if you suck at nursing interviews, clap your hands!

[WakeYourMindUp]

For those who love nursing, but hate all the hoops we typically have to jump through just to make ourselves stand out among all those looking for the best nursing jobs...

What do you think is the most frustrating part about the application process?

What do you think is the most painful part of the interview itself?

[nursam1]

I hated the most: Why you got a gap between your study and your first job.........

[canigraduate]

Interviews, in general, stress me out, although I think the application process is far worse.

I feel like a performer. I have to learn my lines, get in costume, and deliver a flawless performance, including witty ad-lib that stays in character.

I don't like the fakeness of it all. I take my "portfolio" in with me, with extra resumé copies and reference lists. It's my most important prop.

I wear makeup, for Chrissakes, and a suit. Neither of which I wear unless I'm on an interview or it's my anniversary.

I pretend to be the ideal nurse, a great teammate, a normal person (which, if you have read my ADHD posts, you know I'm not).

And I have to be "ON" the whole time.

I hate it when they spring the hospital tour on me. The 4" heels are for power height, not because I enjoy them. I usually carry a large bag for my portfolio, and I keep flats in it to walk to and from the interview in, just so I don't get all blistered up and get my toenails deformed, then they ruin it with a 45-minute hike. I only wear the darn things because, statistically, tall people are more likely to be hired and paid more.

I do enjoy the crazy questions they come up with. The nuttiest one I've heard so far is "If you were a piece of fruit, what would you be, and why?" They were amazed when I came up with an answer. I told them I'd be a bowl of fruit, because I'd rather have options than be locked in to one thing. I laughed about that one for a couple of days.

I guess the biggest thing that bothers me about interviews is that they don't seem to be effective. I get hired, every time, because I can play the role they want me to play, not necessarily because I am a good fit for the unit.

My favorite part, though, is getting to interview them, and seeing what they are trying to hide. I love uncovering their secrets, like their actual ratios, their hostile environment, their insufficient equipment and supplies. I like to do my interviews in the mornings, so I can see the byplay between the departments and see if the nurses are respected or are dumped on.

Like a PP said, I hate the wait afterward, too. I usually get a tentative verbal offer at the end of the interview, but you never know until HR calls you.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I can always tell in the interview if this is just a perfunctory requirement and they already have their minds made up, or if they're actually INTERESTED in the interview and finding the right candidate. The perfunctory interviews are always painful. I'm an introvert and need to be drawn out a bit, but when I am, I can shine. The last two interviews I've been to, they already had an internal candidate in mind, and I probably would have been more comfortable at a Pap smear than I was during these farces of interviews.

[Coldfusion71]

I have received job offers from every nursing interview I have performed. Interviews are about drawing a picture that the interviewers want to see, it is not necessarily about being the most qualified or technically capable person. If you can read people well, you can tailor your responses to what the most will be viewed most favorably.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I think the worst part is not hearing anything AFTER you interview. It makes my mind reel: "what did I say to turn them off?" "did I come off as too standoffish?" "did the beard make them second guess me?"

A few months back I interviewed for a per-diem BHU job, and one of my final interviewers during the group portion was a colleague of mine whom I had worked with several years prior. Seemed like a slam dunk, but then...nothing.

I would definitely hate that...and something similar happened to me. Stunk.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I have received job offers from every nursing interview I have performed. Interviews are about drawing a picture that the interviewers want to see, it is not necessarily about being the most qualified or technically capable person. If you can read people well, you can tailor your responses to what the most will be viewed most favorably.

I have never found there was enough regular conversation from the interviewer(s) to read the interviewer(s). My last interview consisted of polite conversation from two interviewers. Then, as the meat of the conversation started...one of the two told me it was a psychological test...and it commenced. I had nothing to read.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

............

I am glad they didn't used to do interviews the way they did now. While I was reading some of the above posts I could just feel myself in an interview, shrugging because I couldn't think of anything....."Well, I dunno; there was this one PIA I worked with sometimes and I pretty much didn't like her, but I just adapted and worked with her anyway."

That would make a huge impression I'd bet!

I am sorely tempted to answer that way sometimes...something similar!! Maybe I could come right out and say, "She was the biggest ***** ever and..."

[klone, MSN, RN]

I have received job offers from every nursing interview I have performed. Interviews are about drawing a picture that the interviewers want to see, it is not necessarily about being the most qualified or technically capable person. If you can read people well, you can tailor your responses to what the most will be viewed most favorably.

So, you just make **** up?

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Ok, so I just had a phone interview. Wow. I thought I was prepared. NOT! Two questions that tripped me up were: name your positive qualities & name a time when you provided great patient care (something like that, or just basically when a patient thanked me).

I came up with some bull for the first question, but the second question I blanked. I have listed PDN & corrections on my resume. My pedi patients can't say thank you & most of the time the parents aren't around. In corrections the inmates aren't that nice.

So I tried to explain that to her & told her I always give 110% every day. But it messed me up.