How to prepare for your new graduate nursing interview?
Congratulations!
If you are reading this, it appears you have an employer who likes the look of your application and wants to meet you and maybe make you’re an offer!
Now, most people freak out when they get an interview invite, especially new grads, because our brains get so worried about showing them how good we are!
I compiled my top ten suggestions for Australian New Graduate Nurses preparing for their first nursing interview.
Whether you are a new nurse, mature aged student, or an international nurse these tips apply!
1) It’s your job to manage your mind and those racing thoughts that are now stressing you out even before you have gone the interview! Calm, the panel have invited you because they like what they see.
2) Review your application, especially (if you didn’t write it yourself and paid a resume writer – not advised btw). Make sure you know what you told them so you can support it during the interview.
3) Pick your nicest outfit – do not ever wear scrubs to an interview – period!
4) Avoid the need to compare, ask your peers and check with the whole nursing world on Facebook how many people have been invited. This is a recipe for more stress.
5) Convince yourself that you are perfect for this job before you try to convince a room full of strangers. They can smell a lack of self-belief a mile off.
6) Prepare your best examples, that are job and speciality/organisationally relevant, showing the employer why you are the best candidate.
7) Compile your best examples in some concise clear notes – yes you can take notes in with you!
8) Practice your responses ahead of time, ideally with someone who doesn’t know you, that will give you good constructive feedback. You aren’t looking for reassurance you want honesty.
9) Understand that when in the interview you are in control, you have the floor. Use delay tactics and strategies to buy yourself time, so that you don’t leave the interview kicking yourself.
10) Arrive early, present yourself as you wish to be perceived, relax into it, know the panel want you to succeed, they want you to blow them away and they don’t want you to assume they know anything – even if you know them personally.
Have you ever heard that it’s not always the best candidate that lands the job?
Well, it’s true unfortunately.
Interviews as a graduate nurse are about playing the game, employing a proven strategy, and beating the competition (even if they are your bestie).
If you want to set yourself apart from your peers during interview, download my free graduate career application and interview guide here!
Your first nursing interview depends on it!
Download here!
About the author.
Liam is an ex-Nurse Unit Manager, who has sat on graduate nurse panels across Australia and knows what panels are looking for! My vision is to make sure NO graduate nurse is without a job in 2023!
