Interviewing for a Hospital Information Security Administrator - Tips?

RogueJD

Hey all.

Today, I'm interviewing for a position with a pretty prestigious hospital for a position as a Security Administrator in the audit / compliance department.

I'll be speaking with a HR person, then a hiring manager for the specific department.

Any specific guidance on what to expect from the interview?

I'm hoping to hear from those who have worked in a similar field, or as a hiring manager for IT Security, audit and compliance departments, or healthcare IT.

I'm confident in my general ability to conduct an interview, but I know little of what to expect from the technical portion where I'll be speaking to the department hiring manager.

rsutton

A few general tips.
-Ask the employer some specifics about the position (what does a typical day look like, what is the difference between a good & great employee in this role, what is the average turn-around in this role etc.)
-The job ad should give you an idea of what to expect in the technical interview. Expect scenario-based questions related to the technology you will be supporting.
-Speak slowly, clearly and with enthusiasm
-Send a follow-up thank you email to the hiring manager, if possible

--chris--

RogueJD wrote: »

Hey all.

Today, I'm interviewing for a position with a pretty prestigious hospital for a position as a Security Administrator in the audit / compliance department.

I'll be speaking with a HR person, then a hiring manager for the specific department.

Any specific guidance on what to expect from the interview?

I'm hoping to hear from those who have worked in a similar field, or as a hiring manager for IT Security, audit and compliance departments, or healthcare IT.

I'm confident in my general ability to conduct an interview, but I know little of what to expect from the technical portion where I'll be speaking to the department hiring manager.

Like Rsutton suggested, ask details regarding what kind of work this position will perform. In the hospital I worked at, the Security people were actually just people that reviewed new employee (and transfer employees) hiring info (department, position, title, etc...) and placed them into the correct security groups in AD. They had a few other duties, but nothing like you would expect out of a "Security Admin" position.

The meat of the security work was handled by the system administrator group.

cyberguypr

Having done healthcare for a while I was always surprised that many people we interviewed had no idea what HIPAA was. I always gave extra points to those who could talk about the HIPAA Security Rule, ePHI, safeguards, etc.

RogueJD

Well guys. Interview complete!

I got to say - I'm super excited.

The position is more of a HIPAA / certification compliance auditor position. There are some standard IT administration roles, too - but it seems to be more like ensuring compliance with acquired information systems than resetting passwords and tweaking user access.

So, to give those who are interested some more info, I'm former Military with a Master's in IT: Information Security. I mention the military only because one of my largest roles with them was enforcing compliance with regulatory guidance. I conducted audits of the evidence room, and related procedures. These weren't just inspections, but internal audits. In the military, negligence in this area can literally mean jail time.

So, I walked in, met the receptionist, and while waiting for the HR person, spoke with her a bit about the hospital. I told her what I was interviewing for, but not with whom. She said that many come in for the HR interview, few speak to the hiring manager. Her eyes perked up when I said I'm meeting with both today. She said, "Wow, that's a great sign. They're really serious about you."

Met with HR. Pretty standard stuff. Very nice people. It was less of an interview, and more of a "getting to know you session." I'm not sure if I'm overanalyzing it, and I'm not prone to wishful thinking, but it seemed a formality that needed to be checked off the list.

Then I met the Hiring Manager. She told me much about the position, and how she came up in the hospital. Basically, she's been with the hospital as an Info Sec Administrator since it was a State-run facility on the edge of its doors closing. She's a somebody in the organization. Brimming with knowledge and a genuine mentor. EXACTLY the thing I could have hoped for. EXACTLY what I was missing in my current job.

Again, I'm not one for wishful thinking, but I feel great about the interview. "If you're meeting the hiring manager, then they're really considering you. Most who get that far, get the job." "We're going to make a fast decision." "I like what I see here. A lot." The hiring manager stumbling a bit to catch herself and add the non-personal "the person we select" as opposed to "you" when speaking about her goals for the audit / compliance department.

We'll see!

Thanks for the tips. Rsutton - Great advice. Worked out well.

I'll be sure to send a follow-up email to the Hiring Manager.