Tech Interview

[Jeremy89]

Hey everyone,

I'm faced with a bit of a challenge and I'm hoping some of you can shed some light on it. A little background info: I'm 19, an Basic with no experience (shocker!) and will apply to the upper division of Arizona State's BSN program at the end of Spring '09 for (hopefully) admission in Spring 2010 (sounds so far away!).

I currently work at a hospital doing food service, as I can't get a job as an ED tech without any experience. I recently applied to a different facility in the same company (Banner). Here's the catchy part: It's a level I trauma center and no doubt I'm going up against some pretty qualified candidates. Here's how I got the interview. This is the email I sent to the recruiter in charge of hiring.


...I'm just checking back to see if you were able to take a look at my application. As I mentioned, I have my EMT Cert, and am only able to use it in my volunteer work at ASU due to my young age.

I'm sure based on experience, I'm probably not one of your top choices for this particular job, however, I don't think experience is everything in an applicant. I believe another part of a job is the passion one has for that job. I did my clinicals at Desert last year and I understand the work that a Tech does, and I also understand that it isn't always glamorous. But I am willing to do whatever it takes to get this position. What I lack in experience, I can easily double in drive and determination. I only desire to help those in need at the Good Sam ED, while gaining valuable clinical experience for my future as an RN.

While it may benefit your staff to bring in an experienced individual, I think a little extra training may go a long way in my case. I had the rare opportunity to be able to participate in a code during my EMT clinicals. If that didn't confirm my passion for emergency medicine, I don't know what will.

With all of this being said, I just ask that I be considered as equally as the rest of the applicants.....

Thanks for your time!


I don't know where the words of that email came from, but I really did mean what I said. So now I have to follow up this [self proclaimed] amazing email with an interview that I am scared to death of.

So now for my question: What can I expect? any tips/hints? possible questions? I'm thinking there are going to be lots of scenario questions- "what would you do if...?" but I'm not sure.

I'm kind of freaking out here! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeremy

 

[Airwaygoddess]

A few words.......

All right here we go....

What might give you an edge is that you are a nursing major and that you might plan on being there for a little while. This is a wonderful chance for you to get alot of one on one patient contact. The good news is they can train you the way they would like you to perform your job duties, ( no "bad habits" yet!) they will ask you about any and all training that you have had and what your goal is for school. Being willing to learn new skills and also being able to mulitask is a postive thing and to also be able to change "gears" and adapt to changing situations and being a team player is a very big plus.

If you have done any volunteer work that is also a great thing to mention.

Good luck with your interview! I hope this helps!

 

[John E]

Did you mean what you wrote...

in the email? If so, let that enthusiasm show thru in the interview.

Ask yourself how to do that, what can you tell the interviewer that will convince them that you will do what you say you will do? That you'll have double the drive and the determination? Are you planning on working as an ER RN when you graduate from nursing school, if so, tell them that.

Make it worth their while to hire you and if they don't, thank them for their time and attention and keep reapplying.

Good luck.

John E.

P.S. just as an aside, given that you have admittedly no experience, I'd lose the avatar. Some people might find it funny, to some it might indicate that you think you know more than you do. Why go out of your way to tweak people's understanding of who and what you are? Put plainly, if I were a Paramedic in a position to either hire or influence your hiring, and saw that, your application would go to the bottom of the pile. If you think that interviewers aren't doing things like looking at Myspace pages and webforums for indications of things about potential employees, you're sadly mistaken.

 

[KEVD18]

heres my advice for you, and i'll preface it with a warning: if you dont have thick skin and the ability to view youself objectively, skip this post.

imagine you're in a postion to hire someone. you have an applicant that isnt qualified for the position they have applied for. what are they going to have to say to you to get you to hire them?

thats the bottom line here. you may have all the heart in the world, but you havent got the experience to qualify you for the job. now, some hospitals dont mind hiring rookies and teaching them the job(teaching hospitals). others(private, for profit) tend to seek out experienced candidates that will require minimal training to be brought up to par. find out which catagory the H you're applying to best fits in and tailor your approach.

now, im not busting your nuts here for being a rookie. we all started as a greenhorn with zip for experience. but you have to look at your situation objectively. take all personal emotion out of it.

added: dont let any of this or any other post get you down. people get jobs they arent qualified for every single day. maybe its your turn.....

 

[rmellish]

If I was trying to sell myself, I wouldn't acknowledge my negatives in an email. I'd wait for the interview, after I'd made a good first impression and could look my interviewer in the eye. Even then, don't focus on your negatives, and don't make excuses for them unless asked directly. In some ways it makes you seem unsure of your qualifications and uncomfortable with the position you're applying for.

I also tend to steer clear of the passion argument. But thats more of my personality I think.

Just my .02

 

[rmellish]

Oh, and I've never walked through a scenario at an interview. I usually answer questions about my prior employment and experience, education, and education goals.

 

[Ridryder911]

As a former nurse manager, I would suggest remove the "no experience" bit. They will figure that out by looking at your application and resume. Enthusiasm is great but over enthusiasm is bad sign of unrealistic ideas.

Showing a definite interest with the description of intent of possibly long term employment is also an adage.

I wish you the best of luck.

FYI.. You are really not considered a BSN student until you really have been accepted into and entered into a nursing program. The best wording is pre-nursing student, sorry many managers may consider you misrepresenting yourself.

R/r 911

 

[Jeremy89]

Well its definitely too late for some of the posted advice, as I already sent the above email, but as I mentioned, I think it was because of that email that I got the interview.

And Rid, this is what I read which encouraged me to put my sig as BSN student:

The ASU Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program divides students into two classifications: nursing students taking critical tracking courses and students who have advanced to the Upper Division Nursing program


But I appreciate the advice so far. Keep it comin!!

 

[KEVD18]

im confused. are you a registered student with a nursing major or not? if you're not a nursing major, you really arent entitled to call yourself a nursing student even if you're taking prereq's for the nursing program.

 

[Jeremy89]

im confused. are you a registered student with a nursing major or not? if you're not a nursing major, you really arent entitled to call yourself a nursing student even if you're taking prereq's for the nursing program.

yes, I'm admitted as an undergrad into the College of Nursing [and Healthcare Innovation], just not the upper division.

 

[KEVD18]

then you're by all rights a nursing student and i retract any statement to the contrary.

 

[BossyCow]

Hmm let's see..... you have a work history with the facility.. so your work habits are known to the hospital human resource department. You have pursued additional education in a health related field, you are trained and certified in EMS, and you are looking at a long term committment of increased education in healthcare.

I don't see a lot of negatives there. In our hospital, an ERT is generally someone enrolled in the local nursing program. Many of our current ED nurses were once ERTs in that same facility.

I would think that your connection to the facility, albeit in a non pt care department will work for you not against you in this instance. ERT is not rocket science and at least in our hospital, they want to train you to their way of doing things anyway. So a good record of showing up to work on time, doing the job as assigned and getting along with your co-workers would probably count as 'experience'.

 

[Jeremy89]

Thanks for all the help everyone! I should hear back before the weekend is over (if I'm lucky...)

 

[Jeremy89]

Hey guys and gals, I've got some awesome news.

I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Nearly a year after my EMT class ended, my cert is halfway expired, but I've finally got a job!

Thanks everyone and have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

 

[Airwaygoddess]

YEA!!!!!! Great news!

 

[Medic]

Well done buddy, u put up a fight to get wat u wanted. U got it. good work.

 

[suziquzi99]

I'm still waiting to start school in Jan to be an emt-b, but I do know a little about interviews. Leave any negative remarks about yourself out. Be positive and do no bring down any downsides to your coming into this job. That will only give them ideas to think about that. Keep it positive and what you can bring to their crews.

 

[suziquzi99]

I'm sorry, didn't see the latest post.
Congratulations!!!