to assess how you fit within their team and organizational culture.
ASHA now offers an exclusive AI Career Tool—the “Interview Coach”—for members. This tool provides mock interview questions to help you prepare effectively. Be sure to explore the ASHA Job Board for more career tools.
8 Tips To Elevate Your Interview Skills
1. Understand the Role and Organization
Before stepping into the interview, do your research!
- Study the Job Description: Identify key responsibilities, core skills, and competencies to align your responses with the employer’s needs.
- Learn About the Organization: Visit their website, read recent news, and understand their culture and values. For example, if they emphasize bilingual services, be prepared to discuss how your skills in this area will contribute.
2. Excel in Virtual Interview Etiquette
Virtual interviews are increasingly common. Ensure that your setup reflects your professionalism.
- Test Your Technology: Confirm that your Internet connection, camera, and microphone are all working properly.
- Optimize Your Environment: Choose a quiet, well-lit space with a neutral background.
- Maintain Eye Contact: Look at the camera, not the screen, to simulate in-person engagement.
3. Highlight Your Unique Expertise
CSD professionals bring a wide range of skills. Be ready to discuss your specialized expertise with real-world examples, such as those in the list below.
- Clinical Skills: Share specific experiences, tailoring your explanation to the employer’s needs. Highlight any specialized training, certificates, or significant contributions/outcomes achieved.
- Team Collaboration: Discuss your ability to work with interdisciplinary teams, including educators, physicians, and other therapists.
- Cultural Humility and Responsiveness: Demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access by describing specific ways in which you provide culturally responsive assessment and treatment.
- Constant Learning and Professional Development: Share recent conferences, webinars, and books—and describe how these experiences impacted your approach to assessment and treatment.
- Empathy: Share examples of how you connect with patients or clients. Telling true stories of your actual interactions with clients can be the most compelling way to connect with an interviewer—and such “true stories” and examples showcase your ability to build trust and rapport.
4. Showcase Your Communication Skills
As a CSD professional, effective communication is at the core of your role. Demonstrate these skills “in real life” during the interview! Doing so can show a potential employer all of the qualities listed below:
- Active Listening: Pay attention to the interviewer’s questions, and respond thoughtfully.
- Clarity and Precision: Use professional language, but avoid overly technical jargon. Tailor your answers to the audience, ensuring clarity for both clinical and non-clinical interviewers.
- Succinctness: Give specific examples and concise responses. Avoid rambling or going off topic.
- Nonverbal Communication Patterns: Pay attention to your nonverbal patterns. Ensure that you are demonstrating enthusiasm, positive energy, alertness, and attentiveness.
5. Prepare for Behavioral Questions
Behavioral questions assess how you've handled specific situations in the past. Prepare for these questions by reflecting on your experiences.
Provide results-oriented stories: Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to illustrate your successes.
For instance: “Describe a time you worked with a challenging patient.”
- Situation: A student of yours presented with severe speech delays.
- Task: You developed and implemented an individualized therapy plan.
- Action: You introduced evidence-based interventions.
- Result: A student significantly improved their articulation within 6 months.
6. Ask Thoughtful Questions
Interviews are a two-way street. Asking questions demonstrates your interest in the role and helps you assess if the organization is the right fit for you. Here are some examples of thoughtful questions that you can ask:
- “What does collaboration look like in your organization?”
- “What professional development opportunities are available?”
- “Can you share some specifics about how your organization approaches diversity and inclusion in service delivery?”
- “Is there anything else you would like to know about me?”
7. Practice, Practice, Practice
Confidence comes with preparation. Practice your responses to common questions with a trusted mentor, colleague, or career coach.
- Record yourself to evaluate your body language, tone, and clarity.
- Review your professional highlights to ensure that you’re prepared to speak to your strengths naturally and confidently.
8. Follow Up With a Purposeful Thank-You
After the interview, send a personalized thank-you email.
- Express Gratitude: Thank the interviewer(s) for their time and insights.
- Reiterate Interest: Reaffirm your enthusiasm for the position.
- Highlight a Key Moment: Mention something specific from the interview to leave a lasting impression.
Ace Your Next Interview
By perfecting these tips, you’ll stand out as a confident and capable candidate. Every interview is an opportunity to grow and refine your skills as a CSD professional.
For more career tips and resources, visit the ASHA Career Portal.
This article was co-written by a human and Open AI. Portions were edited and generated using ChatGPT, and a human then reviewed the edits and the text before finalizing this article.