I am a new graduate, so I ofcourse I need guidance from what I call real nurses.
I had an interview at a hospital with a nurse manager who ended up sick on the day of the interview for the CSU or ICU. The HR person set up for me to interview with the Chief Nurse for the whole hospital (talk about nervous) on the same day. I interviewed with the head nurse and I received a call that friday (interview tuesday) from the HR person saying that they wanted me to join the ___________ Hospital team. However, it happened that the position I was called to interview for did not exist. I was also complimented with the statement that the head RN thought that I interviewed with extreme professionalism and she is impressed with me. (Totally took me by surprise because I was so nervous). So, the HR person said she would call back with a new interview with a nurse manager from another area that had an opening.
The hospital system was my focus, not the exact area. This facility focuses on holistic healing and provides care to the patient that is based on compassion as much as skill. The patient nurse ratio there is low purposely for the nurse to do the extra things that most do not have time to do. That was my reason for wanting to work at this hospital and that was clear to all.
I came in for a second interview. I interviewed with the HR person, nurse recruiter who stated that the head nurse had said that she wanted me hired for any position in the hospital. I interviewed with the HR recruiter for at least 45 minutes to an hour at least. The interview part seemed to go well. She explained what rate of pay I would receive and how it changed during training. She explained training to me in depth. She provided me with a list of benefits that I would get after starting working. In depth benefits.
She then took me to the nurse manager who could not be found for a while. When she was found, she was upset and angry making negative comments I just ignored. We went into her office, and she asked me a few questions quickly. She explained how everything worked on the floor and it was hurried. I understand her time is valuable and she is busy. She told me of the upcoming changes that I was happy to hear about. Everything seemed good. She told me that I would hear from HR by end of week to early following week because she was interviewing until end of following week of my interview.
I was optimistic about this position, especially because I had the head nurse on my side who wanted me hired.
I sent my thank you letter at the end of the week she said she would be done interviewing to her. On tuesday of the last week she said I would hear from her I got the generic letter saying that other candidates that better meet the qualifications got chosen.
At the very last part of the interview, I saw a classmate that failed into my nursing class. I was not a socializer and I was a top performer, so I think I got a bad reputation. I had no time for socializing and I do not gossip, so I just stuck to myself and my one friend. I do not want to be overly presumptious, but I wonder if she said something bad about me to cause this.
I wrote a letter to both the head nurse and nurse manager asking for constructive criticism, but neither replied. I found that odd? Am I entitled to find out why I did not get the job? I really want to know if I did something wrong, what did I do so I never do it again? I am planning on calling human resources with the question. I am even questioning if something is wrong with my checks? I know there should not be, but maybe something happened and information was incorrect.
I know they are not going to hire me, so I feel that I must be persistant to see what went wrong? Do I have a right to know? Do people normally not answer request for constructive criticism? How do I best handle this?
My guess is that the head nurse genuinely liked you, but that the nurse manager already had someone else in mind for the opening and didn't appreciate being pushed to interview someone else -- that's why she was upset and angry before she ever even spoke to you (of course this is a guess -- no way to know for sure!) This is totally not your fault. I'm guessing the head nurse let the NM hire her preferred candidate, and that's why you didn't get the job -- again, nothing to do with you, nothing you did wrong.
Of course it's a bummer to not get the job, but I would let it go. I think you should be encouraged about the fact that the head nurse liked you. If I were you, I would write one last letter to the head nurse, thanking her for the opportunity to interview and asking to be kept in mind for future openings. Then if there are any more openings, apply for them. Keep applying elsewhere too. Do NOT go into HR -- they won't be able to tell you anything, and you will start to look like a stalker, which might decrease your chances of ever being hired there.
i was in retail management prior to nursing, and i never interviewed for a position i didnt get. i think i have a unrealistic reality in regard to nursing and crossing into the professionalism aspect.
yes, i'm afraid you do. you've been very lucky in the past. not saying you did not deserve those positions (retail is a very broad term, so we can't really discuss qualifications here), but perhaps your timing was right? maybe your look was right? things like that (look) are not considered so much in nursing (at least they should not be).
you also really need to consider the job market these days. trust me, even now, in 2011, you may not get every retail job you apply for. i have friends who would die to be working anywhere, even mcdonalds. that is the reality that your nursing school should have prepared you for, and given you tips and strategies on how to make yourself stand out amongst your competitors.
plus, i wonder if my lack of confidence shows. in retail, i knew it all back and forth and i was confident. in nursing, i know where my place is as a new grad and i do not feel confident at all.
of course you were confident in what you did before. not sure how old you are, but i've taught students in their 40s and 50s, who had thriving careers before this. and even they lack confidence. i think of myself: my "b" career (lol) is to be a chef. i love watching the cooking competition shows. at my age, and after 17 years of being a nurse, i would be nervous as hell if i took on a new career. nursing is all i know!
i try to convince all of my students that they have transferrable skills (even my young'ns who've never worked, maybe only were babysitters, or stay at home moms who never worked outside the home). even with that, they still llack confidence. completely normal and understandable. if you were overconfident going in on an interview, it would likely be a turn-off
You are ENTITLED to nothing. You can be upset about it and wonder about it, but if you are going to live life feeling entitled to explanations when someone has wronged you, you are going to be dissappointed in many areas of your life.
A bunch of us coworkers applied to what was a dream job for a few of us. We applied in bunches. It was not an in person interview, at first it was a written interview, doing a sample of their work. We all did it. Our samples pretty much matched eachother. 2 got the in person interview, (and the job eventually) 2 did not. (I was one who did not) I was upset, because it was going to be perfect for me. I did send an email asking them for constructive criticism likewise. I got nothing back. So, I said "oh well" and moved on.
aubrn, I realized after I posted moveon.com I should have explained myself. As a nurse, you are going to run into situations that you have no control over, your entire working life. Do you really want to contact the people that did not hire you, and hear the aspects of not hiring you? You have to walk away in life a lot, because if you don't you will let things fester inside of you and you will have no life. All you will think about is "what if". So I say move on dot com. Forget about it, live your life to the fullest. Don't give a crap about what anyone thinks about you, just do the right thing all of the time and sleep good at night.
You have to be very careful with burning bridges. There is a very fine line between persistance and annoyance. I would try once for feedback, after that, try not to keep calling. You do not want to get a bad rep because it will spread.
I know it is frustrating interviewing and getting no response, been there done that! But just keep telling youself that everything happens for an reason and you WILL find the right spot for you. It is out there and that one just was not it! Keep your head up, do your best, and keep moving forward.
skittlebear
408 Posts
Great advice!