Nurse Blog

What's Your Interview Approach?

 

It is now time for the interview and you need to get your interview approach right. By preparing carefully and well in advance, all details are taken care of in an organised manner.

So you have prepared for all kinds of commonly asked questions, practiced your answers, got your industry and company information ready, your questions ready, you are dressed out well for the interview and now here it is – the big hour.

You are nervous. Despite all your preparation the interviewer could ask you the one thing that you might not have prepared for or the one thing that you might forget. You conjure up images of all that could go wrong, you are sweaty in the palms and nervous as you anticipate the interviewers tearing you apart. What if they find someone else before your turn comes? How come everyone else looks more relaxed and knowledgeable? What if you cannot answer a single question?

Here is where your interview approach comes in. Relax. Close your eyes and take a deep breath into your abdomen. Feel your abdomen rise and fall. Do it a couple of times until you feel your nerves steadying a bit. The first thing you need to do as you approach the interview is to relax.

Remember that you have prepared as hard as you could. There is nothing you can do now except put your best foot forward. Enjoy the scenery, read a book or a magazine. Stop looking at everyone else around wondering if you should be cramming for some more information.

Think of the nice times. Think of your victories. Of all your achievements. Your accomplishments. The moments that made you feel good about yourself. Feel your inner confidence boost you up.

Think positive thoughts. Stop all negative thoughts about what might happen if they ask tough questions etc. Think positively and fill your head with positive thoughts of how you would be a success at the interview, at the job and at your career.

Visualize an easy and successful interview. Visualize yourself answering questions with ease. Visualize a friendly and amicable interviewer or a panel. It helps to alleviate your mood and in turn will make a favorable impression on the interviewers.

Think of the interview as an animated conversation. Stop thinking of the interview as a stress filled interrogation and more in terms of an animated conversation you will be having with people in the same area of business. That will alter your approach from being defensive to being participative and show qualities of team work and receptivity in you.

Think of your strengths. Focus on your strengths. Forget about the weaknesses. There is not much you can do about them. If you have to think of your weaknesses, think of them as strengths turned inside out and word them accordingly instead of flaying yourself with them. Use them to your advantage.

Be punctual. Be early at the venue because that helps in acclimatizing to the environment and in learning or clarifying any bits of information that you may need to before your interview.

Try to use everything to your advantage. Remain courteous, unruffled, energetic and enthusiastic. This is an opportunity to show them the best side that you have, the side that will come out when there are challenges on the job. There is no point hiding your energy and enthusiasm for later. Put it up there during the interview. Be the best you can.

Now. Are you feeling better?

Yulin Peng is a recruiting researcher and the owner of http://www.job- employment-guide.com. Please visit his site for more free employment tips. Article source: www.impactfactory.com.

                        

Say Thank You to Compliments

One of the best types of listening to do is listening to feedback - and being able to respond appropriately.

Even positive feedback can make some people squirm. Some people just don't know how to take a compliment.

Even if you don't think that your presentation, for example, didn't go very well, if someone compliments you on your work, instead of saying "Oh no, it was awful", just smile and say thank you. If you can't accept compliments eventually people will stop giving them.

Money Matters

Are your finances are getting you down? Yes? Then start by thinking about what you want to achieve – perhaps to be debt free? To save money each month? Or maybe to regularly pay into a pension?

You need to be in control of your finances before you can start setting goals. Consider any immediate challenges/blocks that stop you taking control and look for ways of breaking them down. For example do you spend beyond your means?

If so, look for ways of reducing your spending. Keep a note of everything you spend in a month – including magazines, wine, snacks etc and look at ways you can cut down. Look at what you have coming in and what you have going out. Make two lists: - one for necessary expenditure such as mortgage/rent, utility bills, food etc, and one for non-crucial expenditure such as clothes, smoking, drinking, entertainment etc.

Be really honest with yourself about how crucial some things are because if you are looking at ways of decreasing your outgoings you have to establish which are the really necessary ones. If you get all your necessary expenditure down on one list you can then work out your disposable income and where to spend it.

Owe money? Paying too high an interest rate? Change accounts or consolidate your loans into one that charges a lower interest rate. Some cards offer the incentive of 0% interest for 6 months if you transfer to them. Store cards often charge a massive 28% and are best avoided. Look at ways of paying off all your balances using a low interest loan that you can pay off each month – then chop up those cards. There’s no point thinking about saving until you have got rid of high interest credit cards etc.

Set yourself targets

· To stay within budget

· Use online banking as this means you can keep more up to date with your current balance. Most banks offer online banking now.

· Use debit cards instead of cheques as the money goes out of your account straight away and is easier to keep track of.

· After you have paid off you credit cards open a savings account and put an amount in each month by direct debit.

Look for ways of saving money, however small. Did you know that you could claim tax relief for cleaning your uniforms? If your employer does not look after the cleaning arrangements for your uniform or provide free laundry facilities for you to use, you can get tax relief on any costs of cleaning your own uniform that you have to meet out of your own pocket. You can claim relief for the current year and earlier tax years. Contact your local tax office for information (your employer can tell you the address if you do not know it) or alternatively obtain a form from the Royal College of Nursing.

If you pay a subscription or fee to ‘professional bodies or learned societies’ such as the Royal College of Nursing or Nursing Standard these are allowable for tax relief under section 201 of the income and Corporation Taxes Act (1988). The Inland Revenue publishes a booklet listing all qualifying organisations. Again contact your local tax office or the RCN. If you are a student member or a non-tax-payer you are not entitled to tax relief. Claims can be backdated for up to six years. Every bit helps.

If your finances are really out of control, don’t ignore them - get help. Talk to your bank manager, a financial advisor or even the citizen’s advice bureau. If you do nothing you will just get deeper into trouble. Beware if you do take out a single loan to pay off other debts – don’t make the mistake of taking out a bigger loan than you need. The real danger with this solution to debt is the fact that it is usually a secured loan (usually against a property) being used to pay off unsecured loans. If you don’t keep up with the repayments you could lose your home.

Anyone familiar with daytime TV will have seen ad breaks saturated by loan consolidation and debt management companies touting for business boasting that they can transform multiple debts into ‘one manageable monthly repayment’. However many people lured by the promise of getting their debt under control find they have had misleading advice and end up paying excessive charges. Many find themselves in an even worse financial mess than they were in before. However, what many people don’t realise is that these paid for services are in competition with the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) and it’s younger cousin Payplan, which provide their services completely free of charge.

Finally look for ways of earning more money – even if it’s just a couple of hours overtime each week – the money soon adds up. Negotiate a wage rise at work – a higher grade or increment – the worst thing your boss can say is no. Most importantly if you can’t sort out your problems yourself don’t ignore those envelopes as they land on your mat – seek help – it could be easier than you think.

Useful addresses:

Consumer Credit Counselling Service,

Wade House,

Merrion Centre,

Leeds

LS2 8NGwww.cccs.co.uk                                                                                                                                    

Email: info@cccs.co.uk

Payplan,

Kempton House,

Grantham

Dysart Road

NG31 7LE

www.payplan.com

Email:  help@payplan.com

Go the extra Mile...

       

Your job is what you make of it.  If you spend all the time you are at work just watching the clock waiting for home time, then your job will feel like a prison sentence. Try and approach your job with enthusiasm. Be proactive. Ask for extra responsibility if you feel you can cope with it. Start a newsletter, make some patient information leaflets, do something. Iniatiative will be rewarded, and you will advance faster in your career than someone who always sits back and waits to be asked. Having a positive attitude about your career will have a good effect on your working relationships too, as well as your stress levels, overall health and spirit.

Do Something for Your Career Every Day...

Aim for just 10 minutes a day. You might just read a piece of research, write down some of your accomplishments – however small - or update your CV. Keep your interviewing and public speaking skills fresh, search for jobs in your field – apply for a job if you find one that is suitable. Doing something every day helps keep you on track to achieving your goals.

Out of the frying pan into the…?

If you are reviewing your career then maybe you are thinking about leaving your current job.

This could be because you are dissatisfied with it, or because you feel that the time is right for you to progress in your career.

Take the time to reflect on whether you really do want to leave. Consider whether there is there some other aspect of your life that you are unhappy with which is causing you to feel fed up in general.

Ask yourself a few questions about why you are thinking about leaving:

• what do you dislike the most about your current job? Are you bored, stressed, disliking the environment, or perhaps not getting on very well with colleagues?

• consider how these feelings affect you specifically.

• what would you like to do less of in your job?

• what would you like to do more of?

• have you felt like this before? Do these problems form a repeat pattern in your career?

• If you do leave, what will you be looking for in your next job or way of life, and will you find it?

Consider the following:

• your current job may offer regular income, job security, and familiarity but will your new job offer the same?

• what would you lose if you left?

• what worries you most about leaving your current job?

• have you been here before? Have you thought about leaving before but changed your mind?

If you can, talk over your responses with a trusted mentor or friend. Are other people influencing your decision making – perhaps your partner at home is afraid of you losing your job security?

Thinking about what makes you tick and the real reasons why you want to leave your current position will make you less likely to make a mistake and more able to work out ways of improving your feelings about the job you do now.

The current climate in the NHS means that you need to consider even more seriously about changing jobs. If there was a threat of redundancy would the new workplace have a last in first out policy? Are a lot of your problems caused by the fact that your workplace is short-staffed and would the new workplace be any different?

Giving Presentations

                                                               

Many courses and job interviews now often require nurses to give presentations to demonstrate research or knowledge of a specific subject. For many this is an ordeal to be endured rather than enjoyed. It is easy to get overanxious at the prospect of standing up to speak in front of an audience even if it is people you know.

