Nailing the Interview

Interviewing for the job could be a determining factor for your application. It’s an important opportunity for you to present yourself beyond your resume. What’s written on paper doesn’t always translate, so let your personality and voice come through during the interview.

The whole process could be intimidating, but with proper preparation and planning, you should be able to go into an interview with composed confidence and come out of it feeling satisfied.

We’ve included a special section on online interviews as well.

Review the job description.

First align yourself with the job description and be guided by it. The job description, after all, outlines what exactly the company is looking for in a candidate, so make sure you are able to demonstrate how you match up to that.

Full-time nurse at a functional medicine clinic 
National Capital Region 
PHP 26,000 - 36,400

Job highlights
● The clinic only operates 20 days a month (Mondays-Fridays)
● Yearly travel vacation based on performance
● Good and safe working environment
● Less labor compared to others

Full description
● Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor's/College Degree,Professional License (Passed Board/Bar/Professional License Exam) in Nursing or equivalent
● Required skill(s): IV-trained
● At least 1-4 year(s) of working nursing experience
● With good communication and organizational skills
● Must be a flexible and critical thinker
● Ability to work with minimal supervision; hardworking, trustworthy, willing to be trained
● Annual salary increase dependent on performance
● With promotion opportunities
● With development training for employees
● 8 Full-Time Position(s) available.
● Benefits: SSS, PAG-IBIG, Philhealth, HMO and leave benefits
● Performance-based travel incentives

Research the company.

One of the first steps in your interview prep should definitely be to research the company you’re interviewing for. At this point, you should already have an idea of what they’re like from applying to them in the first place, but it’s worthwhile to do a more thorough review of their work culture, their reputation, and their goals as an organization.

Other questions you might want to study are:

What does the company’s history say about them?

What are some of the key programs and initiatives of the hospital or firm?

How does the company take care of its employees?

Being aware of these details will also give you an idea of how the interview will be like. For example, a government hospital will have a heavier workload, higher pay, and better benefits while a private hospital will have a lighter workload, lower pay, and more opportunities for promotion. In terms of the hiring process as a whole, you could expect the turnaround time to be lengthier for a public hospital versus a private facility. You can look at a company’s official website, their social media accounts, their LinkedIn and Glassdoor profiles, and even forums where you might be able to find reviews from employees.

Set your disposition.

Equally important in preparing for the interview is making sure you have the right mindset going into it. If you’re a fresh graduate who’s just passed the board exam, don’t get too cocky and feel you know better than your interviewer. (They’ve done this hundreds of times and can spot overconfident applicants.) The same can be said for seasoned nurses with years of experience – show that you are open to learning new things and that you continue to be teachable.

Here is a timeline of rituals or activities that could be helpful in keeping you composed before the big day:

1 week before the interview

• Hold several rounds of mock interview
• Verify the date, time, and location of the interview
• Begin putting together your interview outfit
• Start gathering all the required documents

PRO TIP Remember that some government documents like birth certificates, may take several days to be processed and delivered.

1 day before the interview

• Check that everything you need for tomorrow is ready to go – does your car have enough gas? Is your commute properly planned out? Are your clothes all set?
• Focus on relaxing and calming your nerves
• Get a good night’s sleep

1 hour before the interview

• Do some breathing exercises
• Meditate
• Drink water

15 minutes before the interview

• Be at the venue for your interview
• Have a bathroom break

Practice your answers.

Not all nursing job interviews will ask the same questions, but there are some common ones (or variations of them) that you can almost always expect and so should rehearse responding to:

About yourself

• Introduce yourself.
• Why did you become a nurse?
• What are your strengths & weaknesses?
• What are your career goals?

About the job

• Why do you want to work here?
• What made you apply for this role? What interested you about it?
• What can you contribute to this position?
• Why did you leave your last job?

Past experience

• Talk about a time you were assigned a leadership role. How did you manage this responsibility, what was the outcome, and what did you learn?
• Talk about a time you encountered a conflict between you and a co-worker/teammate. How did you resolve the issue?
• Talk about a time you committed an error at work. How did you correct the oversight? What were the effects?
• Talk about a time you were under a lot of pressure or stress. What did you do?
• Talk about a time you felt you exercised the most creativity in your job.
• Talk about a time that your work was criticized by a manager or supervisor. How did you respond?
• Talk about a time that a patient or their family disapproved of your care or service. How did you respond?

Situational

• How would you handle a difficult patient?
• How would you communicate bad news to a patient and their friends & family?
• What would you do if you discovered a co-worker was exhibiting unethical behavior, such as putting a patient at risk?

Given all these “usual” questions, expect to be surprised by your evaluator. Some questions might be highly technical to push you to think critically and on your feet:

Here are 3 patients – given these presenting symptoms and acuity, what level would you triage them and why?

