Interview issues

Yes, interview skills are important. Hiring Managers are looking to hire competent people ... and if you can't present yourself as being competent, then you are going to be a great disadvantage. That is to be expected.

One tip: If/when asked to discuss a weakness or sensitive area ... start with the truth. It's usually best not to lie. But learn how to make it sound "not so bad." For example, if you feel that time management is your weakest area, don't just say that and stop. Say something like ... "I find time management to be challenging. It was one of the hardest things for me to learn as a new nurse. But I have found that doing X, Y, and Z help me to stay on track." When you discuss a weak area, always say what you can and will do to make sure it will not cause a problem for them if they hire you.

Thanks for the reply! I walked out of the interview feeling confident. The thing is, is that I did say that. They asked me my weakness and I said time management has been difficult for me BUT I have found ways to overcome that by setting myself time limits, setting goals during the start of my shift, coming in early unclocked to look up patients, etc. Apparently it didn't help. The hiring recruiter told me to never say that. So basically lie and think of other things.

My new weaknesses are that I care too much, I'm a perfectionist, and I can be hard on myself when I make a mistake. I'd of course go into more detail.

Don't put too much emphasis on the interview. It's you that your selling, not the interview skills. If you get hung up on the fact that a few have gone wrong, you'll overthink things.

Role play interviewing. If it's possible, find a partner to play the HR person but knows well how to "trip you up". Learn to site and eliminate messages you might be sending via body language and tone. Those matter as much as the answer.

As far as the weakness question goes: Change the question in your head into what they are really asking. They want to know "Have you thought at all about how well you will do here? Did you consider what might be challenging to you and how you will overcome it? Or is your head in the sky wondering how much vacation you can earn the first year and what the starting wage is?".

Consider what may be challenging for you in the position they are interviewing you for, then talk about it being a challenge and how you will overcome it. For instance, if I were interviewing for a position that I knew had a lot of medications to pass I might say:

"I don't have a lot of experience passing as many meds as this position will require but I've been in a similar situation and handled it well. I used to be a cashier at (where you worked) and we had to do our duties quickly without sacrificing speed or production. I became fluent in the position by learning to remain calm even when I had a line at my counter and by making sure I was as up to date as possible with the proper procedures so I'd never be surprised when something came up. With just a little bit of time, I performed well."

By making the answer specific to the job you are interviewing, you slam the door shut on any notions that you're focused on your gain (wage, benefits) but not how well you will perform.

coming in early unclocked to look up patients, etc.

This is probably what she was referring to when she said to "never say that."

Don't put too much emphasis on the interview. It's you that your selling, not the interview skills. If you get hung up on the fact that a few have gone wrong, you'll overthink things.

Role play interviewing. If it's possible, find a partner to play the HR person but knows well how to "trip you up". Learn to site and eliminate messages you might be sending via body language and tone. Those matter as much as the answer.

As far as the weakness question goes: Change the question in your head into what they are really asking. They want to know "Have you thought at all about how well you will do here? Did you consider what might be challenging to you and how you will overcome it? Or is your head in the sky wondering how much vacation you can earn the first year and what the starting wage is?".

Consider what may be challenging for you in the position they are interviewing you for, then talk about it being a challenge and how you will overcome it. For instance, if I were interviewing for a position that I knew had a lot of medications to pass I might say:

"I don't have a lot of experience passing as many meds as this position will require but I've been in a similar situation and handled it well. I used to be a cashier at (where you worked) and we had to do our duties quickly without sacrificing speed or production. I became fluent in the position by learning to remain calm even when I had a line at my counter and by making sure I was as up to date as possible with the proper procedures so I'd never be surprised when something came up. With just a little bit of time, I performed well."

By making the answer specific to the job you are interviewing, you slam the door shut on any notions that you're focused on your gain (wage, benefits) but not how well you will perform.

Thanks a ton. That really helped me out. Put things in a completely different perspective for me. I have really been stressing about my future interviews but it was just one that didn't go right. One thing I thought about, after you said that, was I used to be a pct for 5 years so I understand how busy they are. It may be difficult for me to ask for them to do something for me because of that. But then say how I will overcome that.

Think I really need to put myself in the position I am applying for. Then figure out what will be my strengths and weaknesses.

Thank you!

It really depends on the interviewer, as well.

When I interviewed with a panel of nurse managers (for a hospital New Grad RN program), they expected me to have an acceptable answer for all of their questions. Like someone else said, the truth but dressed up a little bit. "Yes, I encountered this problem at that facility, and this is what I've learned from that experience. This is how it influences my clinical practice." I talked about "strengths" in terms of how I acquired them: "The acuity of the patients I cared for in an intensive care unit was challenging at times, but the experience also allowed me to strengthen my skills in prioritization and time management."

