Phone Interview for New Grad position

hellosandiego · May 21, 2010

Hello, may I ask if you have your BSN and if you applied on the usajobs site for this position or how you were possibly able to secure this position? I would love to work for the VA but I have my ADN and know that they prefer (if not require BSNs) :\ My one year anniversary for being an unemployed new grad is days away so I know how important this is for you.

I'm sure you stated in your resume and or application your current address so if they are calling you for a phone interview despite that, then they're probably aware you will be moving for that position. So just be sure to let them know that you're willing to move and maybe stress how since you have no other obligations (AKA can't find anything else at the moment) that you'll be readily available to them :] Good luck!

smn2010, BSN, RN · May 22, 2010

if you are interviewing for a position at the v.a. you must have applied directly to the position or you applied for a posting that had "open" locations (positions available all over the u.s. with the same job title). regardless, be calm. actually, be very, very excited and happy you have been contacted. :yeah: i have friends who applied to the v.a. 2+ years ago and continue to reapply for new positions and still have not been called for an interview.

your current location really isn't an issue. the fact that you have no experience is really not an issue either. believe me, the individuals who will be interviewing you have reviewed your application along with all of your accompanying application forms so they are fully aware of what experience you have--or don't have and they know that you are on the opposite coast from where the position is that is available. i have friends from north carolina that were offered jobs at the v.a. in california. ...they are no longer in north carolina---packed their bags/belongings and moved, with no problems!!! :) the interviewer will definitely be discussing the facility along with the location of the facility. he/she will most likely ask you "why" you want to relocate. just be sure not to sound as though you will go "anywhere" for a job. instead, talk about the job itself and what you find most interesting about the job that appeals to you. this alone will let the interviewer know that you are interested in relocating--not just to have a job but because you want to work on this unit/department/patient skill set, etc.

for every position that you have worked, you can some how incorporate that experience into the skills/abilities that are needed for the v.a. position that you are applying for. take your resume and compare your listed skills/abilities to what the registered nurse position requires. where ever you have worked, i am sure you can draw comparisons to good communication skills, detail oriented, multi-tasker, organized....

hopefully, you printed and saved a copy of all positions you have applied for with the v.a. (or any organization) which includes the full job description and job requirements/expectations. take that copy and do the following:

beside each v.a. skills/abilities (job requirements) - write down something from your resume that you can use as a "comparison." write down "how" your non-medical experience has helped to prepare you for any/all skills you plan to use as an rn. as i said before, good communication skills (can be compared to therapeutic communication); detail-oriented (even if you worked at mcdonald's you had to pay attention to detail!!!); multi-tasker (very few people do only one thing while on-the-job); computer/software knowledge (software used at a previous job can be easily be compared to the computer environment that hospitals are utilizing now--versus hand-charting....i.e. "you are good with computers and willing to learn new software applications" is something you can state in an interview. heck, for example, even mcdonald's has new computerized cash registers that everyone has to learn to use...in the interview i would talk about how you were not intimidated about learning something new!!!:))

with the requirements that are strictly medical (vital signs, head-to-toe assessments, client teaching, charting, therapeutic communications, patient admission/transfer/discharge, etc.) use your clinical rotations--all of them (medical/surgical, geriatric, l&d, community health...) and write down "how" the clinicals have prepared you to do the job the v.a. is looking for.

i believe you actually have more skill/abilities than you realize. many people sell themselves short and don't give themselves credit for what they have done in the past and what they are able to do in the future. i think that once you go line-by-line down the job description for the v.a. job and site/write down your resume-and-school clinical experience (medical vs. non-medical) you will realize that in many, many ways your non-medical/non-nursing experience has basically prepared you for the field of nursing and can be associated, in some way, to the medical experience that is needed for the job you are applying for.

complete the comparison. then read it over and over again until you believe in yourself that you have the skills and a lot of the experience that is needed. then, when you interview, you will be more confident about the job you are trying to get hired for.

you're a new grad!! be happy!!! let that happiness and optimism shine when you talk on the phone or in an in-person interview.

good luck with your phone interview. :up:

RNSerna · May 24, 2010

hellosandiego.....thank you and actually I have only my ADN so that goes to show they actually do consider us.

To smn2009...I want to thank you so kindly for all the information and great advice you gave. You're so right as far as being able to incorpoorate even non medical experience to the position I am applying for. It's for a new grad position so I'm sure they know I'm not going to posess much experience behind me. Prior to nursing school, I mainly had only done alot of administrative work and different office jobs.

I reviewed some of the practice questions the VA supplies on their website and even though some of the questions are not too hard to answer, some really stump me and wish I knew great ways to answer them.

I do have another question though. I want to start and end with a bang. Any suggestions on ways of introducing myself and a few good questions to ask when the interviewer asks me if I have any questions. Also, what's a great way of expressing my enthusiasm over the phone before hanging up..

