discouraged with interviews

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Specializes in med surg.

The only job I can seem to land right now is at a snf. took the nclex over a month ago and honestly did not think it would be this hard. I even had a second intervew and felt really good about the first one, but got had a bad feeling about the second. I have heard some say that taking my first job at the snf is going to screw me in the future, and honestly its not the job I want, but i feel like I am becoming less desirable as the days go by, since I actually graduated last year. I really feel like interviews are not a good indicator of who we really are, and it would be nice if someone would just give me a chance!!! ughhhh. I mean what is it they really want to hear thats gonna get you hired??

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I mean what is it they really want to hear thats gonna get you hired??

"I have experience." or maybe, "I'm willing to relocate."? SNF may not be your dream, but it looks a lot better than nothing on a resume. The last hospital I worked at did away with their "new grad" program and started hiring "new to acute care" nurses, instead.

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Specializes in med surg.
SNF may not be your dream, but it looks a lot better than nothing on a resume. .

Is it true that once I work at a snf I will not get a job in a hospital??

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Is it true that once I work at a snf I will not get a job in a hospital??

No, that's not true ...at least not in a general way. What is true is that acute care positions are likely to favor acute care experience. Hospital experience would be more useful for a hospital job, but SNF experience would be better than what you have now- no experience, at all.

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You graduated last year, you have a criminal background and you have an ADN in California (I'm not from there, but I hear the market is tough for new grads). While none of these are indicative of how good of a nurse you will be, they do make the job search more difficult.

You can relocate. You can take the SNF job to get experience. You can start on your BSN (but work at the same time)

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Specializes in med surg.

I honestly dont think the criminal background is a factor, the law in californai is that they cannot even ask you about your background untill they hire you. and I am able to pass a background check, the charges are expunged. Just passed the check for the snf and for school, although I do believe the other things you mentioned would have a bearing.

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Specializes in med surg.

I honestly think it is more of a interview thing. Many of my classmates here have gotten jobs with ADNs, no experience, ect... Just not sure what I am doing wrong. That was the advice I came here looking for.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

Do a You Tube search for Ramit Sethi and watch some of his interviewing techniques. Being well prepared for an interview makes a world of difference. You have to exude a quiet confidence and a likability factor, and sell yourself. Don't let an interview just happen to you...go out and make it work for you! I have an interview Monday and I've already made up my mind that job will be mine by the time I walk out the door. I've been preparing for it for days now. I've sat and written down all the questions they can possibly ask me, and then written down what I'd say. Then I wrote down all the questions I want to ask them, researched the hospital and their mission statement and prepared myself to tell them who I am and why I want that job. You can do it! Good luck.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

OK... you are looking for advice. So ... tell us about your interviews. What types of questions have you been asked? How have you responded to those questions?

What hiring managers want to hear is that you have the characteristics that they are looking for. So what characteristics about yourself are you demonstrating in your interviews?

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

When you are going through the interview process do you research the company and the position you are applying for? During the interview, you have to remember you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing them. You are also using the interview process to SELL yourself. What makes you more valuable than the other applicants, what is something that will make them remember your name in lieu of the Tom, Dick, and Harry's going in before and after you? Do you have a plan to further your education? Where do you see yourself or where do you want to be in 5 years? What are your ambitions, weaknesses, strengths etc? Are you going in and owning the time they have allotted you or are you fidgeting and stumbling around questions asked?

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Specializes in med surg.

Omg I actually got the job!! They just called back. I swore I Bombed the second interview.

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Specializes in med surg.

I guess it was another Nclex moment of self doubt. There were five nurses and it was so intimidating. I got so nervous. I felt like I was stumbling over my words They asked mostly situational questions, about conflict and positives/ negative. But one scenario.

" so it's end of shift and you notice that a patient had a bp of 80/50 2 hours ago. What do you do? So I said immediately assess the patient, check for time of next dose of BP meds. And then they ask well what about the cna who didn't tell you about the bp? I told them I would ask that from now on if she could let me know. Then they say, well she said she did tell you. So now I'm super confused. Are they wanting me to deal with CNA or admit I messed up. It was a weird question. And totally the reason why I thought I wasn't gonna get it. Omg I'm so excited

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