Home > Getting Ready
The curriculum vitae is an important document. It serves as your ticket to get into an interview. It is important that your CV looks neat and presentable. Here are some tips on how you should design your CV:
- Just like a regular electronic mail, include your curriculum vitae in the body of the text.
- Keep it simple and short.
- Use readable fonts like Times New Roman, Verdana or Tahoma. Don’t use Comic Sans MS, please.
- State your email address first, then your home address and contact details.
- Do not forget to put the seminars/trainings you’ve attended, qualifications and work experiences.
- Be clear in stating your e-mail subject (e.g. Vacancy for Staff Nurse).
Applying for a medical job is just the same as applying for another job. Just make the most out of it.
An HR Administrator once told me that she had encountered some applicants who submitted 3-5 pages of curriculum vitae. When she read the contents, she was surprised to read some unnecessary details and some information not related to the job he’s applying for. She gave the job hunter a chance by scheduling an interview the next day. The closed door meeting with the panel ended up as a disaster because it turned out that the applicant is not really sure of what he wrote in his resume. He hasn’t even attended the seminars he stated!
If you are applying for a job, make sure that you tell nothing but the truth. The HR officers can search for your records anytime via the character references and internet search.
It is important for a prospective employee to not underdress or overdress in an interview. Dress in a manner that’s businesslike. Attention to personal grooming and dress will give the potential employee confidence. A potential employee should avoid extremes in makeup, hairstyles and clothing. You wouldn’t wear nose rings and have a rainbow colored hair huh?
It is important as a potential employee to think about the questions that may be asked of them. Give some thought to the type of response that should be given to the questions the employer may ask. Poise and confidence will be gained from such preparation when a prospective employee approaches their interview.
Is it your first time to undergo a job interview for the past five years? Or is this probably your first time to undergo one?
I know that you have the tendency to be worried and nervous before the interview because you don’t have any idea on what questions will the interviewer ask. I advise you to ask a friend who is in a managerial position to do a Mock Interview with you. Most likely, your friend has an idea on the typical or usual questions being asked. Answer the questions truthfully and this can be a big help. Don’t play around and be serious about it. Remember, practice makes perfect.
“Tell me a little about yourself”
Is that a familiar line? Interviewers usually have this as the first question. Sounds like an easy question to answer, right? Employers wants to know more about you – your personal information, educational background, trainings, seminars attended and even your aspirations in life. This will give them an overview about you. The interviewer usually asks this question in order for them to see how alert and honest you are in answering questions. They can also determine whether you are a goal-oriented person or not. In this process, they will be able to identify if you can be an asset to the company.
Have a checklist of your clinical abilities. Update this with different ink color once in a while. Make sure to have a list of reference with the complete names and contact information prepared. Make sure that the telephone numbers are working because the HR officer will contact them soon.
Provide two copies of your character reference with you.. You can also bring reference letters if you want to.
Some employers are very strict that they even have a criminal background check for the applicants. They might also ask you all of the places you lived in for the past ten years. Make sure that you still memorize these addresses or much better if you write it down and keep a copy in your wallet.
So you have passed the exams and you have your license. You are now a registered nurse! The next step is to apply in a medical institution.
You must bring with you a complete resume. Put it in the prescribed folder with the other documents that you might need such as credentials, certificates and recommendations.
Be sure to bring your nursing license. You must also bring with you photocopies of certificates that you got from trainings and seminars. It is much better if you have all the documents with you photocopied and I’m sure that the Human Resource officer will be impressed.
Dressing appropriately for a job interview is a must. A reputable medical institution will surely not hire those who are wearing rubber shoes and have nose rings. You are in the interview place to get a job, not to party.
Dressing up conservatively is preferred by almost all companies. Most often men wear suits and women wear professional looking attire.
Women must see to it that they wear minimize jewelry and make-up. Avoid wearing strong fragrances because it might distract the interviewer. Once the interview starts, avoid looking at the floor and stop doing unnecessary gestures. You must also observe your posture – do not slouch!
Prior to the interview, always keep in mind that the employers know what they are looking for and they have the criteria in looking for a potential candidate for a specific position. Your Curriculum Vitae provides them with the necessary information they need to know. Be sure to have your own printed copy and state only the true facts. A checklist is with the interviewer that helps them to decide whether you qualify for the job. Usually, interviewers can ask you anything under the sun – from your personal background, opinions, interest and a lot more. Just remember to be honest and be confident when answering the questions.
When applying for a medical job, some recruiters or employers will opt to conduct a phone interview first instead of a personal interview to save on time. This is especially when they have a huge number of qualified applicants they want to sift through.
Remember, during a phone interview, that despite the medium, it is still an interview and you are still being assessed. So always maintain professionalism and treat the speaker as if you are actually facing him or her. Answer directly and clearly and be sensitive about your interviewer’s time. This is a preliminary interview, so you can reserve any questions you have when you reach a later stage in the application process and you’re closer to getting the job offer.
