In the Loop

News and views from across Mayo Clinic

June 9, 2015

The Cosmo Guide to Getting Hired at Mayo Clinic

By In the Loop

ArizonaCosmo805He's willing to play along with the inevitable jokes, but Brent Bultema admits he wasn't really expecting to see his name splashed across the pages of Cosmo. In fact, when the interview request first came in, Mayo Clinic's director of Recruitment Strategies wasn't sure if it was serious. But while Bultema knew the magazine's readership and style bent was not, um, in his wheelhouse, the topic certainly was. And he says he's happy with the resulting article, "Interview Insider: How to Get Hired at the Mayo Clinic," which went beyond the surface to give a sense of the organization and some common sense tips to those interested in working here.

Bultema's team, it seems, was pretty pleased at the opportunity to have a little fun with the article, which recently appeared on the magazine's website, at his expense. And the reaction from some of his more fashion savvy colleagues, he says, was "gut-busting, doubled over laughter." He responds by joking about just how behind the fashion curve he is and with quips about his shopping habits. (Hint: we use the term "habit" loosely.)

The article is part of a series on getting hired at leading companies. (Go to the website, and you'll see teasers for similar pieces on CNN, Hulu, Match, Spanx and Zara, among others.) Bultema says he appreciates the way it "pulls back the curtains on the application process." The more you can prepare a candidate, he says, "the better their experience in showing their capabilities." One of his goals, he says, was "making Mayo Clinic more approachable, especially in a time of increased competition for talent." Another was letting readers know about "the variety of opportunities that exist at Mayo Clinic – not just in terms of the variety of jobs but also the number and diversity of locations that Mayo has."

Here's a sampling of our favorite tips:

  • "The best candidates … have very clear experiences and comfort working within teams, fostering innovation, demonstrating integrity and respect, and an innate need to help provide hope and healing for our patients."
  • "Most of our new graduate opportunities are related to our patient care positions and for departments such as nursing, clinical labs, research, mid-level providers ... and a variety of technician/technologist roles."
  • "The interviews consist of questions that help us understand what behaviors you'll exhibit in certain situations."
  • "The interview — especially the panel portion — is the ideal time to ask any questions as it pertains to interacting with others in the work unit and/or with customers … It's important that the candidate have a comfort level with not just who they'll report to, but who'll be working alongside them."
  • "We encourage all candidates to dress business-formal during their interview." (We didn't ask about hosiery.)

We might have added, "Work the phrase 'my brother and I' into at least one answer," "'the needs of the patient come first' is the correct answer to any question," and "don't even ask about parking."

While Buletma doesn't expect to be offered a regular gig in his new favorite fashion magazine, he does admit that he and his team are happy they can say this about the good folks at Cosmo: "At least they considered a career at Mayo Clinic to be in fashion."

It's always in style to share your comments on the In the Loop blog, where you'll also find tools to share this story with others.

Tags: Careers, Cosmo, Interviewing Tips, Recruitment, Staff Stories

What a great opportunity for Mayo Clinic to get some unique publicity with younger generations. Cosmo is a conduit to the age group who are the future of Mayo. Unfortunately, you disadvantaged this recruitment opportunity with a large portion of advanced practice providers, when you labeled them "mid-level providers" in this very public venue. The term "mid-level provider" is an out dated, and purposefully demeaning term derived from the minds of insecure physicians, and demonstrates the clear classification system between physicians and non-physician providers that still exists at Mayo Clinic, which is reminiscent of the 1960s. To be clear, there is nothing "mid level" about an advanced practice provider, or the care they provide. Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are all advanced practice providers who are educated, certified, licensed, and capable of providing the exact same level of care that a physician can in their field, which is not "mid level" at all. For recruitment purposes, Mayo Clinic would do itself a world of good to drop the outdated, demeaning, and limiting term of "mid level provider". It, quite simply, isn't accurate, and does nothing to help your recruitment of these excellent health care providers. They make up a large portion of your team!
Kind Regards,
Katherine M. Jacobsen APRN, CRNA

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