Please quit wasting my time: Interview Advice from Hiring Manager

[Teacher Sue]

I have spent the last two days interviewing candidates for an open RN position on my floor. Last week I went through the 14 resumes HR sent over to pick out the ones I wanted to interview. Eliminated eight of these for various reasons ( poor grammar and spelling, history of job hopping, inappropriate email address), and scheduled six interviews. I did the last interview this afternoon, and still have not found a suitable candidate. I know there are plenty of resources online that give Job Search tips, so please, put a little effort into writing an appropriate resume, and learning how to interview. I don't care if you are old, young, fat, thin, new GN or crusty old bat, gorgeous or if you wear a paper bag over your head. Please present yourself in a professional manner when interviewing. You don't need to wear a business suit, but don't come in jeans or shorts. Don't come with overdone hair and make up and tons of bling. Learn to communicate in a professional manner as well. You are a college graduate, you should at least have an understanding of basic grammar and know how to express yourself. Express a sincere desire to work on my unit. Don't tell me that you really don't want to work on a telemetry unit, that you just want to get into the hospital so that you can transfer into ICU as soon as there is an opening. Don't be cocky or dismissive of CNAs and other ancillary personnel when I introduce you to the staff for the peer interview.

I have read numerous posts from nurses who cannot find jobs in the present economy, and I feel for them. But it can be just as frustrating for a manager looking for staff who are professional, caring, and committed to their profession. I feel like the last two days have been a complete waste of my time. Please, if you are lucky enough to get an interview, make sure you are presenting yourself as a professional. If you cannot make the effort to do so, don't waste your time or mine by even scheduling the interview.

[Teacher Sue]

No, that is not what I am saying at all. I am saying that anyone with a history of staying in multiple jobs for a very short time has demonstrated an unstable work history. And I don't care if you were a ditch digger or an aeronautics engineer. I care about what kind of nurse you will be.

So if you went straight from high school to college and never worked a job, that is better than an older GN with a job history? What if you disprove of a previous line of work? Is that reason enough to scratch a name off a list?

[biggybigmcnurseypoo]

I have not interviewed well and have been told that is why someone else was selected over me. I think it is sad that so much emphasis is placed on how well reheorificed my responses are. Just like some people suffer with "test anxiety" but beyond their nerves are smart and well versed I say do not cheat yourself out of an exceptional nurse due to nerves. One of my former charge nurses recently shared with me her boss hired a nurse who looked perfect on paper and gave perfect answers summing up EXACTLY and ONLY what she wanted to hear and turned out to be an incompetent nincompoop.

[FLmed]

[quote="wish_me_luck

"Other than that--atrocious email addresses, pajamas/jeans, etc., I agree. However, I once did wear corduroys and a nice top (somewhat casual, but nice) and sperrys to an interview because I could not afford anything else. Many of us younger people can't afford too much; keep in mind, I think answers can be better than dress because once you hit the floor, you typically wear scrubs. So, you would never be able to pick out who wore what to the interview.". Wish me luck-- just wanted to respond to the above quote. :-)

**You can always go to Good Will!*** Seriously, I have found beautiful clothes there. One shipment that came in was from a wealthy businesswoman. She had lost a lot of weight from what the clerk told me. I bought two suits for $25, and I know those suits would have been $400 retail value.

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

amen, biggy! Once you are offered a job, the interview no longer matters. However, some people tend to master interviews (job hoppers, perhaps???) and aren't that interested in the job and others have a hard time with interview but could really want the job.

[joechess]

I, as well as the other nurse managers at the hospital where I am employed, try to be sensitive to people who have less privileged backgrounds, who may be impecunious (broke), who may be very nervous, etc. but I have had to interview nurse and CNA candidates at job fairs who come wearing flip flops. I remember one applicant who said she was fired from one job, terminated at her second job, and that she quit before being fired from the last job. I have had an applicant include a job description on her resume about how she replaced G-tubes and J-tubes (I hope not) at her SNF job.

I can't speak for other hospitals, but I would hire an ADN with recent relevant experience before I hire "a Phoenix" with an advanced degree but no strong work record. If an applicant is too poor to wear professional business attire, I can look past that, but I can't understand why an applicant could not wear a clean, ironed scrub uniform instead of jeans and a tank top.

An important skill a nurse needs to master is prioritization. If an applicant spends a week's pay (prioritizes) on neck tattoos, facial (and God knows where else) piercings, manicure, and a pop culture T-shirt, but cannot demonstrate that she could show up to work in clean scrubs with appropriate footwear, then I do not need any HR-composed interview questions to decide that the applicant's priorities are misplaced. Yes, we do have staff with neck tattoos and facial piercings, but they are expected to wear scrubs and footwear that covers their feet.

