Wondering why you can't get hired or promoted? Resume + Interview hints!
I've been reviewing resumes for open positions in my department and can't believe the resumes I've received: misspelling, words crossed off, no cover letter, including personal information about family life.
Look at your resume! Please don't send a resume if you have none of the job qualifications, unless your cover letter has explanation. eg. enrolled in education program etc.
I was taught in LPN and BSN program how to prepare a resume. Is this a lost art being skipped??
Also agree with our BB members that calling facility and finding out who is department manager, then forwarding your resume to them along with hr is great idea.
I work in smaller organization than hospital but has taken me over two months to get open positions advertised and three weeks to get resumes sent to me...those that sent to me directly have interview same week.
Questions during the job interview should be related to the job you are inquiring about. The following questions is illegal to ask during a job interview here in the U.S.:
Your personal life (married, divorced, children)
Pregnancy
Provision for child care
Religion
Club Memberships
Dependents
Ethnic background
Native Language
Physical Problems
Psychiatric Problems
Spouse's Employment
Credit Rating
Home Ownership
Questions You Should Ask (From Hospital Soup)
How long is the orientation phase and what can I expect?
If for any reason it seems that orientation is just not going well for me what will happen and who should I talk to about it?
Will I work with one preceptor throughout or will I have several different preceptors?
Who will be precepting me? Can you tell me something about them? Will I always have the same preceptor or will there be more than one?
What kind of professional advancement is available to nurses here?
What are some of the attributes of working for your hospital?
If I were to get a job offer from another hospital, why would I want to work for this one?
What is the criterion you will use to select the person you are looking for?
What kind of support can I expect from the nursing educators and preceptors?
What unique challenges has this unit faced over the last year? (I.e. successes, failures, etc.)
How much independence do nurses have in being creative problem-solvers?
Resigning From A Position
Check your facilities policy and procedures--most require that you give notice equal to amount of vacation provided, often 2-3 weeks; long term employed RNs can be 4-5 weeks.
Managers often need 1-3 months notice to be eligible for rehire --don't burn your bridges.
Thank you all for your advice. I moved home after school and got a job at the local hospital. I have no idea what my resume looked like but it worked. (My BSN program spent minimal time on preparing a resume.) Actually I think the advice that they gave us was to seek out the English Department's Lab. My resume is somewhere in "My Documents" and I think I need to pull it out and "dust it off" so to speak.
I have a question regarding this: I have been a paramedic for the last 11 years; in that time I have worked as a firefighter/paramedic, on both 911 and interfacility ambulances, in an urgent care, and as a flight paramedic. My skill base and knowledge base is far more extensive than the average new grad nurse, yet I am still without a job after more than six months post-graduation. I am presently going through the critical care nursing certification course as an independent study course, hoping to be able to take the test on my own when I am done.
The reason is this: I have been told that my paramedic experience counts for nothing when it comes to nursing, yet the jobs that I am actually interested in (PACU, ICU, Tele, ER) all would be places that my skills in assessment and ability to act quickly based on rapidly changing (sometimes) patient conditions would be of primary importance.
Also, I really want to work part time until I recertify as a paramedic yet most places, however short staffed, seem to only want full time employees.
I have a question regarding this: I have been a paramedic for the last 11 years; in that time I have worked as a firefighter/paramedic, on both 911 and interfacility ambulances, in an urgent care, and as a flight paramedic. My skill base and knowledge base is far more extensive than the average new grad nurse, yet I am still without a job after more than six months post-graduation. I am presently going through the critical care nursing certification course as an independent study course, hoping to be able to take the test on my own when I am done.
The reason is this: I have been told that my paramedic experience counts for nothing when it comes to nursing, yet the jobs that I am actually interested in (PACU, ICU, Tele, ER) all would be places that my skills in assessment and ability to act quickly based on rapidly changing (sometimes) patient conditions would be of primary importance.
Also, I really want to work part time until I recertify as a paramedic yet most places, however short staffed, seem to only want full time employees.
How do I get past these roadblocks?
OK, you have officially scared me. LOL
I am in a similar circumstance, or rather I will be once I graduate. I have been a paramedic, remote medic on an offshore oil rig (suture, advanced airway, etc). On top of that, I am a 45 year old male. Are you telling me I am out of luck in terms of getting a job?????
