Advice on Open House

[MJB2010]

What to wear? I am thinking professional, but should I do an all out suit or just business attire? And what should I bring? Copies of my resume? Anything else I should have on hand? It is my first one! The last one I attempted to attend I was turned around at the door (no new grads were even let inside) so hopefully this will go better@!

[elizabeth321]

business casual

[chloecatrn]

I highly recommend wearing a suit with closed toe, not overly high heeled shoes. Treat this Open House as if it were an interview, because this is the first impression that facilities will get of you. If you think that there would be a question about the professionalism about what you're wearing, don't wear it.

Bring multiple copies of your resume, preferably on resume weight paper. (You can get those copies made at Kinko's or somewhere similar.) Put your resumes in at least a black binder, but a zippered portfolio is definitely more professional. No backpacks or anything similar; your most professional looking purse is your best bet.

Also bring references. It's fine if your resume says "references available upon request," but if recruiters request your references that day, you need to have them. Make sure you've asked your references if it's okay to use them -- there's nothing worse than putting someone down as a reference and having it be company policy that they can do nothing more than confirm employment.

Good luck!

[JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN]

I would also recommend a suit - treat it like a job interview.

Since there's others there applying for your same job, I'm sure some of them will be wearing suits. Imagine as a recruiter/manager meeting someone in a suit and then meeting someone in a pair of slacks and nice cardigan, the suit makes a better first impression and looks more professional.

I would bring many copies of your resume (when I interviewed I thought it would be with 3 people so I brought 6 copies just in case.... it ended up being with 6 people!). Also bring multiple copies of your list of references with the same heading as is on your resume (I've heard some people forget to put their name on it!) and any letters of recommendation you have. It's better to have too much than not enough!

Also, I'm not sure how open houses work, but is there a chance of an interview on the spot? If so I would brush up on my interview questions (especially behavioral questions) and bring along a list of questions you would like to ask.

I just got a new grad position this past week in an area that's not hiring hardly at all (California). Be as professional and prepared as possible, and you'll have a good shot!

Good luck!

[chloecatrn]

Also, if you've passed NCLEX and have your license, make sure you bring it, along with any other certifications you might have, like your CPR card, ACLS card if you've taken ACLS, etc. They'll definitely be interested in knowing that you've passed NCLEX, and they may be interested in seeing any certifications that you've obtained.

[EMSnut45, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I just recently attended an open house, and boy was I glad I wore my suit! I had two on the spot interviews. I always wear my trusty suit when I interview or attend job fairs. At one interview, the HR person commented on how professional I looked, and that it was nice to see a nurse dressed in a suit.

Good luck!!!