Acing the SLP Externship Interview

Graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) must complete externships in order to obtain the minimum 375 direct contact hours in order to graduate as required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The majority of externship placements will want to interview the student before agreeing to take them on. For some sites, such as schools, this is more of a formality to get to know the student and their interests. For other sites, such as medical, there are many applicants and they can only choose one per semester. Below are tips on acing the SLP externship interview!

Be positive and confident

It’s more than just knowledge. Supervisors want to know that you are genuinely motivated to work with them and their clients. Do your homework and research the site and then talk about all of the reasons you want to be there. Maybe they specialize in AAC clients and that is an interest of yours. Or maybe they have a therapy pig and you want to learn how to use therapy animals in sessions. They will be delighted to hear that you are interested in what their site is offering clients.

Also, keep things positive! Do not speak negatively about your program, peers, or other externship experiences. If there is something that is lacking, such as your experience with giving standardized evaluations or a previous supervisor that did not meet your standards, spin that into an opportunity that you would like to learn from. For example, talk about how you would like to give more evaluations or would like a supervisor that is more hands-on. This shows maturity and that you aren’t willing to throw others under the bus (and that you will show them the same respect once you finish the externship).

Stress that you are willing to go the extra mile

Other than obtaining clinical clock hours, your goal is to soak up everything that an externship site offers. You want to experience what an SLP does day in and day out. That includes things like parent-teacher nights at schools, completing Saturday screenings, or attending in-services. These are all things that your supervisor must do and trust me, it is very annoying when a student doesn’t make the effort to take advantage of extra experiences. These are things that will be a part of your job once you graduate. Better start now!

State what you do know already

During an interview, SLPs may ask what you know about a specific topic or what experiences you have had. For example, they may ask if you have given specific tests or used AAC with clients before. This makes students nervous if they haven’t had a specific experience (yet). Be honest with the SLP about your experience but state what you have done and what you do know. For example, maybe you haven’t given the PLS-5 yet but have given other tests and understand what is required when giving standardized measures. Or maybe you haven’t used high-tech AAC but everyone has used low-tech AAC (e.g., visual schedules, first/then boards, choice boards). Seasoned SLPs know that you are there to learn, so they can’t expect you to know everything. However, you can show them that you already have a strong foundation that will set you up for success at your externship.

Remind them that you are there to learn

Again, there is no way that you can be expected to know everything while you are still in graduate school. Talk about what you do know and what experiences you have had. Then talk about how that will help you at this site. Also, be sure to mention any relevant courses or clinical experiences that you will have between the interview and the starting the externship. When it comes to any gaps in learning or experiences, let the site know that you are motivated to learn all that you can!

Ask what you can do to prepare

Another tip for acing the SLP externship interview is to be proactive and show that you are motivated to succeed at this site by asking them what you can do to prepare before beginning the placement. Maybe they have standardized measures they prefer or they use specific therapeutic techniques. Ask them about it and research this on your own. It will show motivation and also help once you start because you will already be ahead of the learning curve.

For more information on SLP externships, read my other blogs HERE.