Other questions might even seem totally unrelated to the job or to nursing, such as about your hobbies or interests, maybe even about the last book that you read.

Again, remember that the person interviewing you has screened countless applicants and has probably heard all the generic responses to questions. Don’t give answers that you think the interviewer wants to hear – just be genuine, honest, and clear.

Think of some questions to ask.

You will be given the time to ask the interviewer your own questions. Get creative! Here are some ideas to start with:

• What is the patient to staff ratio?
• Does the company have a mentorship program in place?
• How are orientation and training going to be conducted?
• What resources does the company provide for mental health? What initiatives are there for mental health awareness?
• What does a typical workday look like?
• What is the company doing to encourage self-care? What policies are implemented to avoid overworking nurses?
• What makes this facility unique?
• What are the goals of the facility?

Asking questions will show the interviewer your interest and sincerity. Don’t ask just for the sake of asking, so listen carefully when your interviewer answers your questions.

On the other hand, there are some questions that you should avoid asking during this portion of the interview:

• Will there be a drug test?
• Did I get the job?
• What is the worst part about working here?
• Questions that you should know the answers to (i.e., things written on the job description, things already mentioned in the interview)

It’s best to just generally be respectful and attentive.

Before interview day

As early as a week before the interview, perform several run-throughs of the Q&A with another person. Recruit some friends to act as your interviewer and simulate the process from start to finish. Dress up and stage an area where the interview will be held. Do several rounds of this, so that you can test out different answers to the same
questions and develop more conversational responses. This exercise will be good for easing your nerves as well.

Have your mock interviewer give you comments on what you say, the speed at which you are talking, and the tone of your voice. Practice in front of a mirror so that you can take note of making eye contact, your body language, and facial expressions. Adjust accordingly.

These are some other practical matters that should be arranged beforehand:

• Plan your attire thoughtfully. You want to look professional. This means no jeans, shorts, or casual dresses; no slippers or sneakers, either. Fix your hair and apply light make-up. Do not put too much perfume or cologne, and do not forget to brush your teeth!

• How will you get to the interview? Carefully consider travel time and transportation, especially if you are not familiar with the area. Will you drive yourself to the interview? Is there parking? How is the traffic normally like during that time? If you are going to commute, plan your route. It might even be helpful to practice going there to get comfortable with your surroundings.

• Be prepared and bring extra materials and documents that will be helpful and that will show you are prepared.
  • Valid ID
  • PRC ID
  • Water
  • Extra ID pictures (1×1, 2×2)
  • A jacket
  • Mint/gum
  • Power bank
  • Copies of additional certifications
  • Copy of your resume
  • Copy of your diploma

Of course, if there are other things you were asked to bring to the interview, double check that you have them in your interview bag.

On the night before the interview, review once again the date, time, and location of your schedule. Make sure you’re all set and then try to get some rest!

Interview day!

Come interview day, keep calm and try to clear your head. At this point, you have done all you could to prepare and the only thing left to do is the interview itself! Your pre- interview meal should be one that you normally take; it might not be a good idea to experiment on new recipes on a day when everything must (hopefully) go as planned.

Don’t rush. Come to the interview ahead of time so that you can get settled. Be polite, greet your interviewer, and good luck.

Virtual interviews

In the wake of the pandemic, everyone in one capacity or another has had to shift to an online platform for their day to day activities. Most of the preparations for online and in- person interviews are the same, but virtual interviews require taking some special measures:

• Make sure that your internet connection is stable and can smoothly stream both video and audio. You don’t want to miss any questions or hear questions incorrectly. Have a back-up connection ready for any scenario!
• Your device should be fully charged. In the event of a power outage, have a plan for extra batteries. It would be catastrophic for an interview to be going well, only to be cut short.
• Still dress well – and that includes bottoms. You might accidentally stand up and expose your pajamas or house shorts! That would be totally embarrassing and completely unprofessional, so make the extra effort even if you’re just at home.
• Test your microphone and speakers. Be sure you can hear and can be heard clearly. This is something you can rehearse with your friends in a mock interview as well.
• Choose a room or area where you are preferably alone. Have an appropriate background, or set up a virtual background to avoid having people walking behind you and disrupting the interview. If you live with other people, inform them that you cannot be interrupted or disturbed for the duration of the call.
• Do not have any other applications or tabs open during the interview. You should not be doing anything on your device while you are in the interview. It’s distracting, rude, and will not benefit you in any way. Imagine having your interviewer hear that you’re typing or chatting with someone – again, both embarrassing and unbecoming.

Remember that an online interview is just as big a deal as one in person – so don’t play down the preparations!

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We at medpath are here to help nurses like you in every step of the way.