The Secrets to a Successful Travel Nurse Job Interview
Highlights and excerpts from our exclusive resource, The Travel Nurse's Guide to Interviewing
By the TravelNursing.com staff, Updated: June 16, 2016
Are you getting ready for your first travel nurse interview? Or are you a veteran traveler just looking to sharpen your interview skills? In either case, TravelNursing.com has put together a set of best practices and insider tips to help you understand the interview process better, represent yourself well and ultimately get the travel RN jobs of your dreams.
Here are a few pointers, excerpted and condensed from our newly revised manual, The Travel Nurse’s Guide to Interviewing: Tips to Ace Your Travel Nurse Interview and Secure Your Dream Assignment. Simply download this FREE guide for all the details.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What hiring managers look for in a travel nurse candidate:
When nurse managers need to fill RN jobs on a temporary basis (usually 13 weeks), they tend to agree on these travel nurse requirements:
1. Clinical competency
2. A “quick study”
3. A strong work ethic
4. Flexibility and adaptability
5. Good interpersonal skills
6. Organizational and unit “fit”
7. Enthusiasm and availability
Three unique things about travel nurse interviews:
1. Travel interviews are set up by a recruiter from a travel nurse staffing agency who seeks out assignments and communicates with potential employers on your behalf.
2. These interviews are generally done over the phone and are shorter than traditional interviews.
3. Managers will often decide whether to offer job candidates the position very quickly; sometimes on the very same day.
HOW TO PREPARE
Preparing yourself for a successful travel nurse interview starts well before the day of the phone call with the hiring manager. Follow these seven steps in your preparation.
Seven things to do before the day of your interview (see further details in the Guide):
1. Ask your recruiter at your travel nurse agency about the employer and the job specifics.
2. Research the facility, the unit and the interviewer.
3. Beware of how you are representing yourself to the world, such as on social media. (A 2014 CareerBuilder survey showed 43% of healthcare employers check social media profiles before interviewing.)
4. Refresh your knowledge relating to key skills and competencies the manager is seeking.
5. Make a list of accomplishments at past jobs and travel assignments.
6. Practice answering typical interview questions, being brief while highlighting relevant achievements and skills.
7. Prepare your own list of questions to ask the manager.
HOW TO SHINE DURING THE INTERVIEW
For specific tips about how to prepare on the big day and perform your best throughout the travel nurse interview, you’ll need to download the full manual: The Travel Nurse’s Guide to Interviewing.
You’ll learn how to be ready for the call, how to establish rapport, how to listen for cues, how to highlight your accomplishments and more.
The End Result = Getting the Right Job
Working closely with your recruiter and being well-prepared for your interview--to provide clear and detailed answers, ask pertinent questions and let your expertise and personality shine through--are the keys to helping the manager determine whether you are right for the job, and helping you decide if the job is right for you.
Best of luck as you take the next step in your travel nurse career!
GET MORE career tips in TravelNursing.com’s Resource Center, or FIND travel nurse jobs that fit your personal and professional goals.
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