RN Prep for Job Interview

RN’s, you’ve been actively submitting resumes for jobs and now have hear back with a request to scheduled an interview. The number of candidates is unknown, but you want to make a great impressions. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for your interview:

1- BE ready with Responses Prior to the interview

Think through and prepare responses for, what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, give an example of how you displayed teamwork, etc. In a professional binder, write down some notes of things you may want to use during the interview. Make a list of your strengths to highlight and then a list of your weaknesses along with what you are doing to improve them. Think back to your experiences that are applicable to the position you are applying for, and write some notes down about the examples you can use that may be applicable during the interview. It’s okay during the interview to leave this open in front of you to either take notes during the interview or glance down at your notes in case your nerves get the best of you and you suddenly can’t remember your examples.

2- Practice

Practice your potential responses ahead of time by standing in front of the mirror and rehearsing the examples you’ve thought of ahead of time.

3- Dress to Impress

Dress in business professional attire and be well groomed with no heavy perfumes or cologne. Don’t stand out because of how you look; you should stand out because of the well-prepared responses you give during the interview that show your experiences and hard work ethic make you the best person for the position.

4- Do a Drive Through Ahead of Time

Know where you are going and leave early to avoid traffic congestion or other unexpected occurrences that could keep you from being ontime. On-time means at least 5 minutes early to your appointment.

5- have questions ready to ask

Some questions that you may consider asking:

• What are some quality improvement initiatives that your team has been working on? OR What are the current goals of the unit/department?
• What has the turnover been on this unit/department? (High turnover is a red flag, and if it is high, ask why people are leaving)
• How do you onboard new employees?
• What challenges has your unit/department been facing recently?
• What’s different from working here than anywhere else you’ve worked?
•  What do you enjoy most about working here? (Ask each person to go around the room to answer this question)
• What learning and development opportunities will I have in this role?
• What have successful employees moved onto?
• What are the next steps in the hiring process?

avoid asking These questions during the interview:

• What is the starting salary?
• How much vacation and sick time do I get and how soon can I use it?
• What are your paid leave policies?
• What is your late policy?

6- Follow Up with a Thank You letter