Let me guess - PA First Job situation? You're in the right place! Your first job as a PA is so important as you transition from academic to professional life. Build the perfect PA resume and cover letter with 7-day FREE ACCESS to ResumeBoss for Physician Assistants: On Today's Episode of "What NOT To Do In Your First PA Job:" Liz Maselli, MBA, PA-C, Operations Manager at Hartford Healthcare, offers new grads and others looking to launch their physician assistant career sound advice to help them excel in the field. Maselli describes her own unlikely Hero's Journey as an undergraduate English major completely unaware of the PA profession. After some personal insight from her mom on her "fit" for a career in medicine, Maselli was unexpectedly "poured into" during a routine medical check-up by her treating PA, who told her all about the profession. That seemingly random PA served as a career angel shining a light toward Maselli's own physician assistant career journey. Upon graduating, Maselli leveraged her faith in God and the NICU experience she credits for saving her young niece's life to help her pick her initial career path. After spending a year as a NICU PA, her love of surgery beckoned her to switch specialties. Now she leads a team of surgery PAs at St. Vincent's Hospital (part of the Hartford HealthCare system in Connecticut). Maselli is well-known (and well-loved) regionally as a premier preceptor, an incredible mentor, and a talented PA clinician and leader. For PA job applicants, Maselli overviews the resume screening process, the interview process, and the "red" and "green" flags candidates exhibit during the selection process. Perhaps the most crucial advice Maselli offers new grad PAs is about selling yourself as a great candidate for a specific job. It's about knowing your "why" and how that passion aligns with the organization's mission, core values, and the role itself. The interview is full of interview tips, including PA interview questions and answers, interview questions PA should ask, physician assistant salary insights, and other insider secrets on how to get hired. SHOW NOTES: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Hero's Journey 08:45 PA Interview Process 10:37 How To Make A New Grad Resume Stand Out 12:24 Interview Questions & Answers (Part 1) 15:47 Toughest Interview Questions 19:14 How PA Hiring Decisions Are Made 23:33 Candidate "Red Flags" To Avoid 27:32 Interview Questions & Answers (Part 2) 32:12 Negotiating Salary As A New PA 36:01 What NOT To Do In Your First PA Job 40:57 What TO Do In Your First PA Job 42:51 Career Genie Advice CONNECT WITH MASELLI: