Informational Interviews-Do they Help!

Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA · Aug 24, 2002

The informational interview is where you size each other up. They are looking at your transcripts to see if you need anything else before you apply, they want to see if you present yourself as a professional and how easy are you to get along with. (Will you be a pain in the butt?) As for you... you are looking at their professionalism. You are assessing whether you can LIVE there for 2-3 years. Do you feel like they really want you to learn, or just cash the check? Will you come out of that school with a stellar education or just a slip of paper? It is important, don't discount it. (Do your research, only apply where they are worthy to teach you.)

kgirm · Apr 12, 2011

hey i need an interview with a nurse but i dont know how to post a blog like you did so someone could anser my questions. any help wud be appreciated

SRNA4U, BSN, DNP, RN, CRNA · Apr 20, 2011

I think informational interviews are very helpful since it puts a face to a name for the anesthesia directors/staff. i went to the information session with Drexel. I was dressed up in a nice suit while many of the students there had jeans and t-shirts on. The Dean of the Nursing Program saw me and she left the podium and walked to the back of the room where I had just entered just to shake my hand and to ask where I was from and what program I was interested in, since there were many other programs being represented at this information session. Towards the end of her brief, we were all separated out to go with our program of interest staff member. For the anesthesia program, the Clinical Director was leading our breakout session for us. He took us to the anesthesia classroom where the lectures are held and he began to brief us on the anesthesia program. I sat in the very front row directly across from his podium where I had established good eye contact. Out of all the students in the room , I was the only one that had already received an invitation to interview before the information session.

When I went for my interview, I was dressed to kill again and as soon as the Clinical Director walked in, he saw me and called me by my first name and thanked me for attending the information session. He had a huge smile on his face. By the way, he was also the very person I had for my personal interview. We joked during the interview process after we found out we knew a lot of the same anesthesia people. I got home from my interview and I sent him an email thanking him for allowing me the opportunity to interview. About an hour later, he sent me a message thanking me for a wonderful interview experience and that I will hear from him very soon. When I finished my interview, I already was 99.9% sure I got into the program.

Two week later, I received my acceptance letter into the program. Long story short, information sessions are your biggest opportunity to sell yourself to the anesthesia staff. You never know who is running the session...it could be the Director/Asst Director of the program. Also, the information session also provided me a glimpse into what the school had to offer. Before going to the session, I was convinced Villanova is where I wanted to go but after attending the information session at Drexel, I knew this was my school. The anesthesia staff was very genuine and they are their for the students to succeed. I also like the way they have their program setup where they interview for classes 2 years in advance so when you find out you are in the program, you are allowed to take 7 of your non-anesthesia courses before you start the program so when you do start the program, you only have basically 2 classes a semester, which are your anesthesia classes...which means you get to concentrate on just those classes without having to worry about pharmacology, physiology, research , ethics, etc. All those paper-writing classes will be out of your way and you get to concentrate on your true love---anesthesia. I'm quite sure you can tell I am excited. I have come a long way and now this is my opportunity to shine and represent the anesthesia profession.

So yes, attend the informational interview. You will take away a lot of good information.