After newly graduated clinicians study for and then take their board exams, it will be time for them to look for their first professional opportunities out of school. With every career prospect comes the interview process. Everyone has heard stories of the good and the bad—what to say, what not to say, how to act, etc. On this week’s episode of The FOX Five, FOX Rehabilitation University Relations Specialist, Crysta Duryea, delivers some tips on how successfully represent yourself and your skills in an interview.

Jim: Hello everybody, welcome to the FOX Five, the series that explores the world of FOX Rehabilitation through an original list created by a FOX colleague. Today, I am joined by FOX University Relations Specialist, Crysta Duryea. Crysta welcome back to the FOX Five.

Crysta: Thanks for having me again.

Jim: You did so well on your first FOX Five, this is what we call an encore.

Crysta: Ah, thank you, I am honored.

Jim: We held up the lighters, or I guess they don't do that anymore. We held up the cell phones high in the sky. We were waving them, and look, you are back! This time around Crysta, what is your FOX Five?

Crysta: My FOX Five is, five interview tips for newly graduated clinicians.

Jim: They should be taking notes. This is important, this could help them land a job.

Crysta: Yes.

Jim: Alright Crysta, what is number one?

Crysta: Number one is sharing your unique story. Why did you choose the career path that you did? I, as an example, love talking to people. A lot of people said I have great energy, so my job is to talk to people and to permeate that energy for all of you. So, what was your specific reason for getting into physical therapy, or occupational therapy, or speech-language? It should be unique and show that you know it is a memorable experience for you, as to why you decided to further your career.

Jim: The “why” is so important.

Crysta: I do think that having that personal moment does show that you become a little bit more connected in the career path that you've chosen and that you are dedicated to not only learning more but also the patients that you'll be treating, too.

Jim: They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I also think an origin story is worth a thousand words, if you know why someone got into it.

Crysta: Exactly, and it is something that a lot of interviewees are interested in hearing, not only why would you be great for this position, but what made you interested in this position to begin with.

Jim: Crysta, what is number two on your FOX Five?

Crysta: Number two is resolving conflict, being able to show that in past experiences you've been able to resolve conflict. This is done by brainstorming with somebody that maybe you either live with or a family member when you're getting ready for your interviews. Conflict is not always bad and it's going to happen in the workplace.

Jim: It will always happen. You can't avoid it.

Crysta: Exactly, so I think being proactive and showing that you are somebody that will calmly and collectively take a situation and be able to resolve it in a way that is best for, maybe not what your specific idea was, but getting towards more of that group mindset and saying, “Hey, we'll try this first and then if that doesn't work we'll go to A, B, C, or D.” I think that's very important to show that you're able to resolve conflict within a team environment.

Jim: That brings us to number three on your FOX Five.

Crysta: And that's perfect because I did say “team environment,” so I wanted to say demonstrate that you are a team player. With any type of position that you're taking, you're going to have to work with different levels of colleagues whether it be co-workers, supervisors, and managers. Not only that, but then patients and family members, so it's very nice to see that you've either volunteered before, or were in a club, or maybe a team sport where you've been able to collaborate with multiple different personalities and get to one common goal. I think that is something that I like to see when I'm interviewing a lot of new students and new clinicians.

Jim: I like that you said “multiple personalities,” because a lot of people might just want to deal with like-minded personalities, but when you're on a team you've got a bunch of different personalities.

Crysta: Yep.

Jim: Crysta what is number four on your FOX Five?

Crysta: Number four is one I think after 2020 we all had to learn, which is flexibility and resilience. You never know what is going to happen in a day and that's kind of what makes every day fun. One thing that I think is great is to show that you're adaptable. You may not anticipate a patient that you're getting, or you may have to deal with a different type of illness, or a family member that you weren't expecting. Show that you've been in a position like that before. That you've been able to conquer the steps to successfully handle a situation like that shows that you are flexible, adaptable, and resilient to what is going to come.

Jim: I would think that a lot of the clinicians getting out of school right now have had that training over the last couple of years, whether they didn't have a graduation, they had to do [something] virtually instead of in person, so they're almost ready to be flexible.

Crysta: Exactly. They are ready for whatever can happen, all unique experiences definitely.

Jim: Baptism by fire.

Crysta: Exactly, not that we wanted it to happen, but it did.

Jim: That brings us to number five on your FOX Five.

Crysta: Number five is one that I think just shows that you're a go-getter—it’s that you're a lifelong learner. Just because now that you're done with your schooling doesn't mean that you need to stop learning. It shows that you are interested in developing your skills when you decide to further your continuing education or do something extra. Be an alumni presenter, it shows that you are still passionate about your career path that you chose, but you're also helping the company while you're still bettering your education as well.

Jim: There's a lot of places to grow within FOX.

Crysta: Oh yeah, so many pathways which I love.

Jim: If you're able to do many things now, imagine all you can do with FOX Rehabilitation.

Crysta: Exactly, there are so many different silos that you're able to follow here and I think that's what makes [someone] continuing and being a lifelong learner so successful here with FOX.

Jim: Crysta, thank you for joining us once again on the FOX Five, you'll have to join us on the FOX Rehabilitation Live Better Longer podcast.

Crysta: I love that, thank you so much.

Jim: You’re built for this, I'm just letting you know. We were at CSM and I asked you to do a video intro, and as soon as you opened your mouth I'm like, “Oh my gosh—

Crysta: That’s baptism by fire.

Jim: No, but you're a professional!

Crysta: Thank you. You know what, I have the coolest job and that is just talking to people, and I think it is my favorite thing to do. I love learning about everybody's different unique pathways and talking to them about why they're there. It's just the coolest, neatest thing, so thank you so much for having me. I look forward to the podcast.