6390 Job Interviews[1]

8/2/2019 6390 Job Interviews[1]

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JOb iNteRviews



In today’s world o work, the interview is a crucialstep in landing a new job. In all elds o work theinterview process has become more complex than itonce was. Today, nurses looking or work are sureto encounter at least one interview as part o the jobsearch process. Interviewing can be a scary process.Nurses are oten aced with various types o interviewsand need to be prepared to sell themselves and theirskills. Developing strong interview skills is essentialor your career success!

The Purpose o the InterviewThe interview is the most important componentin the job search process. Getting an interview is ageneral sign that the employer thinks you have the

qualications or the job. It’s up to you to sell yoursel to the potential employer during the interview.

The Employer’s PerspectiveThe interview allows the employer the opportunity tomeet you and assess your t with the organization.Do you have the right qualications, abilities, andstyle or the particular job being oered? Besides thequalications, the employer uses the interview timeto explore your ability to think on your eet and todetermine your understanding o the position and

the organization. It is also an opportunity or anemployer to compare you with other applicants whoare also being interviewed.

Your PerspectiveThe main objective o the interview is to use thisopportunity to present yoursel as the best candidateor the job. You must convince the employerthat there is a strong t between your skills andknowledge, and the position. You must be able to

clearly articulate what skills you have to oer, howyou have developed those skills and how you havebeen able to demonstrate those skills through pastexperience. It is also an opportunity or you to ndout more about the organization and the job orwhich you are applying.

Types o InterviewsAs indicated earlier, the interview process has becomemore complex or all types o work. Nurses looking orwork should amiliarize themselves with the various

types o interviews which they might encounter. Asthe position becomes more advanced or managementoriented, the interview process generally becomesmore involved. It is important to note that nurses atall levels need to be aware o the dierent types ointerviews and learn how to prepare or them.

Single Interviewer At one time, this would have been the most commontype o interview or sta nurses to ace. It seems thisis not as common a practice by most large employerstoday. I you are aced with a single interviewer, itmay be with the immediate hiring manager (nursemanager) or the unit to which you are applyingIn other cases the applicant may be interviewed

by a human resources sta member prior to beinginterviewed by the nurse manager.

Group or Panel InterviewGroup interviews may be conducted by two or moreindividuals. It is not uncommon or nurses applyingor sta nurse positions to be aced with a smallpanel o three to our people. Generally the panelwould consist o a human resources sta person, apotential coworker (sta nurse rom the unit to whichyou are applying), and in some cases, a physician

or the respective service or program. In this typeo interview, the group oten decides ahead o timewhat questions will be asked and which member othe panel will ask them. When answering questionsin a panel interview, always direct your answer to theperson who asked the question.

Behavioural InterviewsThis type o interview is used to assess how you wouldreact to various situations. You are presented with

questions that relate to potential situations that youmay ace on the job. The main goal in behaviouralinterviews is to determine how well you think onyour eet, how you relate experience to situationand problem solve. Questions may relate to specicclinical situations, confict management, or workingas part o a team.

Your answers will provide the interviewer(s) withsome insight regarding your knowledge o the clinicalsetting and how you might handle the situation on

So You Have an Interview - Now What?



the job. Behavioural interviews are being used morecommonly by nursing employers or sta nursepositions as well as advanced positions.

Subsequent or Serial InterviewsThis reers to the process o having more than oneinterview beore the job is oered and is the case ormany jobs today. A second or third interview is oten

conducted to determine the t between you and theposition. In nursing, this type o interview is morecommon or management or specialized roles suchas clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nursemanager or educator.

Telephone InterviewsNursing employers in Canada may use a telephoneinterview as a method o conducting an initialinterview. This method is used when distance

between the candidate and the employer may be anissue. Telephone interviews oer advantages anddisadvantages to both the employer and the applicant.They require the same level o preparation as does aperson-to-person interview. I you are invited to beinterviewed by telephone, ensure that you prepareor it and be sure to ask how many people will belistening at the other end. You may nd yoursel onspeaker phone to a panel o individuals.

Preparation is Essential

Contrary to some belies - we can no longer “wingit. Interviewing is a serious process and those whoare successul at interviews generally undergo somepreparation beore walking into the interview. I youare called or an interview, here are some tips to helpyou prepare.

Find out what type o interview to expect. How manypeople will be interviewing you? Conrm the date,time and location o the interview. This is particularlyimportant because some employers may have morethan one site.

Do some research about the organization/hospital.What is their mission, values and philosophy? Whatis the strategic plan? Usually this inormation can beound on the organization’s website.

Know yoursel well! Review your skills, experienceand accomplishments. Study the position descriptionand note how your knowledge and expertise meet

the positions requirements. Think about which skillsyou want to highlight in the interview.

Anticipate potential questions that you may be askedduring the interview and prepare answers to thosequestions. Writing out the answers may be helpul.

Practice interviewing with a riend, colleague, mentor

instructor or career counselor. Ask or eedbackand suggestions as to how you can strengthen yourpresentation.

Make sure you know how to get to the site o theinterview. Allow extra travel time to ensure you areon time.