I have a question regarding this: I have been a paramedic for the last 11 years; in that time I have worked as a firefighter/paramedic, on both 911 and interfacility ambulances, in an urgent care, and as a flight paramedic. My skill base and knowledge base is far more extensive than the average new grad nurse, yet I am still without a job after more than six months post-graduation. I am presently going through the critical care nursing certification course as an independent study course, hoping to be able to take the test on my own when I am done.
The reason is this: I have been told that my paramedic experience counts for nothing when it comes to nursing, yet the jobs that I am actually interested in (PACU, ICU, Tele, ER) all would be places that my skills in assessment and ability to act quickly based on rapidly changing (sometimes) patient conditions would be of primary importance.
Also, I really want to work part time until I recertify as a paramedic yet most places, however short staffed, seem to only want full time employees.
How do I get past these roadblocks?
I am sorry to hear about your troubles finding a job. I know the part-time bit may be what is hurting you the most. A lot of places don't like to hire a new graduate part time because the orientation and training process is based on a certain number of hours a week. Part time hours will prolong your orientation and hospitals want you trained and working as soon as possible. I don't know if this is why you are having trouble, but just a suggestion!! Good luck and keep trying!
I agree with the last post. Nearly all hospitals refuse to hire new grad nurses into part time positions. What they are willing to do is hire new grad nurses into full time positions working 3 twelve hour shifts per week.
Here's what bothers me about recruiters: I have it clearly stated on my resume that I'm a new grad, and they call me about positions requiring years of experience. Hello? Do they even bother to read? I know it's not all of them but when it happens it's really irritating.
I'm glad that this thread is still active, for I plan to utilize its tips and hints in preparation for my next interview, which is scheduled for this Thursday.
Sadly, though, I am discovering that spending hours (and days) rewriting a resume, in addition to the time spent in completing an online application, not to mention the money I have invested in a wardrobe to wear to interviews, along
with gas and wear and tear on my car is no guarantee that I will ever hear from
a recruiter again.
I can't help but wonder, too, if some of these recruiters even considered me as a serious candidate to begin with....or were just meeting their own agendas.
Just my two cents (for what it is worth). I feel that my time and money is just as valuable as theirs....and they shouldn't be calling me in for an interview if they have no intention of hiring me to begin with.
Congratulations on the upcoming interview. I totally agree with your sentiment that no one should call you if you are not considered a serious candidate.
There was a period of time after I left a horrendous job with a lot of gossip hitting the circuit, where I got tons of interviews. Most of them, by their tone and how they went, were so blatantly obviously nothing more than sessions to satisfy the curiosity of the interviewer(s). One of the interviewers sneered throughout the whole thing. I wanted to get up and slap her. I was told by the people at the EDD, and also could figure out for myself, that not only were these interviews for the purposes of comparing my story with my contemporaries who quit that place, but also to comply with any requirements to make it look as if I had been given a fair chance. In other words, CYA in case I was contemplating a lawsuit for blacklisting. Nobody was subtle.
In any case, I resent being called for an interview and getting the distinct impression that I was never really a serious candidate. I don't get any better with the practice. In fact, I wish I could send a surrogate because I don't interview well to begin with. There are some things in my background that can't be fixed and I'm tired of having to try to come up with just the right explanation so that this person won't hold stuff against me. I think they should read my resume and my application, and leave me alone if they think I am subpar. So, yes, I agree with everything you said.
Good luck. Hope the interview goes well and leads to a good position.
Specializes in Intensive Care - MICU/SICU/CVICU/CCU.
Thank you to everyone for their helpful hints/tips on interviewing and resume writing for the profession. I am in the process of moving to a new state and will soon have to begin the job search process anew.
My concern is that while i have nearly 7 years of icu/ccu experience, it won't be relevant to the types of positions that i want to interview for. I am ready for a change! I want to find a job in a different area of nursing, such as home health/hospice, case management, infection control employee health- whatever. Just *something* different from what i am currently doing. I have strong skills in my area, but i don't know if potential employers will consider me for something new.
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Tweety, BSN, RN
36,319 Posts
Thanks Mike. Very classy to publically apologize. :)