Being hopeful

[amason2021, CNA]

Received a phone call yesterday to set up an initial phone interview for tomorrow with a recruiter.  Any tips on how to ace the generic questions guaranteed to be asked at some point by the recruiter and potentially the hiring manager and potential peer interview? I'm really wanting to be in the department as a pct because I plan to segue into a nurse in the same department after schooling.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

Research online and familiarize yourself with the specialty and unit. Outside of practicing common interview questions, be yourself, be honest, and be humble. Do mock interviews with friends or family. Look at the company's mission and core values as that is sometimes a common question to be asked about (I.e. how their core values resonate with you). When talking about strengths and weaknesses, always give one or two minor weaknesses, but focus on your strengths. If able, turn a weakness into a strength. Lastly, always have questions to ask. Pay, benefits, PTO, sick days, everything and anything so it shows that you are very interested in the position. It's totally fine to talk about future career and educational aspirations, especially if you are going into nursing. But if you are just about to enter nursing school like soon, I'd keep that to yourself. I'm sure managers in healthcare facilities admire their staff going for nursing, but as a candidate, it's not necessarily something you want to share on the interview if you are headed into a nursing program fairly soon. No one would want to hire a someone that may quit or ask for part time or per diem in less than a year (even if it's moving up in education like a nursing program). They then have to hire another person and restart the process. It's not financially efficient on the employer's end.