New Grad RN feeling down after a lousy interview.

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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Hi All,

I am yet another unemployed new grad in Georgia. :scrying: I had my third interview this morning. The other two didn't result in job offers. This position was an Emergency Room RN position in a small yet growing hospital outside of Atlanta.

My interview was scheduled for 9am. I arrived at 845am. I wore a black skirt suit, white button up, closed toed heels, pantyhose, and a pearl necklace. The interviewer, the hiring manager, didn't show up until 945am. By 1010am the interview was done.

Here is what made the interview so lousy:

-I felt rushed

-Her office phone and cellphone rang at least 5 times in the 30 minutes I was with her

-She stated she was looking for someone with experience despite the posting online stated no experience required( How am I ever suppose to shed the New Grad title if no one wants to hire a new grad)

-She asked lousy questions such as asking about other hospitals I had applied at and why I choose part time( Right about now part time is better than the NO TIME I have right now)

-She was very dry and rude

-She hadn't even glanced at my resume( She knew nothing about me, I thought this was very weird because when you apply your application goes through screening with HR and if you qualify then it is forwarded to the hiring manager)

Despite her being rude and a total bore, I answered the questions truthful and with ease. I wasn't as nervous as normally am. I felt really good about this interview beforehand.

I figured volunteering at a local hospital would give me some pull. The interviewer asked "Well why didn't you apply there instead of here." I wish there was some way I could report her without jeopardizing my chance of ever getting a job at that hospital.

I am pass the getting discouraged part. I graduated in April and I am still unemployed. I have applied to every hospital within 50 miles from my house. I am at the point now where I am applying for non RN positions because I am so desperate. I just want to work.

Anyone else have any bad interview stories?

I remember going to an interview and the interviewer told me she was going to stop the interview right there. In the first 5 minutes of the interview! I was told that I didn't have the visiting home nurse experience that they needed. Had she read the resume she would have seen that not ONCE was visiting home nurse listed as a prior job. Now that was a wasted 1 hour drive for me.

INTERVIEWERS: Read. The. Resume.

I went to an interview once where the DON clearly hadn't read my resume. She knew ZERO about me.

Specializes in Psychiatric.

Yes! I am a new grad as well (writing my RN exam in October) and I can completely relate to your situation. First of all, I completed an extended acute placement on a certain unit (which will remain unnamed) and I also completed my consolidation on the floor. I went in to nursing knowing that was the area I want to work in, thus I dedicated 6 months of my education to practicing in that unit. When I finished my studies I had an interview but the manager informed me that I wasn't selected for the job because I had told her in the interview that I was trying to finish a master's over the summer. I thanked her for her honesty and she stated that I am an ideal candidate for the position and to try again in the fall. Now I have seen another posting (the floor has a high turnover rate) so I applied and emailed the manager and this time she hasn't answered me. There is no way she doesn't know how much I want to work there and I'm really discouraged. I'm frustrated that she tells me I'm an excellent candidate, so I wait a few months for another posting, and then she ignores me. Do managers not understand that new grads want and need to work?Secondly, I waited for this job position to open, but in the meantime I applied to other jobs. I finally received a chance at another hospital in the same area of nursing. But similar to your experience, the interview was interrupted 3 times with code blues that the manager had to attend to. On top of that, they asked me 10 scenario questions, some which were so difficult that as a new grad I didn't even know how to answer them. I became so nervous, especially with being interrupted continuously, that my mind kept going blank :(

Yep, had similar experiences myself. Recruiter was very enthusiastic about making an appointment with him at a meet-and-greet, but when the appointment time came he barely made eye contact, asked why I was there. As a matter of fact he answered his phone during our schedule appointment and spent more time on the phone than with me! Second time was an actual interview with two different department managers who both answered their phone calls during the interview, but told me to keep going with my answers. I didn't feel like I was able to give complete answers at all! A third interview/different hospital resulted in them "liking" me but they didn't have a position! This one I still can't figure out...I had applied for one that was posted and thought that was what I was interviewing for...it appears that they may be posting AFTER they find their candidate to hire. Tough figuring out the different ways hospitals do their hiring (from volunteering, from pre-screening by recruiters, job faires, internships/school clinicals, or just flat out knowing someone in the right place at the right time). I easily have over 200 on-line applications out within a 50 mile radius. Most of my classmates have been hired. We have to keep the faith that our time will come!