As you can tell, I'm just so nervous about it...and want to do great

wannabe07 · May 24, 2010

Hello,

Best of luck to you. Definitely use examples when answering each question. When I help interview people in my non-nursing job, we want to hear thorough examples, and we rate each answer on a point scale, only answers with detailed examples get the maximum points.

Also, send a hand-written thank you note to the manager/recruiter and send it within 24-48 hours after your interview. Avoid thanking via email!!! You will be amazed how far this may get you.

Definitely research this site for good questions, they are extremely helpful. Be as unit specific as possible..."what is your nurse/patient ratio", "what are challenges nurses on your unit face", "what is your management style", "what are opportunities for nurses to get involved in policy formation or research for evidence-based practice", etc etc. One of my instructors said she used the question "does this unit feel like a family?" and this opened a door for her to express how she wanted to belong to a unit where everyone worked together, etc etc.

Best of luck to you, update us how it goes!!

RNSerna · May 24, 2010

Wannabe07,

Thank you so very much..on tips you gave me and most off all, some really great questions to ask when I get the opportunity during the interview. And yes, I do have every intention of sending a thank you note.

I have been conducting like a cheat sheet to use during my interview on key notes about the facility, qualities I posess, good nursing words/phrases to use throughout the interview and the VA's mission and vision statements. Also I'm including questions to ask and what to say before we disconnect with each other that will leave a great impression....any ideas on how to express my enthousiasm in the end??

Thanks again so much for everyones help on this. I'm so amazed on these forums what you can find out and how greatly everyones willing to help out!

RNSerna · May 24, 2010

wannabe07,

thank you so very much..on tips you gave me and most off all, some really great questions to ask when i get the opportunity during the interview. and yes, i do have every intention of sending a thank you note.

i have been conducting like a cheat sheet to use during my interview on key notes about the facility, qualities i posess, good nursing words/phrases to use throughout the interview and the va's mission and vision statements. also i'm including questions to ask and what to say before we disconnect with each other that will leave a great impression....any ideas on how to express my enthousiasm in the end??

thanks again so much for everyones help on this. i'm so amazed on these forums what you can find out and how greatly everyones willing to help out :)

wannabe07 · May 25, 2010

wannabe07,
thank you so very much..on tips you gave me and most off all, some really great questions to ask when i get the opportunity during the interview. and yes, i do have every intention of sending a thank you note.
i have been conducting like a cheat sheet to use during my interview on key notes about the facility, qualities i posess, good nursing words/phrases to use throughout the interview and the va's mission and vision statements. also i'm including questions to ask and what to say before we disconnect with each other that will leave a great impression....any ideas on how to express my enthousiasm in the end??
thanks again so much for everyones help on this. i'm so amazed on these forums what you can find out and how greatly everyones willing to help out :)

you are welcome! please keep us updated!

as far as ending the conversation, i would ask them if there is anything else they would like to know about you, and then just thank them for the opportunity and that you are honored they have chosen you to interview over the phone, etc etc. if you need more fluff i would talk about how incredibly passionate you are for nursing and that you are excited to join the va "family", etc etc. best of luck to you. let us know how it goes!

RNSerna · May 25, 2010

Well thanks everyone for all the great advice and insight! My interview was this morning and it went very well. I think the best part of the interview was after all the questions she asked me. She then gave me the opportunity to ask her questions...And at that point, I pretty much just nailed her with questions on the facility and the specific unit the position was for. She seemed delighted with all the questions I had and we carried a great conversation. I hope this really helped in standing out from other people she may be interviewing. Also, as soon as the interview was over, I wrote out a thank you card and put it in the mail for her. I hear this helps as well. So now all I can do is wait..She said it would take 2-3 weeks before I was notified. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. If it's meant to be it'll happen and if not, then I won't be upset. I believe there's a place and time for everyone. Thanks again to everyone who helped me out with all the great interviewing tips.

wannabe07 · May 25, 2010

Well thanks everyone for all the great advice and insight! My interview was this morning and it went very well. I think the best part of the interview was after all the questions she asked me. She then gave me the opportunity to ask her questions...And at that point, I pretty much just nailed her with questions on the facility and the specific unit the position was for. She seemed delighted with all the questions I had and we carried a great conversation. I hope this really helped in standing out from other people she may be interviewing. Also, as soon as the interview was over, I wrote out a thank you card and put it in the mail for her. I hear this helps as well. So now all I can do is wait..She said it would take 2-3 weeks before I was notified. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. If it's meant to be it'll happen and if not, then I won't be upset. I believe there's a place and time for everyone. Thanks again to everyone who helped me out with all the great interviewing tips.

Sounds like you nailed it! Great job! :yeah:I agree, its all about if its meant to be, it will be. If anything, at least its an interview experience! Keep us posted!