Bring extra copies o your resume to the interview.There may be someone at the interview who requires

a copy or you may be asked questions about specicaspects o your resume, in which case, you will wanta copy to reer to.

Be riendly to everyone in the organizationReceptionists may play an inormal role in the hiringprocess.

Prepare some questions to ask the interviewer(s)Include questions that will allow you to learn moreabout the organization and the position itsel.

Some questions might include:Will there be an orientation period?1.

Do you have 8/10/12 hour shits?2.

Do you have sel-scheduling or how is the3.scheduling done on the unit?

What are the key responsibilities o this4.position?

What would be my primary challenges i I were5.selected or this position?

What are your expectations o me as a sta6.member?

Does your organization oer continuing7.education incentives?

When will I know about the successul applicant8.or the job and when will the job start?



Reerences:Case, B. (1997). Career Planning or nurses. Toronto: Delmar. Donner, G., & Wheeler. M. (1998). Takingcontrol o your career and your uture: For nurses by nurses. Ottawa: The Canadian Nurses Association.

Henderson. F. & McGettigan. B. (1994). Managing your career in nursing. (2nd ed.) New York:NationaLeague or Nursing Press.

University o Pennsylvania Nursing Job Search Handbook. www.upeenedu/penn/press/book/13752.html

Van Norman. M. (1995). Making it work: Career management or the new workplace. Toronto: Burgher Bookswww.quintcareers.com

What Will They Ask Me?There are all kinds o books and resources thatgive sample questions during interviews. For mostinterviews, you will be asked some general questionsabout yoursel along with other questions relatedto the specic job to which you have applied. Somecommon examples are:

Tell us about yoursel, describe your career•

history

What words best describe you?•

How would others describe you?•

What are your strengths?•

Identiy areas or sel development?•

How do you handle stress?•

Where do you see yoursel in ve years?•

Why do you want to work or this organization?•

How can you contribute to our organization?•

What is the most dicult work situation you•

have had and how did you handle it?

Describe a confict resolution scenario.•

How do you stay current in your practice?•

Do not ask about salary and benefts until you•

are oered the job.

What To Do Ater the Interview?

Take a ew minutes to refect on how well you did.What questions did you eel you answered well?What would you do dierently next time? Were youadequately prepared? Follow up with a thank youletter. Address the letter to the person who called youor the interview. Thank the person or their time andrestate your interest in the position (i you do in act

want the position). Also include any points you wantthe interviewer to remember that sets you apart romthe other candidates.

Think about how you will respond i you are oeredthe position. Do you want to do the type o work ithe job is oered to you? Are the mission and valueso the employer compatible with your own work

values and proessional goals? Will this job allowyou to build existing skills and experience to urtherenhance your career? These are important questionsto think about beore making the choice to accept aposition.

Successul interviewing requires developing theability to sell your skills and abilities. To do this meansknowing yoursel well. Preparing or interviewsmeans investing some time and eort. Taking the

time to prepare can result in a successul interviewand ultimately the job oer. I you weren’t successulin getting the job, contact the employer or eedbackAsk or eedback in a non-threatening manner anduse the inormation to help you prepare or yournext interview. Each interview can be a learningopportunity. Practice and preparation will help yousucceed at interviewing. Remember practice makesperect!



to valuing the experience and skills o mature job-seekers. And you, on the leading edge o the eldest babyboomers, are blazing the trail or a complete re-evaluation o opinions and stereotypes about older workersSome o the common mistakes I see with mature job-seekers are the ollowing:

Job Search.•

You must be open to all avenues o job-searching. O course, your network will still be vitalbut since many o your contemporaries may be retiring, you’ll need to build a new, younger base to yournetwork.

Resumes.• Include only recent experience, say the last 15 years or so. No need going back 30+ years,where much o that work experience might be unrelated. Remove dates rom older educational degrees/certications. Use a contemporary style and ollow current rules o resume-writing. Certainly someonewith your varied experiences needs to include a summary o qualications section to sum up your topthree or our key attributes.

Cover Letters.•

The biggest mistake I see in cover letters written by mature workers is an undertone osuperiority because o your vast work experience. One o the myths about older workers is that theyare infexible — that they know it all — and you must walk the ne line o showcasing your variedaccomplishments without sounding rigid or superior.

Interviewing.• Since you may be older than the interviewer — your key is to not intimidate him or herYou’ll also want to showcase your adaptability and knowledge o current trends and technology.

Adopted rom: Empowering job-seekers to conquer college, career, and job-search ailments

Are you concerned about being too old to fnd a new job?





Date

Name

TitleOrganizationAddressCity, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

Thank you or meeting with me yesterday to discuss the position o Registered Practical Nurse at (insertcompany name).

I ound the interview both interesting and inormative, and let with a much clearer picture o what theposition entails. It was helpul to have an opportunity to collect inormation about the patient populationand nursing care model.

I was pleased to have had a chance to talk with you, and thank you again or your consideration.Sincerely,

Your Name

Sample “Thank You” Letter ater Interview

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6390 Job Interviews[1]