chapter 14 | Your Nursing Careerr 231■Where do you see yourself in 5 years?Most
interviewers want to gain insight into your long-
term goals as well as some idea whether you are
likely to use this position as a brief stop on the
path to another job. It is helpful for you to know
some of the history regarding the position. For
example, how long have others usually remained
in that job? Your career planning should be
consistent with the organization’s needs.
■What are your educational goals?Be honest
and specific. Include both professional educa-
tion, such as RN or bachelor of science in
nursing, and continuing education courses. If
you want to pursue further education in related
areas, such as a foreign language or computers,
include this as a goal. Indicate schools to which
you have applied or in which you are already
enrolled.
■Describe your leadership style.Be prepared to
discuss your style in terms of how effectively you
work with others, and give examples of how you
have implemented your leadership in the past.
■What can you contribute to this position?
What unique skill set do you offer?Review your
SWOT analysis as well as the job description for
the position before the interview. Be specific in
relating your contributions to the position.
Emphasize your accomplishments. Be specific,
and convey that, even as a new graduate, you are
unique.
■What are your salary requirements?You may
be asked about minimum salary range. Try to
find out the prospective employer’s salary range
before this question comes up. Be honest about
your expectations, but make it clear that you are
willing to negotiate.
■“What if ” questions.Prospective employers are
increasingly using competency-based interview
questions to determine people’s preparation for a
job. There is often no single correct answer to
these questions. The interviewer may be assess-
ing your clinical decision-making and leadership
skills. Again, be concise and specific, focusing
your answer in line with the organizational
philosophy and goals. If you do not know the
answer, tell the interviewer how you would go
about finding the answer. You cannot be expect-
ed to have all the answers before you begin a
job, but you can be expected to know how to
obtain answers once you are in the position.table 14-2
Do’s and Don’ts of Internet Job Searching
Do Don’t
Focus on selling yourself: “My clinical practicum in Use many “I”s in the message: “I saw your job posting in Nursing
the ICU at a major health center and my strong Spectrum, and I have attached my resume.”
organizational skills fit with the entry-level ICU
position posted in Nursing Spectrum.”
Use short paragraphs; keep the message short. Long messages probably will not even be read.
Use highlighting and bullets. Forget to format for e-mail.
Use an appropriate e-mail address: DKWhitehead431@.... Use a silly or inappropriate e-mail: [email protected]
partyanimal@...
Use an effective subject: ICU RN position. Use subjects used by computer viruses or junk e-mailers: Hi,
Important, Information.
Send your message to the correct e-mail address. Assume; if the address is not indicated, call to see what
person/address is appropriate.
Send messages individually. Send a blast message to many recipients; it may be discarded
as junk mail.
Treat e-mail with the same care you treat a traditional Slip into informality—remember spelling and grammar checks.
business application
Keep your resume “cyber-safe.” Remove your standard contact information and replace it with
your e-mail address
Change the format of your resume: save your word Assume that everyone is using the same word processing
document as an HTML file or an ASCII text file program
Adapted from Job Hunt: The Online Job Search Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from http://www.job-hunt.org/