119: 3 Graduate Interview Question Types You Need to Know - Grad Nurse Success Series
3 Graduate Interview Question Types You Need to Know - Grad Nurse Success Series
Embarking on a nursing career can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, especially when it comes to acing your interviews. The interview process often involves a wide range of questions, leaving many graduate nurses feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond effectively.
In this episode of the Graduate Nurse Success Series podcast, I dive into the three different types of questions that you can expect during your interview, providing valuable insights to help you prepare and succeed.
If you're seeking comprehensive guidance on these interview techniques and want to delve deeper into mastering the art of interviewing as a graduate nurse, consider joining the Graduate Career Launch Program (GCLP). The GCLP offers invaluable resources and personalized support to help you succeed in securing your desired graduate nursing position. Don't wait until the last minute—invest in your future and take the next step toward achieving your career goals.
Key takeaways:
03:32 - The List-Style Questions
04:51 - Behavioral STAR-Based Questions
08:36 - Hypothetical Scenario Questions
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This transcript was automatically generated using Descript.***
Liam Caswell: [00:00:00] So many of you come to me and you say, Liam, I didn't get the job. And I say, what do you think went wrong? And they'll say, oh my goodness. I just gave them like skeleton answer and that will never get you the job. This is where our grads and the G C P really stand out cuz I preach to them from the day that they join.
Depth is what lands you the job. Did you know there are only three types of questions that you need to know as a graduate nurse? Three styles of questions that you need to know of to be able to ace your interview. Welcome back to the Graduate Nurse Success Series Today's podcast is gonna be so good.
We're gonna be talking about the three different types of questions that you can expect to [00:01:00] get in your interview. Now, many of you message me and say, Liam, I'm so stressed and worried about the interview. I don't know what to say. I don't know what types of questions that are gonna ask. This is for you.
Now, before dive into that, It's graduate application time. These programs are opening as this stands right now, you have got June programs opening New South Wales Health, a C T Health pm cv. If you're applying for any of those programs, my friend, why are you not in the J C P? Come and join us. Within 24 to 48 hours, your applications will be done.
We will be closing the G c P this month mid month for these programs in particular cuz we need a window of time to be able to execute and to be able to apply and get you everything that you need. So the sooner you get in, the quicker you can de-stress and know that you're gonna guarantee yourself a graduate job.
So come and join us in the graduate Career Launch program if you don't know what that is. Have you been living under a rock? It's time to guarantee yourself a graduate program in 20 23, 20 [00:02:00] 24, and it's in the G C P. The link is in the show notes. We've got budgets available for everybody. You can come and join us and we'd love to help you.
Do not leave it to the last minute. There's not a assignment. This is a 70 grand pay rise. Take it seriously. Commit to it. The G CLP is a hundred percent risk free. What are you waiting for? Come and work with us and we'll do everything that you need until you land that dream grad job. So, What are the three different types of questions that you need to consider?
It makes it so much easier when you understand this so, The three types of questions that you need to understand are the list style question number one. Number two is a behavioral style question, and number three is a hypothetical style question. Now, regardless whether you're doing an online video interview, you're doing a pre-recorded interview, you're an in-person interview, or you're in a group interview, or even an osteo assessment.
These three styles of question will come up [00:03:00] all the time, and there are specific ways in which you should respond to these questions and Specific ways for you to identify which question is what. Okay, so is it a list? Is it a star, behavioral star question, or is it a hypothetical scenario? So let's dive in.
So today I'm gonna give you an overview of the three of them, and if you want more and you wanna understand it on a deeper level, which you need in order to be able to move forward in the interview process, we cover absolutely everything in the G CLPs. Come and join us. So number one, The list. These questions are questions that are quite broad and open in nature, and they are usually the first question that you get asked.
By list, I mean that's how we respond. So these questions sound very much like, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, Liam, or why did you choose to work at or choose to apply for Better Health Hospital? These types of questions. Elicit a story response almost, where you're just [00:04:00] compiling a list of sentences that you offer to the employer.
So for example, can you tell us why you wanna work here? Liam? Thanks for the question. I'd really love to work here at Better Health Hospital because, you know, over the last three years I've been working, I. On clinical placement across the inpatient units here at the hospital and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
And we dive into it. I'm not gonna give you an example of it. Here we go in depth into it, into G C P, but what's important is that when you're sitting waiting for the question and they offer it, the first thing that you want to do is identify, is this a list? Is this a star or is this a hypothetical? If it's a list, you know, you're just gonna be telling them a story, a combination of your career summary up until this point, weaving through the values and giving them as much information about you and why you're the perfect irresistible fit for this job as much as you can.
That's the goal with the list style question. Now, number two. Is our behavioral star based questions, right? So by star I mean that's how we respond. So behavioral questions [00:05:00] are looking for evidence from your past that you're capable of achieving what they'd like you to achieve in this job in the future.
