Job Search and Interview Tips

Congratulations to our second year students who have all accepted work positions over the past couple of months! As the Class of 2016 prepares to graduate and start their new jobs, they would like to share some tips regarding the job search process, and interviewing:

"Don’t be afraid to expand the geographical area of where you are applying, you never know where you might find the perfect fit!” -Kristin

“Take advantage of the alumni reunion party at the NSGC AEC. You never know who has a job opening, or who may know of someone with a job opening. Make those connections and maintain them.” -Erin

"It’s important to think critically about what it is you want out of a position. If you go into the interview process understanding your own priorities, it will make finding a position that fits so much easier for you and your future employer.” -Nikki




"Do a little research into the institution or the hot topics of the sub-specialty for which you are interviewing and come up with some thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer. It never fails to impress!” -Amy K.



"Pay attention to the interview process itself and how smoothly (or not smoothly) everything is organized. It’s a good way to get a glimpse into how that hospital/organization runs in general. Listen to the red flags if they are there!” -Laura

“Keep yourself open to every opportunity that comes along and advocate for yourself! You never know where you might find the perfect job fit – it could be at a conference, alumni meeting, through a job posting, or over brunch.” -Kerrianne





"Before starting the interview process, think about how your graduate school experience makes you unique compared to not only other new grads, but to experienced GCs as well. Be prepared to give specific examples. Highlight your readiness to be an independent genetic counselor by discussing the number of cases you’ve seen and the responsibilities you’ve taken on in sessions.” -Bess

"Ask current GCs what they wish they had known before working at that institution, and ask about what their work/life balance looks like.” -Kelly

"Know what your strengths are and what sets you apart from others. Don’t downplay them because you can use them to prove your worth when negotiating for better pay.” -Tricia

"Practice interview questions with a friend or classmate. Be prepared to reflect on a difficult case you saw as a student, and how you were able to learn from that experience and improve for future cases.” -Amy D.

"You should go into the job search process knowing that every hospital/company/department will be on a little bit of a different timeline. Some will contact you right away after you apply, while others may go through a longer HR process first. Some will ask you for a phone or skype interview before considering flying you out for an in person interview, while others will ask you to come right away. This may put you on a different timeline than your classmates who are also searching for jobs. That is completely normal and expected, so do not worry if it takes you a little longer to find a job!” -Becca

Impactful Educational Experiences

As the Class of 2016 prepares for graduation, students reflect on some of their favorite educational experiences in the Program outside of clinical rotations:

“I really loved Dr. Arnold’s lecture on metabolic disorders. I felt like she knew how to make a really complicated topic understandable in a way that stuck with me and is clearly an expert in her field.”  -Tricia

“I really enjoyed the Counseling Skills classes in our second year because we were able to connect theory to practice and share our own experiences confronting various psychosocial situations common to genetic counseling sessions along with strategies we've used to handle those situations.” –Bess

“Dr. Vellody gave an illuminating lecture regarding individuals and families with Down syndrome. He is an insightful doctor who works hard to improve every aspect of patient/physician interaction.”

-Kerrianne

"GC students invited Dr. Jehannine Austin to the University of Pittsburgh to share her experiences in creating the very first psychiatric genetic counseling clinic. Students benefited from some additional time speaking with her beyond her talk in which she inspired us to seek out areas of the profession that we are passionate about and to consider what unique attributes we bring to the field.”

–Amy K.

“I really enjoyed our cardiology lecture. Heart conditions can be so complicated, so it helped a lot to be able to visualize them on real human hearts (and it was so cool)!” – Becca

C. C. Li

“The C.C. Li Lecture last spring, given by Nancy Cox of Vanderbilt University, was an incredible and inspiring lecture that gave us insight into the future of research in the world of genetics and genomics for common disease.” –Nikki

“It was an eye-opening and emotional experience to hear from individuals and families impacted by genetic testing and the diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. This was an amazing way to hear patient perspectives and better understand the many considerations that go into pursuing genetic testing.” 

-Kelly

“It was really interesting listening to the panel of non-clinical GCs about their journeys of how they got to the positions they are in now. It really showed us all the possibilities out there for us with our degrees.”

-Kristin

"I enjoyed the many classes we had related to promoting job-related skills such as resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and salary negotiation!” –Laura

“Dr. Finder gave an inspiring lecture on the past, present, and future of treatments and management for individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Additionally, Dr. Finder is very passionate about the utility of genetics in all areas of medicine.” –Erin

“There have been numerous opportunities to attend conferences and be involved in fellowships such as the Rare Disease Day Conference, the Reproductive Ethics Conference, the NYMAC Fellowship, and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation Fellowship on Death and Dying. These experiences have enhanced my understanding of concepts learned in both the clinic and the classroom.”

–Amy D.