ms_sgr,

Hi RRay, Grady hires a lot of new grads if you are interested

I have numerous applications in with Grady. I have yet to receive a call or email back. On the dashboard, most say the generic "We are going with other candidates." I have even tried to email the nurse recruiter. She never responded back. I have called up to HR to check the status of my applications, but no one answers and the voicemail is full. I don't know what else to do besides drive the hour there and hope and pray someone will speak to me.

Thank you all for the kind words. I cancelled my pity party and took your advice. That isn't the manager I would enjoy working with. I had an awesome interview this morning. I was the last one to interview for the position. I left feeling really good about it. So tomorrow or in a couple days, you hear a shout of joy.... It may be me because I will shout it from the highest mountaintop whenever I become employed.

ms_sgr,

I have numerous applications in with Grady. I have yet to receive a call or email back. On the dashboard, most say the generic "We are going with other candidates." I have even tried to email the nurse recruiter. She never responded back. I have called up to HR to check the status of my applications, but no one answers and the voicemail is full. I don't know what else to do besides drive the hour there and hope and pray someone will speak to me.

I had zero luck with Grady myself.

I remember going to an interview and the interviewer told me she was going to stop the interview right there. In the first 5 minutes of the interview! I was told that I didn't have the visiting home nurse experience that they needed. Had she read the resume she would have seen that not ONCE was visiting home nurse listed as a prior job. Now that was a wasted 1 hour drive for me.

INTERVIEWERS: Read. The. Resume.

I don't understand why they are rude. Where is the empathy? They once were where we are now ( interviewing and actively seeking employment). I have noticed it is a lot of who you know and who knows you, and it shouldn't be like that at all.

I had zero luck with Grady myself.

I have a job agent sent up for when new jobs are available. I have applied to so many jobs at Grady once that a message popped up saying " You have reached the maximum amount of application for this facility." I had to wait until the status changed on some to apply for more.

I'm sorry to hear that :( Does not sound like somewhere I'd want to work either. Have you considered non-hospital positions as well? Fresh out of nursing school I worked at a family practice, and then was later hired at a hospital. I'm back in a more clinic position, because that is what I prefer. If you need to work asap, I would apply anywhere that hires nurses. And then if you are interviewed, you can decide if that is somewhere you would like to work :)

I have considered and applied for everything except hospice. I am too emotional for hospice. Most practices want medical assistants. I graduated in April with a BSN and I have a friend that graduated in July with MA. She has a job. She had a job a week before she graduated.

I once went to an interview for a teaching job (my first degree). The principal literally was lying in the chair. You know how high school boys lay in their desk chairs? Yeah, like that. He was clearly not interested in anything I had to say. The "interview" was basically him expecting me to create a lesson plan then and there for long division.

Clearly, I wasn't even a candidate. Just a body to fill the interview quote set by the state.

I once went to an interview for a teaching job (my first degree). The principal literally was lying in the chair. You know how high school boys lay in their desk chairs? Yeah, like that. He was clearly not interested in anything I had to say. The "interview" was basically him expecting me to create a lesson plan then and there for long division.

Clearly, I wasn't even a candidate. Just a body to fill the interview quote set by the state.

A visual of the principal lying in the chair popped up in my head, and I literally laughed out loud. I wonder how in the world were these people able to get as far as they have. The lack of professionalism is unreal.

I applied for positions online, and their automated system automatically disqualified me and prevented my application from further consideration after answering a few questions re: experience. I know it's not the same, but I know what it's like to feel like you weren't given enough consideration! Have you only applied at hospitals? Would you ever consider public health, school health, LTC, or ambulatory care? Even if it's not your niche, it will obviously give you some nursing experience.

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