Job Interviews
Making the most of your job interview
Employment interviewing is a mutual exchange of information. The employer
seeks information to determine your qualifications for the job. You need
information to determine whether the job is right for you. If you're overqualified
for the job but you take it anyway, you may become bored, dissatisfied,
and negative. What if you're underqualified? Then you'll need prolonged
training and extra supervision; you could create a burden on the institution
and a morale problem as well. Remember, a nurse who accepts a job she's
unsuited for hurts herself as well as the institution or organization that
hires her.
Preparing yourself for the interview
A job interview provides your prospective employer, who knows your professional
background from your résumé and job application, with new
information about your personal qualities, those traits that you demonstrate
when you interact with others. The job interview gives you the opportunity
to put your best foot forward to make your good qualities known. Before
going to the interview, review:
- your work experience
- your attitudes toward your work, yourself, and other people
- your education
- your interests
- your goals
Learning about the institution
Do some homework on the institution or organization that will be interviewing
you. Get copies of the annual report, the newsletter, and any other materials
available from the public relations department or personnel office. These
items will provide you with background information and other material for
discussion. They'll also enable you to ask pertinent questions at the interview.
ABCs of a job interview
A: The interview preliminaries
To go to a job interview feeling composed and confident, you have to do
a lot of advance planning. Before any interview, take these steps:
- Respond to an employer's ad; send a cover letter and your résumé
to the prospective employer.
- Ask for a personal appointment with the director of nursing or whoever
is in charge of hiring.
- Practice for the interview. Rehearse the answers to foreseeable questions
about your education, your nursing experience, why you want to change
jobs or why you left your previous job, your duties in your last job,
and your nursing philosophy.
- Be prompt on the day of the interview: arrive 10 minutes ahead of
the scheduled time, if possible.
- Look your best for the interview. Dress conservatively, and make
sure you're neatly groomed.
B: The interview -- what to do
When you walk into the interviewer's office, follow these tips:
- Stand until the interviewer invites you to sit.
- Place any personal belongings beside you or on the floor.
- Address the interviewer as Ms. or Mr. unless you're asked to use
a first name.
- Don't slouch or fidget; sit upright and be attentive.
- Don't chew gum or smoke cigarettes.
- Answer the interviewer's questions with confidence.
C: The interview -- what to ask
When the interviewer finishes questioning you, it's your turn to ask questions.
To evaluate the job and the institution, ask about the following:
- patient care assignments
- staffing policies
- advancement opportunities
- continuing education
- salary
- working conditions and work shifts
- employee benefits
What an interviewer can and can't ask
In interviewing for a job, you'll be answering a host of questions.
You can expect most of them to be fair and proper. Some questions, however,
are inappropriate or even prohibited by law. If you're asked such a question,
don't feel obligated to answer. You can discreetly refuse to answer or turn
the conversation to another subject.
| Valid subjects |
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Education
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Work experience (where, when, how long)
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Reason(s) for leaving your previous job
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Reason(s) for applying for prospective job
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Reason(s) you think you're qualified
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Strengths and weaknesses as they pertain to the prospective
job
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Future professional goals
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Participation in community or social activities
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Hobbies and avocations
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Job-related criminal convictions
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| Inappropriate or illegal subjects |
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Nationality
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Race
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Creed
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Color
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Religious beliefs
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Age
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Marital status
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Sexual preference
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Financial or credit status
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Criminal arrests or non-job-related criminal convictions
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Career interview scoreboard
Chances are you'll talk with a number of interviewers before deciding
on the position that's right for you. While you're making the rounds, keeping
track of each possible job's working conditions, career opportunities, salary,
and fringe benefits won't be easy. To help you do this, here's a handy career
interview scoreboard. Use it to rate each position you investigate. Give
each position a plus (+) or minus (-) for each question. When you've concluded
your interviewing, add up the scores for each institution you've visited
and compare your totals. The job with the highest score (the most pluses)
is probably the right one for you.
- Were you given a written description of the responsibilities
for the nursing position?
- Will you be responsible for a reasonable number of patients?
- Does the position offer opportunities for administrative and
clinical advancement?
- Is the chain of command such that you'll report to a nursing
administrator (for example, director of nursing), or to a nonnursing
administrator?
- Does the institution specify standards of nursing practice?
- Will you receive what sounds like adequate orientation for
the position?
- Does the institution provide adequate professional liability
insurance?
- Is the starting salary for the position acceptable?
- Does the institution offer shift and weekend differentials?
- Is the benefits package (health/life/disability insurance,
vacations, holidays) good?
- Are there other benefits such as pharmacy discounts and child
care services?
- Is continuing education available?
- Does the institution offer tuition reimbursement for continuing
education courses at colleges/universities?
- Are there special benefits for working weekends, holidays?
- Is flexible scheduling available (for example, work three
days, off three days)?
- Does the area offer adequate and acceptable housing accommodations?
[The information provided on these pages may not be reproduced by any
means without express permission from Springhouse Corporation.]
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