Interview questions...

Nesher, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2005

I don't know what types of flight nurse questions you might be asked, however I do have a list from the book "Interview Power" by Tom Washington. This book is an excellent resource I have found. The idea is to outlines your answers so you are reclling the outline - not a memorized answer. The second section of behavior based questions are much harder as they require you to have a story or example to answer the question. I was faced with a panel interview once and each person on the panel had a 17 page packet in front of them with these type questions - it was brutal. SO a little prep goes a long way. Good luck.

QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What is your greatest strength?

3. What can you offer us that no one else can?

4. What are your three most important career accomplishments?

5. How would you describe yourself?

6. Why should I hire you?

7. Describe the biggest crisis in your life (career).

8. What is unique about you?

9. How would your supervisor describe you?

10. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.

11. Tell me a story.

12. How have you benefited from disappointment?

13. What is your greatest weakness?

14. Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?

15. Why have you changed jobs so frequently?

16. Why have you been out of work so long? What have you been doing?

17. What is the biggest mistake you ever made?

18. What are your career goals?

19. What do you want to do in life?

20. How long have you been out of work?

21. What personal, non-job related gals have you set for yourself?

22. Are you willing to relocate?

23. Are you willing to travel overnight?

24. How do you feel about overtime?

25. What have you learned from your past mistakes? What are some of them?

26. What do you think determines a person's progress with a goof company?

27. Who has exercised the greatest influence on you? How?

28. What public figure do you admire most and why?

29. What are your primary activities outside of work?

30. Would you have any concern if we did a full background check on you? What would we find?

31. What qualities do you most admire in people?

32. What have you done to increase your personal development?

33. What type of books and magazines do you read?

34. What was the last book you read (movie you saw) and how did it affect you?

35. How do you feel about your career progress?

36. Can you work well under stress?

37. Do you prefer to work as an individually or as a part of a team?

38. Are you a team player?

39. Tell me about the last incident that made you angry. How did you handle it?

40. What are the things that motivate you?

41. How do you handle people that you really don't get along with?

42. What have you done that shows initiative?

43. What personal qualities are important for success in this field?

44. Sell me this pen.

45. Are you willing to take calculated risks?

46. Describe your perfect job?

47. What is most important to you in a job?

48. Why do you want to change careers?

49. Why do you want to get into this field?

50. Why did you leave your last job?

51. How long will it take before you make a positive contribution to our organization?

52. What do you like least about this position? Most?

53. Tell me about your duties at your present job?

54. What is the most important aspect of your job?

55. Describe a time when you were criticized for your job.

56. What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced?

57. What frustrates you about your job?

58. What jobs have you enjoyed most? Least? Why?

59. What duties have you enjoyed most? Least? Why?

60. What is the worst thing your have ever heard about this organization?

61. What position do you expect to hold in five years? (similar to, Where do you expect to be in 5 years?)

62. Why would you like to work for us?

63. What is opinion of your present (or past) employer?

64. How long would you stay if we offered you this position?

65. What do you know about our company?

66. Why do you want to leave your present employer?

67. Starting with your first job out of college, tell me why you left each organization.

68. What kinds of recommendations will you get from previous employers?

69. Describe your relationship with your last three supervisors.

70. What are your supervisor's strengths and weaknesses?

71. What kind of supervisors do you like most? Least? Why?

72. How has your supervisor helped you grow?

73. What did your supervisor rate you highest on during your last review? Lowest?

74. What kind of supervisor gets the best results out of you?

75. What is your boss like?

76. What actions would you take if you came on board?

77. Can you supervise people?

78. Describe your management philosophy and management style.

79. How many people have you hired? How do you go about it? How successful have the people been?

80. How many people have you fired?

81. How would your subordinates describe you as a supervisor?

82. Some managers watch their employees closely while others use a loose rein. How do you manage?

83. How have you improved as a supervisor over the years?

84. Why did you pick your major?

85. What kind of grades did you have?

86. What course did you like the most? Least? Why?

87. How has your schooling prepared you for this job?

88. Do you feel you did the best work at school that you were capable of doing?

89. How did your summer jobs benefit you?

SOME BEHAVIOR BASED QUESTIONS

Tell me about a time when you:

1. Achieved a great deal in a short amount of time.

2. Were disappointed in your performance.

3. Made a major sacrifice to achieve a work goal.

4. Were unwilling or unable to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal.

5. Worked effectively under a great deal of pressure.

6. Didn't handle a stressful situation very well.

7. Really got angry over a situation at work.

8. Felt under a great deal of pressure from an internal or external customer.

9. Were really bothered by the actions of a coworker.

10. Were especially creative in solving a problem.

11. Were not as creative as usual.

12. Organized and planned an event that was successful.

13. Planned and coordinated a project that was very successful.

14. Were unable to complete a project on schedule despite your best efforts.

15. Really had to remain flexible.

16. Had to deal with a personality conflict with a boss or coworker.

17. Were unable to sell your idea to a key person.

18. Felt really good about a decision you made and the process you went through.

19. Were very effective in your problem-solving ability.

20. Used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation.

21. Utilized your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had been strong opposition.

22. Were able to build team spirit during a time of low morale.

23. Were able to gain commitment from others to really work as a team.

24. Used your political savvy to push through a program you believed in.

25. Were particularly perceptive regarding a person's or group's feelings and needs.

26. Were able to predict someone's behavior or response based on your assessment of him or her.

27. Were particularly supportive and reassuring to a person who needed a friend.

28. Built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.

29. Wrote a report which was well received by others.

30. Were particularly effective at prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.

31. Identified potential problems and resolved the situation before the problems became serious.

32. Were highly motivated and your example inspired others.

33. Found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things others did not want to hear.

34. Were particularly effective in a talk you gave or a seminar you taught.

35. Had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted.

36. Had to make a decision you knew would be unpopular.

37. Were in a situation when events and circumstances changed rapidly.

happthearts · Mar 16, 2005

1. Tell me about yourself.Realiable intetelgent Depenable

2. What is your greatest strength? Very Up beat and postive

3. What can you offer us that no one else can? Over 30 years of experance always reading and learning more

4. What are your three most important career accomplishments? see below and I Help run a care company

5. How would you describe yourself? intudtive ,quick learner Goal oriented

6. Why should I hire you?

7. Describe the biggest crisis in your life (career).Durring a major earthquake so many needing care at the same time

8. What is unique about you? Have worked in many fascets of nursing and then decribe them impathehic but try not to enable Pt's

9. How would your supervisor describe you? Very driven

10. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. 9.99

11. Tell me a story. How I got intrested in nurseing story.

12. How have you benefited from disappointment?learned to grow from it.

13. What is your greatest weakness? Good /bad thing is I am compastnate

14. Have you ever been fired or asked to resign? No

15. Why have you changed jobs so frequently? Only when hospitial would close would I change

16. Why have you been out of work so long? What have you been doing? Only once durring a short illness

17. What is the biggest mistake you ever made?

18. What are your career goals?

19. What do you want to do in life? Run a company /travel

20. How long have you been out of work? I'm not out of work.

21. What personal, non-job related goals have you set for yourself?

22. Are you willing to relocate?depends

23. Are you willing to travel overnight?yes and have

24. How do you feel about overtime? Love the Pay check.

25. What have you learned from your past mistakes? What are some of them? Trusting others to follow through when they promise and except my part of the blame when were working as a team

26. What do you think determines a person's progress with a good company?

27. Who has exercised the greatest influence on you? How? My nursing instrutor she showed us how and what its like to be a PT.So we could be good nurses.

28. What public figure do you admire most and why? Our last gov Oleen walker she did alot for our state in a very little time.then Expalin

29. What are your primary activities outside of work? Church /memory walk Caregivers night out.

30. Would you have any concern if we did a full background check on you? What would we find? NO concern. That I have been in the miltary and have a clean FBI file

31. What qualities do you most admire in people? Honesty /hard worker

32. What have you done to increase your personal development? Reading all kinds of medical journals nursing journals to keep up.

33. What type of books and magazines do you read?

34. What was the last book you read (movie you saw) and how did it affect you?

35. How do you feel about your career progress? Going great so fae

36. Can you work well under stress? Yes

37. Do you prefer to work as an individually or as a part of a team? Both

38. Are you a team player?yes

39. Tell me about the last incident that made you angry. How did you handle it? when some one promised they would follow through and didn't

40. What are the things that motivate you?

41. How do you handle people that you really don't get along with? ingore if I can joke with them .Try to reason or work something out.

42. What have you done that shows initiative?

43. What personal qualities are important for success in this field?

44. Sell me this pen.This pen is made from the finest Titium less likely to break or smudge can right upside down, if it has to or at strange angles Comes in assored beautiful colors and can be printed with your logo or Company name

45. Are you willing to take calculated risks? Yes only if it will do the least amt of harm

46. Describe your perfect job? traveling nurse or running a homecare agency

47. What is most important to you in a job? Go out and present myself marketing and show and sell what we do diffrent with our home care agency

48. Why do you want to change careers? To grow and learn

49. Why do you want to get into this field? To grow and learn

50. Why did you leave your last job? Company closed.

51. How long will it take before you make a positive contribution to our organization? Not long I hope I will listen learn and try to add imput where I can.

52. What do you like least about this position? Sometimes very short inbetewen vists setting up care Most? Getting to meet all kinds of wonderful people

53. Tell me about your duties at your present job? Marketing /direct services set up care veterans care cord. Contact hospitials SW PT DOC Hospices and Clients

54. What is the most important aspect of your job? Setting Up care and marketing

55. Describe a time when you were criticized for your job. Had to be a little late to one PT cause another had passed away.

56. What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced? Taking care of triage in the pouring rain

57. What frustrates you about your job? Not of enough hours in the day

58. What jobs have you enjoyed most? meeting people and helping them Least? Just wish I was the engerzer bunny and could help all of them every day they want me. Why?