I interviewed with a DON recently. She wanted pure honesty. You can usually tell by the amount of time they give you to answer a question. If you've finished a sentence and they're looking at you like they're expecting a more in-depth explanation, then that's your chance to give it to them. For her, though, she just wanted the facts and nothing else. Any fluff would have added extra questions where there didn't need to be any.

Don't be afraid to be honest, either. If they ask you what your strengths are, try not to over think it. What are your strengths? Are you organized? Are you humble? Are you not afraid to ask questions? Are you realistic about what you know (and more importantly what you don't know)? Think about a strength that you have and apply it to nursing. Look at it this way: if you work there long enough, they'll figure out what that trait is, anyway. The same concept can be applied to your weaknesses...just try frame your weaknesses in a positive light. Mention what you've learned from those weaknesses and how you plan to continue to work on them in the future.

As far as getting a call back...

Go the whole nine yards when submitting your application. Include a resume, cover letter, references, a copy of your CPR certification (BLS, ACLS, or whatever you have), and a copy of your RN license. Make it as easy as possible for them to look over your entire application.

Don't use a generic cover letter...specialize it to the place that you're applying. Pull from any previous work experiences (even clinical experiences as a student) when writing the letter to show that you have what it takes to do the job. Use a confident, but not arrogant, tone. I usually try not to go over 1 page when writing a cover letter, but my longest letter was 1 1/2 page and it didn't seem to affect my chances at getting the job (I got a call back). Just make sure it's concise and to the point. Hiring managers usually don't have a whole lot of time to look over an application or read a letter. Make it worth their while. Also, make sure you put the correct address on the cover letter. Spell check, and ask a family member or friend to read it before you submit it.

Oh, and if you have any recent gaps in employment or inconsistencies in your application, try to address it in your cover letter (in a positive light). Don't ignore any huge, gaping problems in your application. If you see them, so will the hiring manager.

Call and/or email your references ahead of time and give them a heads up that you're back on the market, ask them if they're still okay with being a reference, and also ask them if their contact information has changed since the last time you spoke to them. If your resume looks good, you've passed a background check and drug screen, the interview went okay but the potential employer can't get in contact with your references because they're on vacation or not answering their phone/email...then you've lost the job.

I hope that helps.

Best of luck with your job search! The right employer will come along.

I just read your post, and I wanted to reply. Recently I attended a lecture where interview skills were addressed, specifically how to answer the question about weaknesses. The speaker said to identify an area that you would like to work on, and then identify how you are working to improve that area in the next year. The idea is to show you can reflect honestly on your weaknesses, and that you have a plan on how to make improvements. In my mind, this really helped make the question easy to answer. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Thank you all for your replies. Very helpful in my future interviews. I have one next week and the woman who set the job up for me is even going to call Monday and we will practice answering questions. Thanks!

Google interview questions and answers for nurses and then practice, practice, practice so you don't have to think about it and it just flows. I found some great answers to those questions like where do you see yourself in 5 years, etc. I have been out of work for 1 1/2 years because of several issues and just got the second job I interviewed for. If you can find a hiring event close to home where they can put a face to a name makes it easier. I asked the recruiter how to make your resume stand out when hundreds are applying online and he could not give me a specific answer. I did find one article that said make sure your cover letter addresses how you would help the company. Good Luck!

"I have met plenty of nurses who I'm sure are great at interviewing but don't make the best nurses."

And conversely, I think some of us who are good nurses don't interview so well. I hate interviewing, because it's so subjective. I think I'll do better on my next interview(s), though.

When they ask about your strengths, it may help to review what you've been praised for in feedback from instructors, and as a PCT, coworkers or patients. e.g. "I've been told in several performance reviews that one of my strengths is communication. My goal is to meet the patient on their level and share information about what is going on in a way that they understand. One patient and his wife even nominated me for a (company recognition award) because they were so happy with the way that I took the time to explain everything to them." This tells the interviewers that you are not simply coming up with internal ideas of what you are good at, but that these are strengths that have been recognized by people whose job it is to evaluate how well you perform.

As has been mentioned, the ideal "weakness" is something where you can demonstrate self-awareness and share strategies you are implementing to improve. The problem, as mentioned, may have been that you admitted to looking up patients off the clock. This is a common but hotly debated tactic, and it is a violation of labor law to work when you are not being paid. Don't admit that you do that when talking to a potential employer.

Each interview is a learning experience. Learn from it and do better next time, and, if needed, the time after that. You don't need to be fake, you just need to learn what employers are looking for, and learn to tailor your answers to aim for what they want.