When it comes to job interviews, we always assume that our only responsibility is to answer their questions to the best of our ability. While the main goal is to accurately relay your knowledge, skills and personality, interviews aren’t only about questions that they ask you. In fact, it’s important to come with questions of your own.
If you’re interviewing with a PT clinic, you probably have more questions about both their operations and the position than they covered in their job listing or through your research. That’s why you should be prepared with questions to ask a PT clinic interviewer. But what are the most productive and appropriate questions to ask? That’s what we’re here to discuss.
Read on to learn about the importance of asking questions to a PT clinic during an interview and what specific questions to prepare.
The importance of asking questions to a PT clinic during an interview
The main goal of an interview for any job, including a position at a physical therapy clinic, is to see if you’re qualified to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of the role. It also gives the employer insight into how you’ll fit into the clinic’s culture.
While it may seem like the interviewer is entirely responsible for accomplishing these goals, they can actually fall onto you, the interviewee, as well. You’ll want to gather as much information as possible about how your qualifications will be utilized in the position as well as how your personality will blend into the culture.
Not only does asking a PT clinic interviewer questions show that you’re interested in the role, but it also reflects positive traits, such as being enthusiastic, engaging and eager to learn.
5 questions to ask PT clinics during interviews
The key to asking a PT clinic interviewer questions is to make sure that the questions are respectful, relevant and insightful. While many people are tempted to not do any more talking than what is prompted by the interviewer, it’s just as important for you to learn about the clinic as it is for them to learn about you.
While some of these questions may be mentioned in the job listing or on the PT clinic’s website, it’s important to hear as many details as possible from one of their employees. You can also preface the question by saying, “I read x on the listing/site but I would appreciate clarification.”
Here are five questions that you should ask a PT clinic when you interview with them:
- “How many patients does the clinic see on a regular basis?”
It’s important to get an idea about how many patients the clinic handles on a daily or weekly basis. You want to make sure that you won’t be overloaded with sessions in a way that will inhibit their quality. But you also want to make sure that you would have enough sessions so that you’re not twiddling your thumbs for extended periods.
- “Do you provide training or certification opportunities for continuing education?”
In the world of physical therapy, there’s always something new to learn. It can be beneficial for both you and your patients if you seek continuing education to gain certifications and licensure to provide additional treatments. It’s important to know about training that the clinic may offer, or if they provide reimbursement for educational expenses to further your knowledge and skill sets.
- “What is the most common injury or condition that the clinic treats?”
While many clinics offer treatments for nearly every type of injury or medical condition, they will often see many patients with the same problems, such as chronic back pain or arthritis pain. By learning about what they treat most often, you can gain a better idea about what techniques you’ll likely be utilizing on a regular basis and how they work with your qualifications.
- “What is the onboarding process?”
The last thing you want to do is accept an offer to a clinic that immediately throws you into the deep end. It’s important to ask about the type of training that you will receive if you’re hired. By describing the onboarding process, they can also tell you what type of caseload that you will start off with.
- “What schedule are you looking for this position to have?”
A physical therapy clinic rarely follows a nine-to-five schedule on weekdays. Look on the site for their operating hours and inquire about the shift schedule. If you have other responsibilities, such as parenting duties or school, it’s important to know about the flexibility of the position.
Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy is searching for caring, effective and committed team members for our PT partnership. Are you ready to be one of them?
Caring. Effective. Committed. These may not be words that come to mind when you think about physical therapy partnerships, but as a partner of Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy is here to change that.
Our committed team has worked with Alliance PTP to build a highly effective nationwide partner network. This network includes unique physical therapy practices like ours that are staffed by caring physical therapists who are ready to provide patients with effective, personalized care for their needs. We’re also committed to helping our team members get high-quality mentorship opportunities, improve their skills and create a true work-life balance.
Still not sure if becoming a Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy team member is the right move for you? Learn more about the professional development we can offer thanks to our Alliance PTP partnership or take a look at our current career openings.
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