Don’t wait until the clock strikes midnight to interview for your dream job! Typically, people will start the interview process for their first job out of nursing school anywhere between 3-12 months before graduating.

So do you know what you want to do? Where do you want to be? Whether you do or not, you will need to interview for whatever job you get!

Setting up for the interview

Things to start asking yourself.

1) Why do I want this job? It’s almost a guarantee they are going to ask you this question. Nobody wants to hire someone that truly doesn’t want to work there. Giving a short story of why you went into nursing in the first place is usually a good start.

2) What are your strengths and weaknesses? These questions may not be asked, but it is a good thing to know. While you need to be confident in your interview, knowing your flaws or weaknesses is also good.

3) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Listen, it’s okay to say, “I’m not sure”. Even if you do know exactly what your 5-year plan is, sometimes things change. New dreams are born with every difficult shift.

The Interview

First things first. Take a deep breath….. hold it in….. now let it out slowly. Listen. The person interviewing you is only looking for 2 things. First, are you qualified for the job? Second, will you be a good fit? You can say easy, yes, and yes, but now you have to prove it to them.

1) Be on time, be polite, and be yourself. Please and thank you go a long way, just like your mama said. Don’t be afraid to smile and show your personality. Let them know you are awesome!

2) Brag on yourself. Talk about research papers you’ve done, volunteer hours, and where you’ve done clinicals. They want to hear that you are different from all the other people interviewing for that job.

3) Ask good questions. Some questions people like to hear (and can help you out in the long run) are:

• How long and what is orientation like?

• Will I have the same mentor the entire orientation?

• What is the culture like in this unit?

• What do you like about working in this unit?

• Do you have any advice on how I could be prepared to start this job if it is offered to me?

• When can I expect to hear updates from this interview?

Post Interview

Okay, you did it! Relax and keep going. Reflect on how it went. If you follow the above steps, you should be hearing from the recruiter soon!