New grad interview tips?

Guest849204 · Apr 24, 2017

Here's some common questions:

What is your greatest strength/weakness?

How would you handle a dispute between yourself and a coworker? (say you would first confront the person directly and try to figure out what the problem was)

What would you do if you found out a coworker was doing something that could harm the reputation of this organization? (always say you would report it immediately!)

What was the hardest situation you encountered in nursing school? (can be anything, but what they are looking for is how you deal with difficult/uncomfortable situations)

What was the most rewarding experience you had in nursing school? (try to recall a time where you went above and beyond and it resulted in a positive outcome for someone other than yourself)

Tell us about x on your resume? (always be prepared to give details about items on your resume and how they relate to the nursing profession)

Where do you see yourself in 5 years, in 10 years...? (give some indication that you intend to stay with and advance through the organization, they want to know that you will be an asset to the organization and that you have ambitions/a basic life plan)

Why do you want to work for this organization? (For this, you need to research the organization a little and point out something unique, ideally related to the advancement of healthcare or the nursing profession. They want to know that you chose this organization for more than a job opening and that you are at least dedicated enough to know something about them).

Some other tips:

Although you may interview with fellow nurses, they will not be the only ones deciding your fate. Human Resources play a big role, so don't feel like nurses are the only professionals your are trying to impress.

Dress professionally. For men, wear a suit and have your hair neatly combed. Look people in the eye and shake hands. These are basic interviewing tips that new nurses seem to ignore sometimes because after suffering through nursing school and having that be the biggest thing in your life, its easy to forget that you are applying for a professional position at a large business.

Ask questions! Even if you don't need to, ask questions that show an interest in the organization. Think of the interview as a two-way interaction. You are there as much to show them what you have to offer as you are to learn about what they can offer you*

*That said, don't ask about salary or benefits during your interview. The interviewer has no role in what you are paid, that's a conversation to be had with HR after you are offered a job and told what they intend to pay you. There's nothing wrong with negotiating salary, but be smart about it. As a new nurse with no salary quote from a previous nursing position, you don't have a lot of "career capital" to leverage. If you get an offer significantly less than you expected/the average for your area/experience, its okay to ask for more but don't push it if they say no. As a new nurse, there are likely other potential new nurse candidates that would love that position so setting a bottom line isn't a good idea. That said, its completely normal for people to negotiate their salaries, just remember to be polite and not greedy.

Don't be afraid to take a moment and think about a question or ask for clarification. Some of the questions require thinking and if you start BSing to take up time it will come across as dishonest.

If you don't get the job, call them and ask if there is anything they could tell you about why you didn't get the position. If they mention something specific, you can work on it. If its a matter of limited positions for a large number of qualified applicants, ask if you could be considered for any other open positions and what they procedure is for that.

Don't get discouraged if you are turned down! You aren't the first person to not be offered a job. Most people get turned down more often than they get offered a position! Especially as a new nurse, you're on relatively equal ground as you have no nursing experience. If a lot of new nurses apply for a position, you might get passed up for someone else for some random or ultimately insignificant reason. Don't get discouraged and just keep trying.

Be on time! If you don't show up on time for your interview, why should they expect you to show up on time day to day if hired?

Be honest, but not too honest! You should never lie during your interview but you also should not be overly critical of yourself in an attempt to appear humble. You are selling yourself and your best features, there's no need to highlight your flaws.

Good luck! Interviewing is always stressful but if you take some time to prepare you will already be several steps ahead of some of your competitors.

melanieana14 · Apr 25, 2017

Thanks so much for all the details!