Competitiveness Among Interviewing Students

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Hi. Nursing school has always been a bit cut-throat, but now that I'm in the last semester many of us are interviewing for jobs, it's taking on a new dimension. I talk to students I'm close to about my interviews. But other people are "feeling me out", starting light conversations that then turn into strange grillings about where I'm interviewing. People explain to me why they are more qualified than me. I smile and say, "you sound really prepared, you'll get a great job!", but they keep going!

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you handle it? I want to tell people I honestly think there's enough jobs to go around and to just chill!

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

Yes...we have been having that issue too!!! It is so weird....I do not tell anyone about my interviews until well after they are done...I try to stay out of all that drama!!

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Specializes in LTC.

I have the opposite problem, i have worked full time as a aide at the same hospital for well over 6 years and wont start looking for a job until i pass my boards, i figure why mess with what works for now, and risk rocking the boat if i dont make it the first time. No matter how i try to explain this, i keep getting "weird" looks. i guess im expected to be as cut throat as everyone else. :trout: oh well, to each their own.

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Yeah..this happened to me the other day. I was filling out a form for our instructors so that they can write our letters of recommendation and I had a handout describing the pediatric unit I interviewed for the previous week that had the nurse manager's name on it..and a classmate sitting next to me (who I never talk to) grabbed the handout from my hand and just started grilling me about the unit and the interview and why I specifically applied to that hospital...

It really irritated me!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Catnip,

I can see why you'd wait in your situation. I think those not already working in a healthcare profession are more interested in working under their interim permit. Also, most new grad programs that are interviewing right now do not start until August or so-which still leaves several cram weeks for NCLEX.

But it's the weird looks I'm addressing here! My new drama is "choosing the preceptorship"! OMG!

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Specializes in L & D.

I didn't tell anyone I had sent out my resumes and applied for positions until after my interviews. I only wanted a position in L & D or an NICU, and I knew these positions are hard to find in the better hospitals in my area. The guilt of not encouraging my friends to apply made me feel horrible! Once I was offered a position, I helped my classmates with their resumes and advised them on the process at each hospital.

Our nursing school is part of a hospital, so they didn't inform us that most of the other hospitals in our area begin interviewing May grads in January and February. Their goal is to keep our grads in their hospital, NOT to have us find jobs elsewhere. :nono: My classmates who want to work in other hospitals are finding many new grad positions have already been offered to people from other nursing schools, who knew to apply early!

Most of my classmates will start working after graduation as Graduate Nurses, so that they my work until they take NCLEX. Local hospitals give new grads an NCLEX review class or pay for their new GNs to take one.

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