How to NOT interview for your RN/LPN job!

[musicianRN]

I just got finished with round 3 of the most frustrating interviews! I was an LPN for 15 years before I went back to school for my RN. I am currently in training for management so I have been "forced" to endure the interview process. I would hope that a nurse that was interviewing for our position would read this, but if not, I have no problem trying to help other LPN's be better or RN's suffer less.

What NOT to do:

Do NOT show up late unless you have called and told me why...and it better be good. All I can think is how many times will this happen when they are employed.

Do NOT show up looking like a hooker. If you wear a skirt, wear one that is longer than knee length and make sure you can walk in it. I am not interested in how sexy you can look. If you wear pants, make sure they are dress pants...I don't want to see your khaki's from 9th grade. If any of your clothes are tight...leave them at home. I remember one nurse who's clothes were too tight and I felt like I was watching her slowly suffocate during the interview. Also NO jeans....EVER...period!!! I had several nurses who wore scrubs and that was so much better than ill fitting, crazy looking outfits. However they were coming to or going to their regular job. If someone who was unemployed showed up in scrubs it would seem a little strange.

Do NOT come with hair that is not a natural color and piercings anywhere but your ears. It doesn't bother me, but my patients will call and say I want to talk to the nurse but not the one with blue hair, and nose rings...she looks freaky and made my baby cry. Plus if I hire you, you will have a dress code that will say no piercings, or unnatural hair color...might as well start now.

Do NOT wear stiletto heels. I love shoes as much as any woman, but I have rarely seen someone who could wear stiletto heels and walk normally. No flip flops or sandals....EVER!

Do NOT show me your tattoos. I personally don't mind them but some of my patients will not like them...so keep them covered. Speaking of covered...I don't want to see your boobs either....check your cleavage before you leave home.

Do NOT come with greasy hair, no make up, un-brushed hair or wearing pajamas. I should not even have to type that.

Do NOT chew gum, play with your hands, play with stuff on my desk, pick at the holes in your jeans, mess with your hair, avoid eye contact or look like a deer in the headlights when I talk to you. I know you are nervous and I understand, I can deal with that, but freaked out or fidgety sends up red flags.

Do NOT tell me what I want to hear....tell me the truth. Most interviewers can tell when you have practiced way to much. I always think...how many interviews has this person had without a job offer?

Do NOT make up stuff....why would anyone say they can do something then set themselves up for failure??? I would much rather you say. I have never done that, I have watched/seen/heard about but I personally have not done it. Then tell me how you are willing to learn and how you are a fast learner with an example (everyone is a fast learner in my interviews)

Do NOT complain about the problems you had in your previous job. All I see is you in my office every day whining or everyone else in there whining about you.

Do NOT tell me how wonderful you are. Tell me what things you do well and have an example to back it up.....everyone does everything well in my interviews.

Do NOT come unprepared. Go on our website and see what we are about. If I see that you have not bothered to care about us, I will assume you want a job and those are offered at other places. We are here for our patients and while the paycheck is awesome and expected, we are not here for that primarily. Find out what kind of things you might be expected to do in a setting like ours and start learning about them and then tell me about how you are brushing up on such and such because you know we probably do a lot of that. I am impressed when someone knows they don't know and are willing to remedy that and have taken the initiative to learn.

What to do.....come with a confident attitude and an awareness of yourself, your skills and your abilities. Come with a smile. Its pretty simple.....or at least I thought it was.

BTW...all of the do NOT's came from things that actually happened in these interviews. It made me ashamed of the nursing profession and seriously worried about the caliber of people the schools are turning out.

I am hoping other managers will add to this thread!

[nursel56]

Ok,

As an ER Coordinator, I have seen a few things off in interviews, but DEAR GOD, who hurt you so?

It almost sounds like a vent!

I always just feel sorry for the single mom in jeans who would be wearing dress pants if she could have afforded them, if I had put up a "red flag" I would have turned down one heck of a ER Tech, who is now a ER RN, One of "OUR," not "My" best on staff.

Very few people will bother to ask why someone is dressed inappropriately. When I re-entered nursing and had to do the interview thing again I went to a thrift shop and bought two outfits for under $10.

