L&D Interview - Tips?

labordude, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2019

Getting an interview is more than half the battle. They are already interested in you, time to show the why. Make sure during your interview you ask a lot of questions about the unit but focus on what they want in a teammate. Find ways to demonstrate through your experience that you are that person. It doesn't matter that it's been 8 months since you've worked with a mom unless you don' think you can re-learn it. Be prepared to explain why the specialty switch. Seriously though, show them you are someone that is a team player and they can work with. We can teach you to be a labor nurse, but we don't want to teach you to fit in. I've been on both sides of the interview chair and I am convinced people take them either WAY too seriously or the far other opposite. If I've invited someone for an interview, I already think I want to hire them. Be curious, be interested, ask them what they saw in your experience that they thought would make you a good fit, that's always a good question. Turning questions around on the interviewer is a really good way of understanding what they are really looking for.

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2019

11 minutes ago, labordude said:
Getting an interview is more than half the battle. They are already interested in you, time to show the why. Make sure during your interview you ask a lot of questions about the unit but focus on what they want in a teammate. Find ways to demonstrate through your experience that you are that person. It doesn't matter that it's been 8 months since you've worked with a mom unless you don' think you can re-learn it. Be prepared to explain why the specialty switch. Seriously though, show them you are someone that is a team player and they can work with. We can teach you to be a labor nurse, but we don't want to teach you to fit in. I've been on both sides of the interview chair and I am convinced people take them either WAY too seriously or the far other opposite. If I've invited someone for an interview, I already think I want to hire them. Be curious, be interested, ask them what they saw in your experience that they thought would make you a good fit, that's always a good question. Turning questions around on the interviewer is a really good way of understanding what they are really looking for.

I wish I would have been able to see this before the interview! I’m pretty sure I bombed it, but who knows. They asked a lot of behavior questions and then a situational question with a preeclamptic mom on a mag drip - something I’d NEVER experienced before! We didn’t do mag drips on my PP unit. But they did ask me what my certifications were at the end - ACLS, NRP, etc. I had been told on the walk up that I was the third interview of the day.

However, at the end I was told they’d have their decision by end of next week or the first and they had a couple more days of interviewing. There’s 5 shifts open, that I know of.

We will see, but my faith is low. ?

labordude, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2019

Situation questions are odd to me. I never use them. If I discern in an interview that someone can be a team player and fit in and Behavioral type questions are pretty much the norm and some hospitals have scripts and question choices that people have to choose from so they don't ask anything that could get them in trouble. Did you have a panel interview or was it just the management? The "in thing" is peer panel interviews so that the staff feel like they have more say in who gets hired, still doesn't normally change the outcome unless everyone REALLY likes or DISLIKES a certain candidate. You probably did better than you thought. Did you follow up with them within 24 hours telling them you'd love the job and why you're awesome for it? Those candidates always stood out to me the ones that did that.

Idiosyncratic, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2019

13 minutes ago, labordude said:
Situation questions are odd to me. I never use them. If I discern in an interview that someone can be a team player and fit in and Behavioral type questions are pretty much the norm and some hospitals have scripts and question choices that people have to choose from so they don't ask anything that could get them in trouble. Did you have a panel interview or was it just the management? The "in thing" is peer panel interviews so that the staff feel like they have more say in who gets hired, still doesn't normally change the outcome unless everyone REALLY likes or DISLIKES a certain candidate. You probably did better than you thought. Did you follow up with them within 24 hours telling them you'd love the job and why you're awesome for it? Those candidates always stood out to me the ones that did that.

Oh trust me that situation question threw me WAY off. I did the best I could, stating how I thought it should be handled but admitted that I’d not experienced it. The behavior questions were a print off from the company which didn’t allow much for expansion, and they asked minimal beyond that. The only question they did ask was why I wanted labor and delivery vs PP, I tried to explain my desire for the teamwork and flow of how they were from my experiences baby catching.

There were two managers, both were drained and exhausted - admitted it even.

As for following up, I didn’t have their direct contact but did have the recruiters contact information. I DEFINITELY reached out to her, and stated my appreciation/appropriateness/desire for the position. She literally told me she loved me during the screening(was a bit odd but hey it’s all good haha). So I’m crossing my fingers that was helpful. ??