By Debbie Bunch
September 27, 2024
Whether you are seeking your first job in the profession or your fifth, you know potential employers care about your RT degree, your RT credentials, and your previous employment experience.
But beyond those givens, there is a lot more that hiring managers consider when recruiting new people to fill positions. Here are four things they look for, and how you can show the manager you have them —
Communication skills: Patient care is a team sport, and that means RTs must work closely not only with other members of their own discipline, but also with nurses, physicians, and a host of other clinicians who come into contact with their patients on a day-to-day basis. Good communication skills and the ability to adapt to the situation at hand are essential to ensuring that everyone on the patient’s care team remains on the same page.
How you can show the manager you have these skills: Convey your ability to communicate by introducing yourself to everyone you meet during the interview, maintaining eye contact with the people you talk to, asking questions that show you are engaged in the conversation, and giving the manager and anyone else you interact with during the interview your full and undivided attention.
Problem-solving skills: No two patients are alike, even if they are suffering from the same condition. RTs need to know how to quickly and effectively assess the patient’s condition and determine the best way to deliver the prescribed therapy. That requires an ability to think on your feet, know when to move forward on your own or ask for help, and above all project a calm demeanor that will inspire confidence in your abilities.
How you can show the manager you have these skills: Take advantage of behavioral interviewing questions that ask about times when you have felt challenged on the job or times when you have been asked to take on an especially difficult task to illustrate your problem-solving abilities. It is best to have 2-3 great stories ready to go in the event these questions come up, and even if they don’t, you can work them into the conversation to show you know how to handle difficult situations.
Teachability: Respiratory care is in a constant state of change, and employers want RTs who are willing to try new methods, explore novel therapies, and accept policy and procedure changes when they come down from management. Your department cannot progress unless everyone is on board with the concept of lifelong learning.
How you can show the manager you have these skills: Share your experiences taking on new responsibilities at a former job and cite your continuing education activities in the recent past, such as any courses you may have taken to prepare for specialty credentialing exams or earn a certificate in a specific area of the profession. If you have yet to earn your bachelor’s degree but are planning to so do, outline your plans to meet your goal.
A positive attitude: More than anything, RT hiring managers are looking for job candidates who fit in well with their departments, won’t succumb to the negative behaviors exhibited by others, and come in to work every day ready to focus on the job at hand — providing excellent care to their patients. These are employees who are willing to lend their coworkers a hand when needed, take on additional tasks when it’s for the good of the department, and focus on the bright side of any situation.
How you can show the manager you have these skills: The best way to demonstrate your positivity is to exude positivity during the interview itself. Do that by avoiding the use of negative words and phrases, focusing on your ability to overcome obstacles, speaking well of others, and showing enthusiasm for the profession of respiratory care.
