With Graduation and the impending job search looming it is nice to find a little comfort in some early preparation. If there is one thing I have learned in nursing school it is that preparation is the key to overcoming almost every anxiety producing endeavor.
With this in mind I have read and summarized an article by Hannah Morgan of U.S. News that I found to be very helpful.
This article is about improving communication in the job seeking and interview process. The author outlines three common mistakes to avoid, including:
1- Confessing the irrelevant
2- Interview Mishaps
3- Overstating Generalities
She goes into depth on each of these three topics as well as emphasizing the important alternative to these mistakes.
Confessing the Irrelevant is something to avoid. It is not required to say, "I was laid off for this reason in 2002" or be overly forthcoming with information that makes you look bad. You do not want the employer feeling sorry for you or looking at you in a negative light. There is plenty of time for that after you get the job. It isn’t dishonest to withhold information that is irrelevant (Morgan, 2012).
Fixing this entails focusing on your strength and the quantifiable contributions you have made in the past. You want to capture attention and keep it short and sweet.
Interview Mishaps should be avoided as well. Primarily this means overly focusing on your own needs and wants.
Examples Include:
-expressing dissatisfaction with payment/salary when asked.
-expressing a delay surrounding the timetable for starting the position.
-extreme scheduling concerns.
Fixing these revolves around showing the employer that you are serious about the position and can make it the priority. Tell them what they want to hear, anything else can be construed as hesitancy or lack of interest (Morgan, 2012).
Lastly and Possibly Most Important
Generalities Don’t Set You Apart. While it is good to use specifics from the job description in your resume and application it doesn’t help to state unquantifiable generalities that don’t set you apart.
Examples Include:
-Great team member
-Problem Solver
-Interpersonal Communicator
Fixing this is done by stating what you have done, things that set you apart, projects and successes that are quantifiable and provable. Line up the companies specific interests with your specific skill set and the evidence supporting your skill set (Morgan, 2012).
An example from My life:
Instead of stating Class Representative, while that may sound impressive, I would say Collaborated with faculty and other student leaders in revising the Clinical student/teacher Evaluation process. Helping to ensure students receive the critical feedback they need for success and ensuring the high standards of the CCNE accreditation were met.
While this may sound like overkill it is accurate and quantifiable. I shared in depth at a meeting regarding this topic and while I didn't write any policies I feel strongly that I contributed to the process. A class representative who had not done so would not be able to quantify their participation in such a manner.
Morgan, H. (2012). Search With Style: 3 Ways to Improve Communication in a Job Hunt. Retrieved from:
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