So they're looking to your past for evidence. To prove that you can do the job. So it's really important that you answer these questions correctly cuz if you don't and you miss it and you think that it's a list style question or hypothetical, you will lose points in the interview and that could cost you the job.
So a star type of question usually signs something along the lines of this. Liam, can you tell us about a time where you have demonstrated a, a commitment to comprehensive care with your patients and talk us through what you did. Okay. Or they might say, Liam can you tell us about a time where you have delivered bad news to a patient?
Talk us through the effective communication skills that you utilized. Now, these questions could be about anything, but they're looking to the past and you can tell by the way that they ask the question, can you tell us about a time? Or they might try and trick you and they might say something like, patient-centered care is very [00:06:00] important to us here, Liam, at Better Health Hospital.
When was the last time that you delivered patient-centered care? Tell us what you did, why you did it, and what was the outcome? So notice they're still asking you to go back to the past, but they just reframe it in a different way. So just be very cautious and sit and listen or teach this in the G C O P.
When they ask you a question, is it a list? Is it a store? Is it hypothetical? From there, you then know which strategy to employ. With the behavioral past focused questions, it's the star. Okay, so it's the situation, task, action result. It is by far the best strategy process that you could use. It's like you're a BLS algorithm for the interview.
So the situation, what was the situation? It's very short and sweet. It's one line. That's it. One sentence straight to the point. Tailoring in the question itself. What was the task? What was your role in this situation? Make sure that it links back to the question again, a [00:07:00] action. This is the big section.
This is where you tell them all of the things. What did you do? Why did you do it? I like to think about. Putting myself back in the scenario and stepping them through every little micro and macro step. I washed my hands, I gained consent, I did this. I utilized my therapeutic communication skills. And in this section, this a action section.
You've gotta drop in the buzzwords. You've gotta drop in the values, you've gotta drop in anything that's topical that you think would be relevant. You've gotta speak the language. Of the specialty that you're applying for or the program or the hospital that you're applying for. So the A section is really big, and that's where you give them all of the goodness.
And then the result, the R is where you wrap it all up and you show them. That you have evidence of doing this in the past, which means you'll be able to do it in the future, and you show them the result of your actions. And you can also add in here, all alarming. You can add an L onto the end sterile, and you can add all alarming and you can talk about on reflection, iar X, Y, and Z.[00:08:00]
This is where the work begins in our G C R P. This is where most people get such good value out of just the interview module itself, because we allow you to practice this. Every week you can practice it on your own. You can come to a course and you can practice it. This is a skill worth mastering andyou actually start mastering this skill when you're writing your cv, your cover letter, your selection criteria, cuz if you do them correctly and you really master it in the writing form with your selection criteria and your cover ladder.
You can apply this learning to the next stages, which is interview and showing up and answering behavioral questions. Now, the third and final type of question is the hypothetical scenario. Hypothetical scenarios are future focused. The way that they ask the question tells you that they're future focused.
So for example, they're gonna say something like, Liam, you came on shift and you have got a patient who's on the floor, they've hit their head and they're bleeding. Talk us through [00:09:00] what you would do, and that's all they'll give you. you can tell from the language of that question, they're future pacing you, right?
They're. Telling you, right? You're in the job as an EM or an rn and this is the scenario, what would you do? Talk us through your thinking. Show us your critical thinking and demonstrate to us what steps you would take and provide a rationale. That's what they're asking for. So notice it would be incorrect here for us to offer a list.
would be incorrect here for us to offer a star response in the first instance, we need to give them or step them through our exact steps that we would take to address this scenario, okay? Showing them and demonstrating our skillset. So literally, with a hypothetical scenario, the best way that I can teach you to tackle it is put yourself into the scenario.
Think about it, just what would you do, right? You've got a patient on the phone, you're in the room. Even if you have to close your eyes in that moment, what do you need to do? What would you be doing as an EN or an rn? It's very important that you [00:10:00] make that distinction as a future graduate nurse, as a future enrolled nurse.
The first thing that I would do would be assess for danger. I would make sure that I was safe. I'd wash my hands. I'd pop on the P P E that was relevant to this patient. it sounds like I would be out of my scope, I'd be quite concerned about this patient from the get-go, I'm gonna call and escalate for some help using the emergency barza.
From there, I'm gonna use my critical thinking skills and patient assessment skills. I'm gonna assess them systematically using the adg or what, whatever process you use, talk them through the key things that you would be thinking about for a head injury. After fall, I'd be assessing their airway. Are they able to speak to me?
Are they responding? They're breathing. I'd be worried about are they elderly? Have they potentially fractured a rib? I'd be thinking about what are their oxygen saturations? Are there any obvious signs of distress with their breathing? And then with their circulation, I'd be assessing them. Looking at the pulse, the peripheral cap refill, their blood pressure.
