Phone interview scheduled for new grad position. Advice?

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I have been waiting for this day for a long time! After months of applying to various positions with a large hospital system, I finally get a call to schedule a phone interview for my "dream job". It's a new graduate position, so at least they are not expecting me to have a lot of nursing experience. Luckily it is for the unit which I did my senior internship, so I plan to highlight that experience as much as possible. I think my main detriment is that I went to school on the other side of the country, so they probably know nothing about the great reputation of my school, or of any of the hospitals where I completed my clinicals. Any students from this city who may have experience at their hospital definitely have an advantage... how could I spin that around to be more positive for me? :confused:

I wouldn't be so worried about it, except that I just had a really bad interview situation a couple weeks ago that really discouraged me. It was a group interview (with 15 applicants in the same room answering typical behavioral interview questions). It was very hard to "stand out" in the crowd, and although I was probably one of the most qualified on paper for the position, I didn't get a call back for that one.

On the flip side, I had a GREAT interview for a homecare position yesterday, so I'm hoping I can ride that confidence out. I plan to review my journal I kept during my internship so I have specific examples in my head, and I will have a list of questions for the interviewer (who is a recruiter not a manager). I will have a thank you note ready to send out postal mail afterwards.

Does anyone have a good link to a list of questions I should be prepared for? I did a lot of research on these forums already, which has helped a lot. Any more advice you can offer (or at least positive vibes!) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much! :)

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro (2yrs); Mom/Baby (6yrs); LDRPN (4+yr).

It's almost like I wrote this post a few weeks ago, lol. Phone interview for my top choice hospital that's located about 900 miles away from where I'm in school. For my preparation, I googled "nursing interview questions and answers" and got some good information that helped me to prepare answers for the usual behavioral-style questions so I wouldn't be caught off-guard and tongue-tied. I also searched for ideas of questions to ask them and picked the ones I felt would be the best general questions, as well as unit-specific questions. For the actual interview, I made sure I was in a quiet location and had all the questions/answers printed and spread out in front of me, with key words highlighted so I could quickly find them as they were asking the question.

As for how to stand out... what's your reason for applying for a job in THAT location? Were you simply looking everywhere that sounded interesting or is there something to tie you to the location? A number of the recruiters I spoke with stated that the hiring managers really liked to know that you had a reason to go to the area, but more importantly, a reason to STAY in the area. If it's a different climate, have you lived in it before? It may sound silly, but someone from the South moving up north for a job may not be able to really handle a hard winter and may not last more than a year in that location. So know WHY you're applying there and let them know if there's something to really make you want to stay there.

Any and all experience you can pull in is always helpful. For me, it was an OR externship that I pulled into a position on an Ortho/Neuro floor. They loved how I made the connection and that I had that unique experience that I could bring to the unit as a new grad nurse. Anything and everything helps!!

That's about all I can think of for now, off the top of my head. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

(ps - my phone interviews (ended up being 2) were successful... I got the job!)

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Prepare for the interview as though it were in person- dress professionally, have your materials (resume, transcript, list of questions, etc) in front on you. Smile! It makes a difference in how you speak.

Write down the name of each person who introduces themselves so you don't forget it for the thank you cards and can refer to it during the interview. You might also want to jot down some answers to common questions and some particular clinical experiences you want to refer to, so those are easily accessible.

On the phone, it can be easy to get distracted, so limit background noise like tv, other people, etc. If you can't hear well, ask the interviewer to speak up and make sure you speak slowly, clearly, and loudly enough to be easily heard. It's much better to be too loud than too quiet when on the phone.

As far as not knowing your school- don't worry about it. Lots of nurses come from small, large, out of state, and international schools and I'm sure it's quite common the hospital not be familiar with your program. You'll impress them much more with your attitude, personality, and clinical experience than you will with where you go to school.

Be yourself! Good luck!

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Specializes in ED.

Hey there! It's nice to know there are other people in the same situation as I am! I'm a new grad and have a phone interview this afternoon for my dream job at a hospital in another state where I am moving in a few weeks. I will definitely be utilizing these tips. Best of luck to you, and I hope your interview goes great!

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Sorry I didn't reply earlier - for some reason the email notification didn't work!

Anyway, these are great tips. I didn't think of jotting down the names/titles of the interviewers - it's a mistake I've made before with phone contact.

This weekend I'll make a list of all the potential questions, I'll research the unit well and come up with my questions for them, and I'll have it all printed out... then I'll do a run-through on the morning of the interview so everything will go according to plan!

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Nicole - how did yours go?

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Specializes in ED.

