As mentioned before, it’s important that the interview not be a question-answer snooze fest. Create a dialogue amongst peers and remember that this is also a time for you to interview them, just as they are interviewing you. Asking questions not only provides you with answers, but also lets those who are sitting across from you, know that you are truly engaged and excited about the role. There are a couple of ways to ask questions. You can choose to simply wait until the end when they will ask you, “do you have any questions?”, or you can sprinkle them in here and there throughout, or you can pop them in here and there while also leaving some for the end. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it.
A great way to create a dialogue throughout the interview is to ask the same question back to the interviewer. For example, if they ask you a scenario-based question, answer it, and then spin it back on them by asking, “what would you do in that scenario?”. Or maybe they ask you to talk about a failure and how it affected you as a nurse. Answer the question and once you’ve finished ask them, “Can you tell me about some of the failures you’ve experienced as a nurse and how they affected you?”. By asking them questions, you are creating an engaged environment and allowing the interviewers the opportunity to interact. Sitting in a room and asking questions is boring, so change it up a bit and create a dialogue.
- You can also choose to write hand-written thank you notes immediately following the interview and then drop them off once they have finished with the candidates after you
Now that you have finished reading this marathon of an article, start preparing because preparation is the key to your success.