Had interview for dream job. Did I give a wrong answer?

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 6, 2017

Yes ... that was not a very good answer. They are probably wanting to hire someone who plans/hopes to stay for several years.

Orientation is expensive for them -- and they will want to get their money's worth out of the investment they will need to make to orient you. If you have lots of relevant experience and won't need much orientation, then it's not so bad. But if you are a new grad or new to that specialty, they will want more than 2 years. But who knows? You might get lucky.

A better way to respond (without lying) would be to remain non-committal. Say that you are not sure exactly ... say that you would expect it would be "at least a couple of years -- and hopefully longer" ... something along those line.

Good luck.

purplegal · Sep 8, 2017

That's a tough one. Depends on how much of a commitment they want. Most of the time 2 years is a good amount of time; it's not like you're leaving after six months. But it probably depends on how much turnover they have and how easy it is to get new staff. I would hope that if the rest of the interview went well, they would overlook that and possibly make your experience so great that you may want to stay longer. I would think you would still have a good chance unless someone else interviews well and says they want to stay as long as possible.

Just curious though...if this is your "dream" job, why are you looking to leave in a couple of years? There must be something else you're wanting to pursue.

LadyGiaRN · Sep 9, 2017

That's a tough one. Depends on how much of a commitment they want. Most of the time 2 years is a good amount of time; it's not like you're leaving after six months. But it probably depends on how much turnover they have and how easy it is to get new staff. I would hope that if the rest of the interview went well, they would overlook that and possibly make your experience so great that you may want to stay longer. I would think you would still have a good chance unless someone else interviews well and says they want to stay as long as possible.
Just curious though...if this is your "dream" job, why are you looking to leave in a couple of years? There must be something else you're wanting to pursue.

I hoped to gain the experience I needed, then move back to my home state. As it turned out, I didn't get the job.

The area I live in is saturated with schools and new grads looking for work. I've all but given up looking for a job here, and am looking to move out of state, if necessary. I'm also considering some rural hospitals in state. Ideally I'd prefer a large hospital, but a rural hospital might fit the bill, as it appears this experience would be marketable enough. I worked hard for a BSN, because this is the experience I wanted, not to work in a skilled nursing facility for the rest of my life. I'm willing to go to whomever is hiring.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 11, 2017

I hoped to gain the experience I needed, then move back to my home state. As it turned out, I didn't get the job.

This is exactly why new grads have trouble getting jobs. Too many of you have the same hopes/plans -- and employers have wasted too much money orienting new grads who don't stay.

I am sorry it did not work out for you ... but I think the hospital probably made the right decision for itself. Use this as a learning experience to do a better job on the interview next time.

caliotter3 · Sep 11, 2017

I would never tell a prospective employer that there is a time or event (get needed experience) contingency on my employment. You want to give them the answers that lead them to think that you are going to be their ideal employee. Part of being the ideal employee is sticking around for the long haul.