Do they have access? Do we need access? Are they losing a lot of blood? [00:11:00] Are they going into hyperemic shock? Who knows? We're gonna just give them all of our thoughts cause we don't have any information. And the panel want you to show them what you could potentially be thinking about doing and give them a rationale.
Okay, I'll be thinking about access because maybe he's lost a lot of blood and I'm really worried about that. So I might want to replace that. So maybe I would consider getting somebody to put some access in the blood pressure. Is it good? Is it bad? Do they have bad lying, bad standing blood pressures?
What does that look like? Have they got partial hypertension? Go down that path of like giving them them all the potential things. I assess their neurological state, I'd assess them on the a proof skill, and then I'd do a GC s a test their strength in all limbs. I'd look into their pupils. You have to be meticulous in these questions.
So many of you come to me and you say, Liam, I didn't get the job. And I say, what do you think went wrong? And they'll say, oh my goodness. I just gave them like skeleton answer and that will never get you the job. This is where our [00:12:00] grads and the G C P really stand out cuz I preach to them from the day that they join.
Depth is what lands you the job. Demonstrating your skill is what lands you the job. They don't want to hear that you will just escalate care and then stand back. They want to see that you'll give it a go and that you are using your critical thinking. So this hypothetical scenarios can be a bit of a hot mess, right?
They're usually not overly logical cuz your brain's just firing and you've got all these ideas just like I had there, and that's totally fine. It doesn't have to be logical and sequential and perfect. Allow yourself to be messy. But it does have to be rational, and it does have to be related to the situation, and you do have to demonstrate critical thinking, your safety, your safety in your practice, the safety of the patient, and anything that you think they need to hear.
If you're applying for I C U, you better make sure. that you make sure your answer is ICU level, right? I'm not saying you need to be an ICU nurse, but think about what do they value in a future ICU grad, critical thinking, patient assessment skills, anatomy and [00:13:00] physiology, like really going into the depths there.
If you're applying for a community-based program or mental health, and this was the scenario. How would you put your mental health spin on that? How could you show them how incredible you are? What a great fit you are for mental health, therapeutic communication skills, demonstrating active listening, providing support, emotional and mental support, all of that kind of thing, like referring them further on for.
Community support, blah, blah, blah. Whatever comes up, allow yourself to go there. Okay?
So there are only three types of questions that you really need to think about. Three different styles of questions that the panel will ask you that you need to identify how to respond and what are relief. When you know and understand that it can be a list, a star or hypothetical. And the way in which you respond to the list is you give them an offer, a list, ascendancy.
So you're gonna tell them a story, the star, you're gonna use the star response, you're gonna look to your past and give them an awesome, [00:14:00] juicy example using the star framework and then the hypothetical. You're just gonna step them through it. You're just gonna show them your brain. You're gonna trust that you have the knowledge having done this for the last three years, and you're gonna go forth and you're gonna give it your all.
Those are the three types of questions that you need for the interview. Now, all of this is really great knowledge and insight. But what I want to say is that in order to really understand this, you have to practice. You have to give yourself the space to practice. One of the things that we have in the G C R P, which I just think is incredible and it took me hours to do, but it's so well received, is we have an online video question bank where you can be grilled by me.
In your own time, so don't worry. And there's no recording. There is a recording version. If you want real time feedback, we can provide that, but we have two avenues where you can come and practice. This itself is worth investing in the G C L P because the first time that you practice these strategies should not be [00:15:00] in the interview.
You gotta do it outside of the interview so that when you go in, you have that confidence. It's all in the preparation, my friend. So in our question bank, online, we have about 40 different questions with lots of different streams. So we've got pediatrics, acute care, surgical, periop, i C u, ed, mental health community.
Oh my God. What else? We've got all of them in there and you can go through them and I'll ask you list style questions, star style questions, hypothetical style questions, and you just get to practice so that when you go in you know how to tackle these questions. You are so prepared, so confident that there's no chance of you going blank in your mind.
So my friend, gift yourself the opportunity of landing your dream grad. Gift yourself a buffet of options. Gift yourself, the interview preparation that you need and deserve to secure yourself. Your dream job in 2023. It is in the G C L P. We'd love to have you come join us if you're applying for New South Wales Health [00:16:00] A C D Health P M C V.
Come and join us now. Queensland Health, Northern Territory, Tasmania Health July is when those programs open. But you should also be in the G C P now cuz you're gonna get busy and think time is gonna run away from you and you'll be sitting in front of the interview panel before you know it. So come and relieve that stress in the G C P and I'll see you in there.
And for those of you that aren't coming into the G C P, You can utilize this platform and these resources, they will get you to a point, but the depth lies in the G C P and we'd love to see you there. Until next time, stay safe, stay forever curious. Reach out to me if you have any questions about joining the G C P, but we'd love to have you there.
See you next week.
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