Job hunting season is upon us, and like many other soon-to-be university graduates, you’re getting ready to put yourself forward for one of your dream jobs. The only downside? You’ve heard that quite a few other new grads (maybe even people you have studied alongside!) are going for the role too.  

How do you stand out in your Speech Pathology job interview when you find yourself in this situation? What questions can you ask your future SLP employer, and how can you prepare for the interview to make sure your application cuts through the noise? 

In this article, we’re going to share some of our best tips to help you stand out in your Speech Pathology job interview.  

 

How to Stand Out in Your Speech Pathology Job Interview 

 

Do Your Research 

When you are in the running for a really great Speech Pathology job opportunity, you’ll want to have done your research beforehand. Taking the time to get to know the company you’ll be working for, their values, their service delivery model, and some general information about the leaders on the hiring team will have you feeling much more relaxed as you go into the job interview.  

You can find most of this information on the company’s website prior to the interview, but it’s also beneficial to take another look at the original job ad that you applied for to refresh your memory on what your key responsibilities will be. 

Once you have this information under your belt, you’ll be well placed to start planning some questions that you’d like to ask the interviewer(s) during your Speech Pathology job interview.  

 

Prepare Questions to Ask the Interviewer 

When it comes to the end of the interview, pretty much every employer will ask you if you have any questions you’d like to ask them. This is one of the opportunities during the interview process that you can use to stand out from the crowd. Take time before your interview to write down a handful of questions that you’d like to ask your future SLP employer. If you have these in a notebook, you can jot down notes or cross questions off if the employer answers these questions during your job interview discussion.  

Pro tip: While you’ll understandably be very interested in the Speech Pathologist salary, it’s best not to ask that question during your first job interview. Your goal is to show interest in the position and demonstrate the contribution you could make to the team. 

 

Reflect On Your Strengths  

While it can be daunting to interview for a Speech Pathology job when you know that many of the people you’ve been studying with are interested in it too, it’s important that you reflect on your strengths heading into the conversation. You may not feel like you got the best grades possible, but that isn’t the be-all and end-all! 

Over the last 2-4 years (depending on whether you’re a masters or bachelor student) you’ll have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge that will have grown your skills in different areas. Take some time out to take stock of what things you’ve done well on placement and during your studies, and how these have contributed to your growth as an individual and a professional.  

 

Prepare Some Examples 

During this reflective time where you are considering your strengths and the growth you’ve achieved during your studies, note down any specific examples. Perhaps you had something occur on placement that helped you to improve or demonstrate a certain skill. Maybe during your studies you had a particular experience that inspired you to pursue a particular area in Speech Pathology more, and now you’re in the running for a role with that specific area in mind.  

Having specific examples that you can draw on will be helpful when you are (inevitably) asked some questions that ask for a specific example of how you… 

• Overcame a challenge 
• Decided you wanted to work in x area in Speech Pathology 
• Handled a workplace disagreement 
• Manage stress and a busy workload 

 

Follow-Up After the Interview 

There’s one last thing we’d recommend you do to stand out in your speech pathology job interview – follow-up! While it can feel a little strange at first, taking those extra few moments a day or two after your Speech Pathology job interview can pay off big time. 

Most people will complete a job interview with a potential SLP employer and then immediately go back to whatever they were doing (maybe finishing a placement) and waiting to hear back from the interviewers as to whether or not it was successful. 

However, regardless of whether or not you receive the role, it’s always worth taking the time to thank the interviewers for their time. A simple email like the one in the example below can go a long way in making you stand out from the crowd. 

 

Hello XXX 

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the XXX role yesterday/earlier this week. 

I had a wonderful time discussing XX with you and was grateful to hear about your [insert something unique about their job opportunity/offer/team culture]. 

I hope to hear from you soon, 

XXXX 

 

 

We hope you’ve found this article helpful! Now it’s time for you to put what you’ve learned into action and get ready for your Speech Pathology job interview. Good luck with what’s ahead – we have our fingers crossed for you that you land that dream job.  

For more tips to help you along your Speech Pathology career, take a look at our guide to thriving in your first year as a new grad Speech Pathologist.