Prepare
for the job interview

A careful search can help you land the perfect job

by Leigh Morgan
August 27, 1998
Illustration by Malcolm Garris

Whether you’re preparing for a job interview or just want to know if a particular facility would be right for you, career management experts say a little background research can go a long way.

The first step in a successful job hunt is thinking about what you want out of your next job, said Robin Berkman, RN, an employment specialist at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley. She advises nurses to start their job search by listing the qualities they are looking for in an employer, such as the size of the facility, its location, the kinds of services and specialties it offers, and training options.

Knowing what you want can make all the difference when searching for the right job, said Zardoya Eagles, RN, author of The Nurses’ Career Guide: Discovering New Horizons in Health Care (Sovereignty Press, 1997, $23.95). "Nurses should spend their time and energy figuring out what they’re good at and what they want to do. Then, if they sit down and research new positions, they’ll be able to see when they have a good match with their skills and their talents."

Do your homework

After you’ve figured out what you want, the next step is to find out all you can about potential employers. Go online and check out a facility’s Web site to get basic information on its size, structure, areas of interest, and the names of key contacts, Berkman said. Also, ask hospital recruiters to send literature on the facility and to disclose available positions. Berkman also suggests calling the hospital’s public relations department to obtain a copy of its annual report. "It will give nurses an idea of the financial status of the hospital, which is always important," she said. A financially healthy facility could provide more opportunity and security than one that’s in the red.

To expand your list of target employers, head to the library. If you’re thinking of relocating, try the American Hospital Association guide, which lists all its members by state. Libraries also carry directories from other organizations and subscribe to most major newspapers—useful for scanning help-wanted ads in a distant city.

Job seekers should also run an Internet search or go to the library to find recent articles on particular hospitals to "see if there has been good press or bad press" on the organization, said Shelley Stuart, supervising library assistant at the Crocker Business Library at the University of Southern California.

Go to the source

Whenever a job hunt involves a career shift, informational interviews are a must, experts say. Informational interviews allow you to sit down with professionals in a field and pick their brains about it—without attempting to land a job. These interviews are "probably the best way for people to get information on a career option they’re interested in," Eagles said, "because you’re going right to the source."

Getting an appointment can be a challenge, however. "Most people are so busy they don’t have time for informational interviews, even though all the textbooks suggest it," said Marion Mullin, RN, regional nurse recruiter for Catholic Healthcare West, Bay Area region. Nurses "can always call and ask, but they should not be offended or take it personally if they don’t get one."

But Eagles said she has almost always been successful in obtaining interviews, explaining that it all comes down to your approach. "Make it very professional. Send a cover letter first stating this is who I am, this is what research I’m doing." Add that you’ll require only 10 minutes of the person’s time and that you’ll call the following week to set up an appointment. Be flexible, arrive with a clear list of questions, and wrap up the interview on time, she said.

Above all, honor the understanding that informational interviews are not job interviews, Eagles said. Clarify this understanding by telling a contact, "Please understand that I do not expect you to know of or have any positions at this time. I would, however, greatly appreciate your advice and insight."

Go ahead and ask

If you do land an interview, ask the big questions. "When you’re looking for a job, you want to look at things like whether the hospital is part of a larger system and what does that mean to you?" Berkman said. "Can you move from facility to facility, for example?"

"I would encourage people to find out as much as they can about the responsibilities of a position and to even ask about the organization’s long-range goals for the type of work," Eagles said. "And where do they see the job or the organization going in the future?"

Eagles said talking to current employees about a facility is acceptable, but added two caveats: "I wouldn’t ask current employees any questions that I wouldn’t feel comfortable answering myself, and I would keep that information in perspective in terms of its source."

Today’s nurses are savvier than ever before about investigating job opportunities and negotiating salaries, said Mullin, who has been a recruiter for almost 25 years. "Nurses are much more willing to ask questions now," she said. "In fact, they find it necessary."

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