You didn’t prepare enough.
It’s not enough to just read the job description, says Mary Barber. Learn as much as you can about the history, expectations, culture, and leadership of the facility you’re interviewing with. Don’t rely solely on the hospital or practice’s Website – look at internet search engines and databases to see if the organization participates in research or education and if it has received any grants and is affiliated with other prominent institutions, so you’ll be able to discuss and inquire about those efforts.
You were unsuitably dressed.
Patrice Streicher mentions a New York City-based physician who showed up for an interview in Pasadena, Texas, wearing a 3-piece pinstriped suit.
“He was very polished and an excellent candidate,” says Streicher, “but he threw the executive team off because he gave the impression that he would be too high priced and not culturally a good fit for the practice.” Contrastingly, Streicher had a candidate who left an unprofessional feel by showing up in a sundress for an interview. She explains, “The Director of Recruitment asked the candidate, who lived in the community where the practice was located, to meet her at a local coffee shop, and apparently the candidate assumed that a casual environment called for casual attire. In hindsight, she should have worn business casual clothing. This was, after all, a business meeting.”