There is nothing about his list that I haven't read in countless interview tips articles and from Hiring Managers here on allnurses. For you to say it doesn't matter because it doesn't matter to you may cause someone to lose their chance for a job.

The way the economy is -- it could be a very long time before that person gets another chance at it, and that makes it very un-compassionate advice.

[jbluehorseh]

"Do NOT come with greasy hair, no make up, un-brushed hair or wearing pajamas. I should not even have to type that."

Ok you have to tell us about Pajama person.

[jbluehorseh]

bostonterrierloverrn

what it boils down to is how bad you want the job. most managers do not care if people have tattoos or piercings, as long as the tattoos and piercings do not interfere with the job. if one comes in looking like a slob then i would think he or she has no pride in him or herself. it has nothing to do with how qualified he or she is for the job because in this tight job market there will be 10 other people just as qualified and well dressed. most places have a point system for interviewing and a good interview can tell if a person is going through hard times. yes there is a big judgment about a person; in your case you made the right one. would you have the same decisionif this was a male or if a person came in with dirty cloth and was un-kept? what about if you saw the person had not stayed any job for more than a year. interviews are all about judging people

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

ok,

as an er coordinator, i have seen a few things off in interviews, but dear god, who hurt you so?

it almost sounds like a vent!

i always just feel sorry for the single mom in jeans who would be wearing dress pants if she could have afforded them, if i had put up a "red flag" i would have turned down one heck of a er tech, who is now a er rn, one of "our," not "my" best on staff.

these judgemental posts about how i am sooooooo much better than you because i follow the book to a "t," and "conform to the upper-crust of this profession" sound so shallow and "god-complex" like.

some of the greatest minds out there have hair just like einstien, or decided to get a tattoo, and i cannot begin to imagine how you differentiate on your patient care according to how they are dressed-or look.

i think you missed your calling for cosmotologist, or a prissy hair dresser!

otherwise, i hope you work in a private, small, uptown hospital where you won't be ashamed by wrangler wearing blue collar workers, but doubt that since you had to post a vent about hair washing, denim, and piercings!

old school is okay, but compassion, understanding, and empathy are still character traits that i would rather see than starch constipated china doll nurses!

thanks!

kyle

perhaps it is a vent, but this is a good place for it. i'm not understanding why you feel the need to excoriate the original poster, whose heart seems to be in the right place. while everyone should know these things, it's obvious that many don't.

the single mom wearing jeans could probably have found a pair of dress pants for under $10 at goodwill or st. vincent de paul. there are also programs at the ywca in many cities where clothing appropriate for job interviews is available for free or for a very small fee. the applicant in pajamas clearly didn't want a job -- probably just wanted to have appearance of looking for a job so she could continue to get welfare or whatever.

i was sitting in hr waiting for my interview several years ago, and several women came in dressed as described in the original post . . . shorts, flip flops, visible body art, dirty hair and accompanied by small children and pets. they asked for applications and filled them out illegibly with purple and pink ink. then they loudly announced that they wouldn't be working nights, weekends or holidays because "i have a life." the hr receptionist told me that these same "ladies" appear every week like clockwork because if they don't "look for work" they cannot continue to receive benefits.

i see nothing wrong with an interviewer choosing the candidate who dressed appropriately for the interview above someone who didn't take the time or effort to be dressed neatly (pjs, for pity's sake!), shampoo and style their hair or cover up tattoos. in this economy, one ought to err on the side of conservative dress, hiding body art and being as neat and clean as possible. not everyone is as dismissive of these basics as you seem to be.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

Hiring is an opinionated thing. First you have to realize that it is not a "fair" thing.

You will be judged. That is what the hiring process is all about. Gone are the days when you could show up with an unblemished license and no criminal record and get hired. It's a buyer's market.

The buyer (hirer) has her/his choice of many qualified applicants. You should show up looking neat, clean, presentable, and not looking like you are a circus freak who just crawled out of bed.

If you don't like it, too bad. As I said, it's a buyers market. You are the seller. You have to make the package resemble what the buyer needs AND wants. Period.

For me it's all of those things mentioned and shoes. If I see someone come in to interview with nasty shoes it shows a clear lack of attention to detail. Not interested, thanks.

