Post Interview Blues

[JenniferKristinRN]

Hi everyone!

I'm brand new and I've never posted anything here so forgive me if I'm doing anything wrong/posting this in the wrong section.

I graduated with my A.A.S. in January and received my license as of March. Today I had my very first interview! The position is in a well-established Dermatology office. I studied questions and mock interviews (in the mirror...) for two days straight (the interview was pretty short notice). My mind tends to go blank when I'm nervous so I was terrified I wouldn't be able to think of good enough answers on the spot. I also made sure to practice questions to ask the nurse manager (Does each doctor have their own team of nurses or do they alternate? How long is orientation? How does the preceptorship work? Are there any procedures where the nurses are very hands on? Etc...). I was pumped! I was prepared! Maybe a little over prepared. I even packed my high school diploma... you know, just in case.

When I walked in, I had to fill out a paper application and attach my resume and references to it. Then I sat in the patient waiting room for about thirty minutes before the nurse manager came to get me. Simply put, she was awesome. Very calm, very welcoming. Exactly what you'd want for your very first interview. So she sat me down, we talked about the terrible weather and how it led to my first ever trip in a taxi (which is embarrassing because I live in NY). It was such an easy going conversation. Then she starts to talk about the job, gives me all of the details. EVERYTHING. She literally answered every single question that I had before I could even ask. I offered information about my work background and about schooling. She didn't ask me questions, whatsoever, aside from my future availability.

I've never heard of an interview without questions! So now I'm kind of bummed. I felt as though it went really well but I don't really know how one can gauge an interview without any questions! She did go over my reference list with me and asked me if I had any questions (and boy do I wish I remembered the good ones like, "What do you look for in an ideal candidate?" but of course, I didn't... so I asked whatever questions I could think of at the moment. Brainfart). She then told me that a decision would be made within a week and she would get back to me and I went on my merry, somewhat disappointed way.

Come to think of it, I did have an interview years ago (right before getting into the nursing program) where the manager explained the whole job to me, asked my availability and sent me on my way and I was offered that job (but to be honest with you guys, that was just an office job in a bakery so it wasn't a big deal), so maybe this can be an okay thing.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? Even in a non-nursing environment.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

When I was looking for part time work in office-like jobs when I was in the late teens, I had similar interviews as you just had where the hiring person talked about what they do, what they expect, how they train, etc and the only real questions they had for me was availability and what are some of my future plans. I don't really know what to say about your situation since you're interviewing for a nursing position in a dermatology office. Hospital interviews are quite different and the questions asked there basically pertain to the floor. Come to think of it, it'd be kind of "odd" to have a new grad program for a dermatology office. Not sure what to say, but good luck.

Also, I've learned to go into an interview pumped up, be active/pumped through the interview; however, once it's over, don't dwell on the outcome of it. Move on, continue to apply elsewhere, and later, do a follow-up call or email if you haven't been contacted yet. If you focus on telling yourself that you did amazing in the interview, but end up not getting it, it'll be pretty harsh on you.