Yes, I do look up staff and applicants on Facebook; some will post about their prescriptions for controlled substances, unseen piercings, etc. When you post about how you need beer and benzos to sleep at night, I hesitate to gamble thousands of dollars to answer this question: will you successfully complete weeks of orientation, ACLS, and then stay at our facility long enough for us to recoup the cost of training you?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Moved to our Nursing Interview Help forum for our new grads need the best career guidance for it does not appear to be part of today's nursing curriculum from numerous posts on this bb and my own personnel hiring woes.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Couldn't agree more. I'm a relatively new nurse, with 20 years experience in retail and hotel management. Often, I'm wondering the same as the OP when people say they've been job searching for a year with no luck. Absolutely, the economy is tough. However, some people (even new grads) are finding work. Why? When I used to screen resumes, any with major typos/ poor grammar went into the garbage. And if candidates were late, or interviewed poorly...forget it. There are many resources available to assist job seekers. There is no excuse for not using some of them.

[Guest343211]

I hire for attitude and not neccesarily for experience. I will hire a newly graduated ADN over a BSN with 20 years of experience if he or she demonstrates the qualities I am seeking. Our hospital's policy is to hire the best candidate for the job. If two candidates have the same experience and do equally well in the interview, then the BSN is the preferred choice. But with the right preceptor and support from management, most people can be taught policies and procedures. You cannot teach a positive attitude and compassion. Those are the qualities I will always look for when I am hiring staff.

With respect, honestly, how in the world does that come close to anything objective? What I mean is that as striving for objectivity should be there--while looking for or against a particular attitude can cloud balance in thinking and understanding. Attitudes can appear "good" or "bad." What in the world do you mean by "attitude?" I am asking this b/c I truly believe people should be evaluated in a fair and objective ways--at least as much as it is possible.

I say this b/c it almost smacks, IMHO, of a huge part of the problem in nursing in general. "Let's hire for 'LIKEABILITY' over all else."

People that are strong, independent critical thinkers can frequently be misunderstood by others as having a "less than likeable attitude."

I am sure that you strive to incorporate many things into your analysis and evaluation of potential candidates, and I am also certain that the process can be far from objective. But balance and objectivity, at least by my ethics, has to be what leads one's thinking in these situations. The very person that you or the unit's "influential others" may consider as having a certain "attitude" may end up being one of the strongest nurses for your patients as well as the whole team. "Different and independent thinker" does NOT mean trouble. Unfortunately there are those that can be threatened by free thinkers. Those that feel threatened can try to undermine people with great potential.

No doubt, yours is a tough job. I just want to clarify and at least believe for now that the tone/meaning of "attitude" involves something much more than what it often can tranlate to in today's world of "likeability above all else."

[Guest343211]

amen, biggy! Once you are offered a job, the interview no longer matters. However, some people tend to master interviews (job hoppers, perhaps???) and aren't that interested in the job and others have a hard time with interview but could really want the job.

No, especially in the areas of nursing I have worked, you are always being "interviewed," even after you get the position. Never get comfortable in your position. :) What I mean by this is continue to put your best foot forward and be on your toes, and IMHO, try to be a caring, supportive member of all the team. We need much more of this is nursing.

I have often wondered over the years why there is so much conflict in this field. But in the areas I have worked, I have often thought, "Wow, if people just concerned themselves with doing their work to the best of their ability, they would not possibly have time for stiring up all the drama." The other half of the time, it's about some kind of miscommunication. That is to say, I have seen needless conflicts due to miscommunication and stress. The latter is very natural, even under good circumstances and while striving for optimal communication. The former is completely intolerable nonsense that should not exist, and would not exist, if people really are doing all that they could and should do.

[Guest343211]

Just a thought. . . What in the world would possess someone to attend an interview in pajamas? I find this hard to believe. . .on the other hand. . .

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Everyone hires based on likeability....it doesn't matter where the candidate is interviewing. That's always been the way. Interviews are not completely objective, and they never were. A candidate may have the required skills and experience, but if, for whatever reason the interviewer doesn't take a liking to them, that person is usually not hired.

[kabooski]

Likeability is understandable tho; part of the job includes customer service, so a person that can do the job in a robotic way, but has a hard time making that personal connection with patients or fellow staff is justified in having extra scrutiny. Plus, having to work with someone for 12hrs a day that has a negative attitude can be frustrating.