However the biggest block to giving a successful presentation is attitude. If you think that you can’t, and that you never will be able to, then you won’t. Giving effective presentations is something that anyone can learn to do. You can learn by going on courses or reading books, but there is no substitute for getting out there and actually doing it. If you dislike speaking in public then try and take every opportunity to do it – by speaking up in meetings, giving presentations to colleagues etc. Be positive and accept setbacks as being part of the learning process.

Here are some guidelines to help your presentation go well: -

· Know how long you are expected to speak for. If it is a short presentation lasting only fifteen minutes then you are not going to have time to make more than two or three main points. Don’t make the mistake of anxiously preparing a lot more material. You will end up having to present it so fast that your audience won’t be able to keep up and will switch off.

· Make sure that your presentation has a definite structure or format.

· Keep it simple – begin with a brief summary of the topic and explain why it is of interest.

· If it is research that you have done yourself explain what you were trying to find out and why before explaining what you actually did and found.

· Use diagrams and examples to illustrate the main points that you are making.

· If using an overhead projector or flip chart just write out a set of headings and bullet points. Don’t make the mistake of trying to write out everything you are going to say. Use the bullet points as a prompt and talk your way through each of the different points.

· Speak clearly and try to make eye contact with one or two people in the audience.

·Use simple words and keep sentences brief.

· Avoid ums and errs and other verbal punctuation like ‘sort of,’ ‘like,’ ‘right,’ or ‘OK’ etc.

· If you are likely to be asked questions try to guess what you might be asked and prepare your answers in advance. If you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer then say so honestly. Offer to find out the information and ask the questioner for contact details.

Remember that all aspects of your appearance come under scrutiny during your presentation including posture, body language, and use of voice and facial expressions. Whatever you say and show it will be you, yourself who will remain as the focus of the audiences attention. Dress smartly, but in clothes that you are comfortable in.

Don’t try to pretend that you are someone you are not. If you are usually the quiet serious type don’t try to give a humorous presentation – you will probably come across as false and will not gain the trust of your audience. Try instead to project an image of calm and respect for others. However if you are naturally extrovert and outrageous you may be able to get away with using humour and shock tactics.

Prior to your presentation there is no substitute for rehearsal. You can practice in front of a mirror or perhaps a willing friend. You should run through your speech at least three times, making improvements as you go.

Try not to have sheets of paper from which you read out your whole speech – this can lead to a very uninspiring performance. If you need to support your talks with notes (you can’t manage just using the points on the transparencies as prompts) then use small cards which can be held unobtrusively.

The opening of your talk is important, not only because it is the first thing that you say, but also because it establishes your subject and your rapport with the audience. It will also help build your confidence so rehearse it a few extra times. The ending on the other hand, is the last impression that you make, so try and make it memorable. This is the time to remind them of what you meant them to hear in the middle.

            

Finally remember that the keywords for effective presentations are practise and preparation. To conquer the art of giving successful presentations you have to practise. Force yourself onto the platform to gain experience and confidence – but always, always make the time and effort for the preparation.

Once you have succeeded in giving effective presentations you will find that your views are more often heard and your opinion more often sought. This is simply because you are known as an effective communicator – and you never know – you may even enjoy it!

Recommended Reading:

Presentations for Dummies by Malcolm Kushner

High Impact Presentations by Lee Bowman

Three Ways to Make a Good Impression at Interview…

1. Be well prepared. Try and find out who everyone is on the panel and what their position is. If this information isn’t on the letter inviting you to interview, call to ask. A hospital’s website or a web search on names and functions might give you some information on their background.

Make sure that your knowledge of yourself is up to scratch too – are you really clear on what you do and don’t like and how and where you like to work? Each member of the panel will be interested in a different aspect of you – thorough self-knowledge will allow you to answer confidently and consistently.

2. Make an Entrance. First impressions count and the way you meet and greet the interview panel will influence the rest of the interview.  Your interview begins the moment you open the door. Take a deep breath and enter the room at a reasonable pace – don’t rush because it will make you look flustered. Likewise don’t walk too slowly because you will look like you lack enthusiasm. Look your interviewers in the eye and smile.

3. Stay Calm. It can be difficult to control your nerves in an interview situation, but if you give way to your fears you may find that your brain shuts down and you can’t give effective answers. Remember that you wouldn’t have got this far if you weren’t suitable for the position. In many nursing interviews one panel member will ask a block of questions from their area of interest and then the conversation will move on to the next panel member. Don’t rush into answers as this can be counter-productive. If you need to give yourself a bit of time after being asked a question paraphrase it aloud to ensure you understand it fully. The time you take to clarify and repeat a question can help you get your brain into gear. Don’t use this technique too many times though – you’ll be in danger of sounding like a parrot!

Seeking Security...

"The more you seek security, the less of it you will have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security."

                                                                                                            Brian Tracy