Rejected Internally for 6 Positions

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I worked 4 years as a staff RN for a government agency and 6 months in psych before that. The next step above Staff RN is Public Health Nurse, or PHN. I am certified bilingual in another language. I hired an interview coach and gave it my 100% and then went through 8 interviews for 6 different positions and none of them took me.

When I asked why, I was told I didn’t have enough experience. But I met the nurses they hired and a few were new grads. A manager from my own department (which I was rejected from) told me it was because I didn’t demonstrate critical thinking, but I researched the position thoroughly and knew the ins and outs of that position. I put applications for other jobs and got another one right away, as well as multiple calls for interviews, so I know that I can get a job elsewhere (which I ended up doing). Why would my own employer AND own department not want me?

Dear Rejected,

It could be someone has poisoned the well, so to speak, in your work setting. It's possible that your supervisor has given you a less than desirable recommendation when asked by other supervisors.

It's also possible that there is opportunity for growth in your overall performance, including critical thinking. Those who work closely with you, day in and day out, are well suited to give constructive feedback on your performance. Asking your interviewers why you did not get the position is a good way to gain perspective and maybe identify some blind spots.

It was wise of you to reach out elsewhere, as it's clear your old employer was not going to promote you. Congrats on your new position. Take what you can learn from the experience and move forward.

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

It is also possible you wanted too much money for public health or are already paid more than they are willing to pay.

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

On 10/1/2019 at 8:24 AM, Nurse Beth said:

A manager from my own department (which I was rejected from) told me it was because I didn’t demonstrate critical thinking, but I researched the position thoroughly and knew the ins and outs of that position.

I think that may be the answer: if your current manager believes and is telling other managers that you aren't demonstrating critical thinking skills, then you probably aren't going to get hired (regardless of whether or not the claim is founded). During internal transfers, hiring managers will usually reach out to current managers to get feedback about the applicant. If your current manager is giving negative feedback, you aren't likely to get the job. That might explain why you'd be turned down again and again.

In your position, I'd have asked the manager from your current department to provide constructive feedback about specific instances where they believe that you demonstrate a lapse in critical thinking. That way, you'd have the opportunity to improve, instead of just having a vague feeling that you're not good enough. Unfortunately, once your manager has a negative opinion about your critical thinking abilities, that can be really difficult to change. On the one hand, it may be best to start fresh at a new job where people can form a new opinion of you. On the other hand, you don't want to make the same mistakes at the new job, so it would be ideal to understand you opportunities for improvement at your old job.

Congrats on your other offers.