[country mom]

Just wanted to say thanks for the original post. It should be framed and placed in the office of every guidance/career counselor's office. For the one who replied about the single mom with jeans who got the job and turned out to be great- she was dog-gone lucky to get someone who would give her a chance. Everyone else, I wouldn't take the risk,the interviewer is not likely to be as understanding and forgiving as that one was. Like it or not, if you're going out job-hunting, you've need to have something else in your closet besides scrubs, jeans and pj's. If you're trying to move up in the world, you need to look the part. That's really what you're doing- you're auditioning for a part and the interviewer is trying to decide in a few minutes if you're the one who should play it. That's every reason to give yourself an advantage.

Agree with OP about the tats and piercings- however you feel about it, the employer has to play to the likes and dislike of their customer base. So, until you know more about the organization and how they feel about body art, you best hide it.

The point about not complaining about others is valid as well- red flag to anyone who breathes a hint of conflict and difficulty at their previous job, unless you're going to tell how you championed the situation and made everyone live at peace with one another. Blessed are the peacemakers.

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Agree with OP about the tats and piercings- however you feel about it, the employer has to play to the likes and dislike of their customer base. So, until you know more about the organization and how they feel about body art, you best hide it.

This is the best concise explanation.

And I'll re-think gum chewing if you offer compassion (the same as you would to a patient who has dry mouth) and offer another interview-friendly solution? It's more discreet than a water bottle...

[hlr2752]

Just for curiosity sake; can one be overdressed for an interview? Now, I'm not talking tuxedo here, but would a nice business suit be a little too much or should I go a bit more casual? I just wonder because I am starting some volunteer work in the near future at a cancer center and this happens to be at the hospital that I would like to work for, possibly for the duration of my career (the staff here were excellent when delivering my daughter via emergency c-section). I just don't want to be looked at like a clown.

[79Tango]

hlr2752, you will not be looked at like a clown. Its ALWAYS better to be overdressed, then underdressed (that goes for anything you do). To me, its a sign of respect that the applicant put in the extra effort and takes pride in themselves. Hopefully that pride carries over to thier work.

[Who?Me?]

If you want a job you need to look and act the part. No one is looking down on anyone here-what they are doing is venting and trying to help the next person. Nurses are expected to look and act in a particular way. How often do you see a physician with blue hair and multiple piercings? You don't because this would make them an outsider and patients would not take them seriously. If patients don't take you seriously, it doesn't matter how great you are at your job because you won't have a job.

[Who?Me?]

goats'r'us- As long as the nose piercing is small and discreet it really isn't a problem. It is the multiple eyebrow piercings, the tongue piercing that constantly clacks against the teeth or that you can't stop playing with that are distracting during the interview process.

I wouldn't mention it during the interview. If you are offered the job, the time to ask about dress code/personal appearance policy will be when talking to HR.

[SDALPN]

I have a problem with the make-up requirement. All the others I do agree with. Why would you expect someone to wear make-up? Some of us don't need make-up and have a nice complexion without it. I choose not to wear make-up because my skin looks fine without it. Make-up is damaging to skin and puts chemicals on my skin that I don't want. Check out lipsticks having lead in them!! Also, do you really want a nurse wearing make-up so that while they are working (and probably sweating) the make-up will run....or worse...drip down on a patient?!?! I prefer to present the person I am....not the person someone wants me to be. If someone wouldn't hire me because I didn't have make-up on....they are probably not someone I want to work for. Do you want someone that looks a certain way? Or someone that can do the job right? BTW, I've been complimented in many interviews for my professional appearance without make-up. When I see someone with make-up...especially tons of it....it makes me wonder why they are trying to hide behind a mask and what else they are hiding or are fake about. I'm at work to work, not win a beauty pageant.

I don't have piercings or tattoos. However, if the person can do the job....tell them to cover it up. Typically the cover ups are more obvious and annoying than the actual piercing/tattoo.

If you stop basing your opinion on looks and really get to know someone, you will meet and get to know some really wonderful people!! You can't change a personality...but you can work with an employee on their appearance if they are the most qualified for the job.