OPINIONS PLEASE!!!

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Hey guys! Input would be greatly appreciated. I recently passed nclex, and have been on the dreaded job hunt. So about my situation… I applied for a registered nurse position in a hospital I currently work for as PCT and got a call April 26 for an interview April 27. I accepted the interview, checked the posting on their website (I applied for over 15 positions within the hospital that I couldn't keep track) and it was for a part time position. I came in for the interview April 27, which consisted of the nurse manager, director, and 4 other nurses. The interview lasted for 30-40 min, and the nurses seem to like me, and they where even impresses in some of my answers. However, during the interview the manager or director didn't mention a specific time frame of when I'd be notified if I got the job. They also didn't ask the question "When can you start?" or offered a unit tour. (All of which I read meant that they're interested in you.) I though it went well plus the nurse who walked me out said it went well, and she said I was able to answer questions nurses in the unit wouldn't even know. She also told me to send a thank you email to the director and a follow up call the following monday (I sent the thank you email the following morning, and got no response back).

So today I called HR because the job I interview for was taken down 3 hours after my interview. (It was still posted the night before which would be April 26) HR said that the position had been filled April 26, and that's why it had been taken down. Basically I was interviewed while the position was already filled the day before.

Sorry for my long post, but I'm so anxious I analyzed every single thing that happened. So are hospitals suppose to interview a certain amount of applicants, even if the job was filled? It would have been nice to notify me the morning of my interview that the position had been filled instead of using me as mock interview… or do you guys think I'm still being considered? Or am I going to be sitting around like a high school girl waiting for her crush to call? I do plan on doing a follow up call monday, but if it has been filled… what's the point?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

HR and hiring managers regularly interview people whom they never had any intention of hiring. Read: it's not you...it's them.

Here's the unspoken political aspect of job hunting...when an internal candidate is promised a position, HR and managers must interview a certain number of people. These interviews are mere formalities: many companies have policies dictating that a specified number of candidates are to be interviewed when a position opens up.

However, HR and management know all along whom they intend to hire in these types of situations. Do not take it personal. Again, it is not about you personally.

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Thank you, I had a hunch I was there to fill in their quota for the position.

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Dang, who has time to do a bunch of dummy interviews?

Good luck OP.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

This is really common. I actually just had this happen but it has really good potential to have worked out anyway.

I was called in for an interview. Towards the end of the interview the manager told me she thought I would make a great fit on the unit. Then told me that the current position I had applied for was actually filled but she had to keep interviewing. However she told me that another position was opening on her unit the next week. The next week the promised position opened and closed with a few hours of me applying. I haven't gotten an official offer yet so I can't count on it yet. But I'm hoping.

Basically, even if you get a crummy interview meant to just fill in the holes, try to make a great impression anyway because it could lead to opportunities later.

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As Commuter already mentioned, a lot of places interview although they have already somebody in mind for a position to satisfy regulations.

Take this as a practice run in how to interview.

The market for new grades is tight in a lot of areas.

If you did well, they could call you for other positions or to interview in a different area. However, I would not hope for it.

Continue to apply and interview. If your area is saturated and you are mobile you may want to consider moving.

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If it is a union facility, every job needs to be posted for a set amount of time, and most anyone who is qualified then needs to be interviewed. However, seniority is often the basis of internal transfers, and the job is "filled" based on that long before the last person is interviewed.

See if you get any other responses from the other jobs you applied for. Then you may want to email the manager again with a "I understand the posted job blah blah has been filled, but would like to discuss per diem with you" and see how that goes.

Best wishes!

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Thanks for the responses everyone! Since I know that I'm most likely not going to get that job, I accepted an offer for a full time new grad program 40 min away from me. I think it will be a great opportunity for me, as a new grad I'm lucky to have found a job. I've been getting rejection letters left and right. I guess you win some you lose some.

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Thanks for the responses everyone! Since I know that I'm most likely not going to get that job, I accepted an offer for a full time new grad program 40 min away from me. I think it will be a great opportunity for me, as a new grad I'm lucky to have found a job. I've been getting rejection letters left and right. I guess you win some you lose some.

40 min is not too bad - I had much longer drives for some jobs.

If you are going to drive i can recommend audio CDs - check with your library for cheap options or buy some used ones / special sale. The other thing I can highly recommend for long drives are pod casts - they are for free, there are so many... You can download them and play them in the car.

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Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.

My first RN job was an hour and a half drive, one way from home. I ended up only staying about 6 weeks, I hadn't passed my NCLEX yet. I left on very good terms, the manager totally understood when I got a job 20 minutes from home and said if I ever needed a job that she'd be glad to have me come back.

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