59. What duties have you enjoyed most? direct PT care and what I am doing now Least? Probably earthquake nursing

60. What is the worst thing your have ever heard about this organization?I haven't heard anything bad .

61. What position do you expect to hold in five years? (similar to, Where do you expect to be in 5 years?) Be Running my own office or be doing travel nursing

62. Why would you like to work for us? Travel

63. What is opinion of your present (or past) employer? Loved them

64. How long would you stay if we offered you this position? Probably until you closed

65. What do you know about our company? would do current reading on the net and in the libary to find out

66. Why do you want to leave your present employer? Just growth oppertunties

67. Starting with your first job out of college, tell me why you left each organization. ussally because they closed or I was going to school

68. What kinds of recommendations will you get from previous employers? One said I was gave the best care to PT's

69. Describe your relationship with your last three supervisors.Good

70. What are your supervisor's strengths and weaknesses? Srong willed at times which is good and bad.

71. What kind of supervisors do you like most? Least? Why? Ones who tell you all there private problems not job related

72. How has your supervisor helped you grow? by teaching more of the marketing end of nursing

73. What did your supervisor rate you highest on during your last review? Always 9 and 10 Lowest?

74. What kind of supervisor gets the best results out of you? will listen to you as well as just demand

75. What is your boss like? Listens well

76. What actions would you take if you came on board? Try to grow along with the other staff and have them grow with me. Letting them know we all win when we win

77. Can you supervise people? Yes very well

78. Describe your management philosophy and management style.I listen well try to put the right person in the right place

79. How many people have you hired? 10 so far How do you go about it? How successful have the people been? asking questions like these and asking what they would do in situations

80. How many people have you fired? 2

81. How would your subordinates describe you as a supervisor? Fair to all my staff I have no favorites try to make them feel good about there job

82. Some managers watch their employees closely while others use a loose rein. How do you manage? a little of both when a person need more help I watch them more

83. How have you improved as a supervisor over the years? By learning to be and effective listener

84. Why did you pick your major? cause the human body is fasnating how we work

85. What kind of grades did you have? A and B

86. What course did you like the most? Least? Why? english

87. How has your schooling prepared you for this job? how to work with Pts and train others to do the same

88. Do you feel you did the best work at school that you were capable of doing? What?

89. How did your summer jobs benefit you? By learning how to be a people person

SOME BEHAVIOR BASED QUESTIONS

Tell me about a time when you:

1. Achieved a great deal in a short amount of time. I durring the earthquake saw one Pt after another

2. Were disappointed in your performance. See above just wished I been a doc an did more.

3. Made a major sacrifice to achieve a work goal.Went to school and work little time with family

4. Were unwilling or unable to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal.Have never had that problem

5. Worked effectively under a great deal of pressure. Had to work 24 hrs without a break because there was no one to take my place

6. Didn't handle a stressful situation very well. See above after 17 I was sleepy

7. Really got angry over a situation at work. when 2 staff got in a fist fight in front of a Pt

8. Felt under a great deal of pressure from an internal or external customer. waiting for a part to come

9. Were really bothered by the actions of a coworker. see above

10. Were especially creative in solving a problem.

11. Were not as creative as usual.

12. Organized and planned an event that was successful. memory walk

13. Planned and coordinated a project that was very successful.caregivers night out

14. Were unable to complete a project on schedule despite your best efforts.When My car went under water

15. Really had to remain flexible.with a diffcult PT

16. Had to deal with a personality conflict with a boss or coworker. by being more direct with that person

17. Were unable to sell your idea to a key person.

18. Felt really good about a decision you made and the process you went through.

19. Were very effective in your problem-solving ability. Changeing staff to meet the needs

20. Used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation.went to the internet and went with the facts in hand

21. Utilized your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had been strong opposition.

22. Were able to build team spirit during a time of low morale.

23. Were able to gain commitment from others to really work as a team.By showing them how it felt

24. Used your political savvy to push through a program you believed in.Going to our congess women to get help for indgents

25. Were particularly perceptive regarding a person's or group's feelings and needs.To children who were fatherless and make them not so pointed out

26. Were able to predict someone's behavior or response based on your assessment of him or her.

27. Were particularly supportive and reassuring to a person who needed a friend.When there Granddaughter died

28. Built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.Helped others in a earthquake

29. Wrote a report which was well received by others.To our congress women

30. Were particularly effective at prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.I do that all the time I have too.

31. Identified potential problems and resolved the situation before the problems became serious. try to do that before and when I set up care i look for all the angles

32. Were highly motivated and your example inspired others.Caregivers night out went out speaking to people and then asked them what they had don a bit of a small challgenge

33. Found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things others did not want to hear. When I had to write somone up that kept failing over and over.

34. Were particularly effective in a talk you gave or a seminar you taught.

35. Had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted. To take my present job I have now.

36. Had to make a decision you knew would be unpopular.had to go over a charge nurses head when I knew the PT had a broken femer and she was making a bad judment call in not taking care of it

37. Were in a situation when events and circumstances changed rapidly. Durring the earth quake rain cold heat tons of Pts on the ground or where ever we could put them Constant aftershocks :eek:

Nesher, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2005

Wow Happtheart - you are ready to interview!

mommatrauma, RN · Mar 23, 2005

Thank you for all your help..it was very helpful