Why Wasn't I Offered the OR Position?

Here are some reasons why you didn't get selected for that operating room job you want.

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Why Wasn't I Offered the OR Position?

Having recently moved to a new organization as an OR Professional Development Specialist, I am now finding myself included in interviews for those nurses who are new to the OR and will undertake our orientation course. I have had several candidates who were not selected reach out to ask why not. Here are several reasons why we did not choose someone for the role.

Their reason for choosing the OR.

  • Telling me you want to get away from bedside nursing is telling me why you want to leave your current position. It doesn't tell me why you want to come to the OR.
  • Telling me you just want to try something new. Why is the OR your something new?

Their resume.

I get it. People are applying for multiple jobs during their search. However, take a moment to make sure your resume matches the position. When I read a resume with an objective stating they are looking to get into research, that tells me someone isn't serious enough about the OR position to make sure the objective matches the job. It's just sloppy, which invites wonder about where else one is sloppy. Is it patient care?

Their shadowing experience

We have every interviewee complete a shadowing experience, usually before the interview. Some slight modifications are made for those who are interviewed on the spot at job fairs. The shadowing experience is part of the interview process. If those making the hiring decisions are on the fence about a candidate, we can reach out to the staff you were with and get their impression. And that can mean the difference between a flat out no and a "we'll keep them in reserve if there are still positions available" status.

No matter what, if you are truly interested in an OR position, it needs to show! Ask questions, research the facility ahead of time (seriously, we were going to tell someone no based on their resume, but when they actually interviewed, they showed they knew a lot not only about the organization but about our exact orientation program that isn't out there for the world to see), and show enthusiasm for wanting to be there.

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Rose_Queen

About Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

(Editorial Team / Admin)
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Specializes in Education.

I totally agree, I want to see someone enthusiastic about the OR, not just why they want to leave their current position. If they aren't enthusiastic, they won't last.

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

100%. I interviewed an applicant yesterday and I asked what they knew about my institution and our specialty there and their answer was so underwealming and their motivation was so uninspiring that our panel (all staff in the specific OR speciality ) all voted flat out no. Luckily we are still in a position to hire for the right match for our service line and not settle for just any warm body.

 

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