Endearing or not so much?

[augustRN13]

I recently had an interview for an OR training program. I have had a few interviews in this field and feel pretty good about interviewing. I did my research, looked up common interview questions, researched the OR and what it means to be a nurse for this company. I even started memorizing surgical tools.

When I got in there, I was nervous. Even though I still think I spoke to all the points I felt was necessary to answer the questions, I left out some information for a few questions and stumbled over my words a couple times.

Do people interviewing see this nervousness as an endearing quality that shows the person's interest and passion for the job, or does it make them seem like they crack under pressure?

I feel so-so on the interview overall but want this position more than anything.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

People do recognize that there is always some nervousness with an interview. I would say it depends on HOW nervous you actually were.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree with the previous poster. A little nervousness can be a sign that you really want the job -- and that can be a +. Being not nervous at all can come across as cocky, overconfident, and not at all attractive.

However, extreme nervousness can make a person look weak and unable to handle difficult situations.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

A little nervousness is fine. On the other extreme, I had a candidate who was extremely pleasant, & way too smooth. Kind of felt like she could be a model spokesperson at the auto show. It felt like she was responding off a script, and I couldn't get a sense of the real person behind "the mask."

Good Luck! :)

[augustRN13]

Thank you for all of your responses. It must have been the right amount of nerves because I received an offer for the position :)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Congratulations! I am glad you let us know. So often, we never hear how things turned out for the poster. It's nice to read about a happy ending.