Ten Interviewing Rules

By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

In the current job market, you'd better have your act together, or you won't stand a chance against the
competition. Check yourself on these 10 basic points before you go on that all-important interview.

Look Sharp

Before the interview, select your outfit. Depending on the industry and position, get out your best duds and
check them over for spots and wrinkles. Even if the company has a casual environment, you don't want to
look like you slept in your clothes. Above all, dress for confidence. If you feel good, others will respond to
you accordingly.

Be on Time

Never arrive late to an interview. Allow extra time to arrive early in the vicinity, allowing for factors like
getting lost. Enter the building 10 to 15 minutes before the interview.

Do Your Research

Researching the company before the interview and learning as much as possible about its services, products,
customers and competition will give you an edge in understanding and addressing the company's needs. The
more you know about the company and what it stands for, the better chance you have of selling yourself.
You also should find out about the company's culture to gain insight into your potential happiness on the
job.

Be Prepared

Bring along a folder containing extra copies of your resume, a copy of your references and paper to take
notes. You should also have questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview.

Show Enthusiasm

A firm handshake and plenty of eye contact demonstrate confidence. Speak distinctly in a confident voice,
even though you may feel shaky.

Listen

One of the most neglected interviewing skills is listening. Make sure you are not only listening, but also
reading between the lines. Sometimes what is not said is just as important as what is said.

Answer the Question Asked

Candidates often don't think about whether or not they actually are answering the questions asked by their
interviewers. Make sure you understand what is being asked, and get further clarification if you are unsure.

Give Specific Examples

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One specific example of your background is worth 50 vague stories. Prepare your stories before the
interview. Give examples that highlight your successes and uniqueness. Your past behavior can indicate your
future performance.

Ask Questions

Many interviewees don't ask questions and miss the opportunity to find out valuable information. Your
questions indicate your interest in the company or job.

Follow Up

Whether it's through email or regular mail, the follow-up is one more chance to remind the interviewer of all
the valuable traits you bring to the job and company. You don't want to miss this last chance to market
yourself.

It is important to appear confident and cool for the interview. One way to do that is to be prepared to the best
of your ability. There is no way to predict what an interview holds, but by following these important rules
you will feel less anxious and will be ready to positively present yourself.

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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Typical Interviewing Questions
 Tell me about yourself.

 Why did you select a nursing career?

 Why are you interested in our organization?

 What contribution will you make in our organization?

 What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

 Why should I hire you?

 Why do you want to leave your present job?

 What are your most significant accomplishments?

 What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

 How does this position meet those goals?

 What kind of compensation are you looking for?

 How have your educational and work experience prepared you for this position?

 What challenges are you looking for in a position?

 How would you describe yourself?

 How would a supervisor describe you?

 Describe what you feel to be an ideal working environment.

 In your current or last position, what features did you like most? Least?

 What is the most important thing you’re looking for in an employer?

 Describe what you believe to be an ideal supervisor.

 What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?

 What has been your greatest challenge with a patient/customer?

 What is customer service?

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 Where do you see yourself in five years?

What the interviewer is looking for:

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.
You: Remember, this is a job interview, not a psychological or personal interview. The interviewer
is interested in the information about you that relates to your qualifications for employment,
such as education, work experiences and extracurricular activities.

Interviewer: What do you expect to be doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
You: The interviewer is looking for evidence of career goals and ambitions rather than minutely
specific descriptions. The interviewer wants to see your thought process and the criteria that
are important to you.

Interviewer: Why should I hire you?

You: Stress what you have to offer the employer, not how nice it would be to work there or what
you want from the employer.

Interviewer: Why do you want to work for our company/organization?

You: Not having an answer is a good way to get crossed off the candidate list, and is a common pet
peeve of interviewers. Research the employer before your interview; attempt to find out about
the organization's products, locations, clients, philosophy, goals, previous growth record and
growth plans, how they value employees and customers, etc.

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 Behavioral Interview Questions:
 Describe a stressful clinical situation and how you handled it.

 Who was your most memorable patient and why?

 Describe an encounter with an angry or frustrated patient and family member and how you handled it.

 Describe the most challenging patient experience you’ve had. Explain why.

 Tell me about a time when your performance did not meet your expectations.

 Give me an example of how you handled rapid or unexpected change.

 Tell me about a time when you had to build motivation or team spirit with members of a work group.

 Tell me about a time when you received difficult (or less than positive) feedback from your
supervisor. How did you respond to the feedback? What changes did you implement as a result?

 Define pro-active and give me an example of a time when you behaved this way.

 Tell me about a situation in which you had to work with someone with whom you were
uncomfortable. Describe the working relationship that developed and your influence on this
relationship.

 Recall a situation or relationship which suffered from poor communication. What happened and how
did you resolve it?

 What personal qualities do you feel are important to be successful in this position? Which of these
qualities do you possess? Give an example of how these qualities have helped you in your present
position.

 What is your definition of leadership, and why do you feel it is important? How have you
demonstrated leadership? Tell me about a situation in which you should have shown more leadership
than you did.

 Give me an example of when you had to make a quick decision. What were the results?

 What are the motivating factors for your personal happiness? For satisfaction in the workplace?

 Tell me about an important goal you set for yourself and how you were successful in achieving it.

 Describe how you demonstrate professionalism in your activities. What behaviors and characteristics
contribute to that image?

 Describe a situation where you persuaded an individual or group to follow your course of action
rather than their previously stated position.

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 What was the hardest job you held, and what did you do to get through it?

 Tell me a time when you went an extra mile for a patient.

OTHER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FROM STUDENTS

 When you have a lot of work to do and not enough time or assistance to get it all done, how do you

handle it?

 What about your character would help you do this job day in and day out?

 If we were to ask your previous supervisor, what would they say about your attendance and job

performance?

 Your shift ends in 10 min. and you have accomplished all your duties, how would you utilize your

remaining time?

 Describe a situation where you were unhappy with something that occurred at work. How did you

handle it?

 Tell me about yourself.

 What led to your interest in nursing?

 Describe a challenging problem you faced on one of your clinical rotations. How did you solve the

problem?

 When you are experiencing a stressful work situation, how do you relax?

 Give a specific example of a time when you knew you did a good job as a nurse.

 Have you ever been burned out? When? What did you do about it?

 How would you respond if asked by the head nurse to do some of the menial tasks for patients that

are normally not your responsibility?

 How do you relax when faced with stressful work situations?

 How would you respond if, in a rude and haughty tone, a doctor questioned your work, which you

knew to be top-notch and absolutely accurate?

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 We have all tried different ways of showing consideration for others. What are some things that you

have done in this respect?

 What types of colleague do you least like to work with?

 Describe a situation connected with nursing that you experienced in the last year that made you

angry.

 How many years do you see yourself staying with this hospital?

 How do you go about making a decision?

 Can you give me a situation in either work or on your clinical rotation that you were an advocate for

your patient?

 How would you fill any downtime at a job?

 What about your character makes you a good candidate for this job?

 What made you pick this department?

 What attributes could you offer to this organization?

 What made you want to work at this organization?

 Give an example of when you did something without being asked.

 What is your greatest strength? What is your grea

 How would you describe yourself?

 Why should I hire you?

 What is unique about you?

 Have you been on any committees at work or in school?

 Give an example of being a team player?

 Do you have any questions for me?

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 Some Questions to Ask the Employer
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

 To whom would I report, and what is his/her supervisory style?

 What are the training opportunities?

 What is the nurse-to-patient ratio?

 Is there support staff on the unit to assist nurses?

 In what ways are nurses held accountable for high qualities of practice?

 How much input do nurses have regarding systems, equipment and the care environment?

 What professional development opportunities are available to nurses?

 How many nurses are on the floor?