FELLOWSHIP

INTERVIEWS 101
Learn how to answer the most common interview
questions from our fellows.

"TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF"

This is your chance to set the tone for the rest of the conversation!
Tell your story briefly through an introduction of yourself, highlight
a couple key professional activities, and mention hobbies/interests
outside of pharmacy to end on. Treat this answer as a reel of your
achievements and keep it succinct (typically under 2 minutes).

"WHY INDUSTRY?"
Think about a moment that made you want to pursue a career in
industry - it may be a particular experience, a mentor, or any
moment that had an influence on your decision to choose this
path. Then, tie this moment to the steps you took to learn skillsets
or gain experiences that would make you a great fit for this type
of career. You may also incorporate why you have a passion for
industry and how your journey through pharmacy school led you
to this path.

"WHY OUR PROGRAM?"

Be honest! Talk about your goals and skills and how they align with
the program and what it teaches, and the types of contributions
you expect to make with this training. Do your research on the
company and talk about what drew you in (including online
research, pipeline, specific initiatives, or feedback from other
fellows/employees).

"WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF

IN 5 YEARS?"
Think about your career goals before you get to the interview.
Then, think about how they align with the position's description.
How will this position help you further your professional
development to reach your goals? Make sure you've done your
research on the position to make sure your goals are achievable.
For example, if you're interviewing for a position in North
American medical affairs, but you want global experience, the
position may not be a good fit for you.

"WHY THIS FUNCTIONAL AREA?"

The purpose of this question is to evaluate your understanding of
the functional area you are applying for, and why your experience
and skills would make you successful in this role. Make sure you
research the area you are applying for extensively; it helps to
network with fellows and other industry professionals to gain an
understanding of the role and help you articulate the essential
functions of the area. Then, give a compelling reason why you are
a good fit. If you have experience in other functional areas or
strong clinical pharmacy experience, you may be asked this
question in the context of why you are making a switch.
 "WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENT?"
You may choose to answer this question with a professional or
personal achievement. Think about a moment you were most
proud of that highlights a quality or trait about yourself that you
want to showcase to your interviewers. For example, a time you
led a project to completion with various obstacles can show
tenacity and leadership; teaching yourself a new skill or
excelling in a sport shows discipline; an impact you made on a
patient demonstrates care and empathy.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY

QUESTIONS FOR US?
You should always ask questions at the end of an interview
since it shows your interest in the role. You can look up your
interviewer (usually the current fellow and/or preceptor) on
LinkedIn to learn more about them and their job
responsibilities. For fellows, you can ask them about what
deliverables they create in their role. For preceptors, you
can ask about their precepting style or how the fellowship
role has evolved over the years. Keep it to 1-3 questions and
make sure you don't go over the allotted interview time.
Make sure you thank them for answering your questions.

THE STAR
QUESTIONS
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
The STAR format is essential to answering behavioral
questions. They analyze skills specific to the role such as:
Adaptability, Relationship Building, Communication,
Initiative, Development, Leadership, Decision-Making,
Analytical Thinking and Teamwork

View our recent webinar on the STAR method:

Shine Like A STAR in Behavioral Interviews (Hosted by
AbbVie)

"A TIME WHERE YOU HAD A

DISAGREEMENT OR CONFLICT
WITH A COLLEAGUE"
This question evaluates your conflict resolution and problem
solving abilities. Show that you value differences in ideas and
opinions, and are able to compromise with your teammates
on the best solution for the task at hand. Always end on a
positive note and how the disagreement was resolved in a
productive manner. Be specific with the outcome and
resolution!
 "A TIME YOU TOOK A RISK
AND HOW IT WORKED OUT"
This question is asking how well you perform in ambiguous
environments. Many times, you will be put in situations where
there are no clear instructions or it is the first time you and your
team are trying something. Demonstrate your resourcefulness,
problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and how you made an
educated and calculated risk to move a project forward.

"A TIME YOU WORKED WELL

ON A TEAM"
Most projects you work on will require a team of different
people to help you achieve the project's goals. Describe
how you aligned all of your objectives to work together
efficiently. Additionally, speak about how you built
relationships with your teammates, especially if none
previously existed, and how that contributed to the
success of the initiative.

"A TIME YOU CHALLENGED AN

IDEA OR APPROACH"
This question evaluates your decision-making skills and
courage to speak-up, even when it is difficult to do so. You
should be able to articulate why you challenged the idea and
show how you are able to make decisions based on integrity
and alignment to the company or institution's priorities and
values.

"A TIME YOU MADE A MISTAKE

OR COULDN'T FOLLOW
THROUGH ON A COMMITMENT"
Hold yourself accountable to the commitments and decisions
that you and others have made. Take ownership for your
mistakes and describe the steps you took to make things right.
Also mention how you achieved your results despite any
setbacks and strategies on how you can avoid these situations
in the future.

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE?

1) Consider what traits you want to convey about
yourself in an interview.
2) Share stories/experiences that support those traits.
3) Then, when you are asked interview questions,
you have a wealth of prepared experiences you can
already draw from. Interviewees have a lot more
control over the conversation than they realize!