It went really well - this was with the HR recruiter, but she said she'd recommend me for an interview with the unit manager, so now I get to wait to hear back from them. :)

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.
It's almost like I wrote this post a few weeks ago, lol. Phone interview for my top choice hospital that's located about 900 miles away from where I'm in school. For my preparation, I googled "nursing interview questions and answers" and got some good information that helped me to prepare answers for the usual behavioral-style questions so I wouldn't be caught off-guard and tongue-tied. I also searched for ideas of questions to ask them and picked the ones I felt would be the best general questions, as well as unit-specific questions. For the actual interview, I made sure I was in a quiet location and had all the questions/answers printed and spread out in front of me, with key words highlighted so I could quickly find them as they were asking the question.

As for how to stand out... what's your reason for applying for a job in THAT location? Were you simply looking everywhere that sounded interesting or is there something to tie you to the location? A number of the recruiters I spoke with stated that the hiring managers really liked to know that you had a reason to go to the area, but more importantly, a reason to STAY in the area. If it's a different climate, have you lived in it before? It may sound silly, but someone from the South moving up north for a job may not be able to really handle a hard winter and may not last more than a year in that location. So know WHY you're applying there and let them know if there's something to really make you want to stay there.

Any and all experience you can pull in is always helpful. For me, it was an OR externship that I pulled into a position on an Ortho/Neuro floor. They loved how I made the connection and that I had that unique experience that I could bring to the unit as a new grad nurse. Anything and everything helps!!

That's about all I can think of for now, off the top of my head. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

(ps - my phone interviews (ended up being 2) were successful... I got the job!)

I am just curious.. did you have an in-person interview or were both phone interviews? I have a phone interview coming up and I am just curious if I have a chance. The job is 450 miles away.

OP, this is all great advice! Good luck and let us know how it went. We are rooting for you :)

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The interview was pretty good, but not great... I was pretty nervous and i'm sure she could tell in my voice. The questions were:

Why do you want to work here?

She asked about my senior internship (same unit as this job).

What kind of manager do you want to work for?

Tell me about a time when you had a difficult patient and how you handled it.

Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond in your job.

That's all I can remember. I asked some questions at the end, but some of them she couldn't answer because they're better for the hiring manager of that unit (this was just a recruiter). She will forward my answers to the hiring manager and I'll find out either way if they want me to come in for an in-person interview in a week to 10 days.

Please keep me in your prayers/fingers crossed!

And good luck to those who stumble across this thread looking for advice :)

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This post is similar to my story too. I had a phone interview yesterday with a recruiter for a hospital I've been trying so hard to get into for awhile now. My interview was basic she asked me questions regarding some of my clinical rotations and why I wanted to work for them. Questions like:

What was my favorite clinical what was my least and why?

Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult patient and how did you handle it? What was the outcome?

Tell me about a time you helped one of your team-mates out? What did you do?

Tell me about a time when you had to join a new team, how did you go about it?

What was the most rewarding experience and why?

Tell me why you left your past jobs?

A few other things but I can't really recall the exact questions. After she was finish asking questions she said she wanted to go ahead and schedule me for a in-person interview with the head nurse and DON next week. So now I'm still waiting to receive her email confirming the date.

Anyways I just wanted to wish you guys good luck on your interviews. Also if you have any tips for me regarding the in-person interview and what to expect I would love to hear them.

Best luck to all.

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro (2yrs); Mom/Baby (6yrs); LDRPN (4+yr).
I am just curious.. did you have an in-person interview or were both phone interviews? I have a phone interview coming up and I am just curious if I have a chance. The job is 450 miles away.

OP, this is all great advice! Good luck and let us know how it went. We are rooting for you :)

Sorry for the delay in reply! Yes, both of my interviews were over the phone. It feels odd to know I've never stepped foot in the hospital where I'll start work next month. :)

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FINALLY! I got a call back today. I pretty much had given up hope! I was asked to come in for an interview with the hiring manager. My prayers have been answered! Now I start praying that the in-person interview goes well. Wish me luck and send positive vibes! I think it will be on Wednesday.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
FINALLY! I got a call back today. I pretty much had given up hope! I was asked to come in for an interview with the hiring manager. My prayers have been answered! Now I start praying that the in-person interview goes well. Wish me luck and send positive vibes! I think it will be on Wednesday.

That is awesome. Good luck with i. I had a phone interview that I NAILED! I know because at the end I asked the lady if there was any advice she could give me for my in person interviews now that she talked to me and she said I gave her goosebumps with how great my interview was. I have an in person interview tomorrow and I am way nervous!

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