Tips and Suggestions for Practical Nurse (LPN) Interview

Cracking a job interview to practice as an LPN takes nothing but a strong commitment to mentally and physically prepare yourself. The more you know about the ethics to follow in an interview the more you can feel confident while answering the questions. You have to do your homework which speaks for itself in the interview. Just knowing the stuff won't work, you are supposed to implement the strategies you have known in the context of an interview. Your success rate in an interview depends on how you utilize the available resources and acquired knowledge. What you say, how you act and react in an interview matters a lot because this is what determines your selection or rejection. If you do the research at you will have at least something which is better than nothing.

From working on your personality to researching about the organization you are targeting triggers in the mind of the interviewer that you are interested in them. The panel of interviewers will reciprocate only if they are able to sense a dedicated, hardworking and knowledgeable being within you. You are responsible for the end result that gets better if you start working on your weak zones. Your calm behavior, positive attitude and strong preparation have a close connection.

Following the guidelines in the form of tips and suggestions for an LPN interview mentioned here in this article has a lot to do with reducing anxiety and increasing self-esteem.

Dress Professionally and Appropriately

We have all heard the phrases like "the first impression is the last impression," "dress to impress," and "dress for success." These phrases show that how much your appearance matters during an interview. The way you dress during an interview usually gives a clear perception to the interviewer about you. Appearing in a professional, clean, and neatly ironed attire has its own advantages over appearing in casual outfits. Companies and interviewers strive to hire a potential, competent, and well-disciplined employee, and dressing properly does add many pluses to your profile.

Maybe some of the aspirants would want to appear in the ‘scrub' since it's the standard uniform for the practical nurses. However, appearing in a professional attire such as suit, tie, and pants might be more beneficial. Putting on a business attire makes you look professional and increases your confidence, as well. The clothes you wear should be well-fitted. Make sure your dress is clean and properly ironed, and it doesn't make you look dull and filthy.

In the present scenario, the interviews are usually short and the interviewers make their best efforts to examine the aspirant as soon as possible. Hence, an immaculate professional look would surely lend a positive first impression. You should completely avoid drinking alcohol or smoking before the interview. The smell of smoke and alcohol is enough to turn off the mood of the interviewer instantly.

Dressing Tips for Men

• Wear full clothes and avoid wearing shorts during the interview.
• For the best look, wear pants and shirt. It would be better if you pair them up with a suit and a tie.
• Clothes must be washed, fit, clean, and properly ironed.
• Shoes should be black and properly polished. Avoid wearing sports shoes during the interview.
• Hairstyle should be well-groomed and clean. Avoid coloring the hair with dazzling colors prior to the interview.
• Fingernails should be clean and trimmed. Do not chew anything, such as chewing gum, during the interview.
• Use minimal perfume and try to hide piercing and tattoos if you have any.
• The color of your clothes should be dark and uniform, and should not be patterned in a very eye-catchy way.

Dressing Tips for Women

• Wear a professional outfit with dark colors.
• Wear a shirt with a skirt or pants. Pair them up with a suit (if available). The length of the skirt should be below the knee.
• Clothes should be properly ironed and clean.
• Wear black, properly polished leather shoes instead of sports shoes.
• Hairstyle should be simple, and hair should be tucked back in a well-groomed manner.
• Makeup and nail polish should be minimal and so is the perfume.
• If you have tattoos, hide them with your clothing. Many companies, hospitals, and clinics have policies against the tattoos.

Arrive On Time for the Interview

Arriving on the right time for the interview is as important as dressing properly. The best time to appear for the interview is 10 to 15 minutes earlier than your interview schedule. Showing up a bit early for the interview gives a clear idea to the interviewer that you are punctual as well as responsible. On the other hand, getting late might leave an impression of "an irresponsible person" in front of the interviewer. If the interviewer mentions your late coming, then you would have to make up an excuse. However, interviewers hear the abundance of excuses almost every day. Your excuse would just seem like another one of them; no matter, how genuine it is. Some interviewers might cancel the interview if you arrive very late.

Arriving early than the scheduled time is important. However, getting too early is not encouraged as well. Arriving too early may rush the interviewer to speed up his/her current task. Waiting long for your turn may turn down your confidence. Undoubtedly, you won't feel as energized after one hour of waiting as you would have felt after 10 minutes of waiting. Thus, the ideal time for arriving at the company's office for the interview is no more than 10 to 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled. On the other hand, getting late for the interview has its serious downfalls.

To avoid any inconvenience, better leave early and pre-plan your schedule. Wake up early so that you can get enough time to take care of your daily tasks. Get an idea of how far the venue of the interview is? How much time will it take to reach there? What are the ways of transportation to reach there? Would the traffic and the weather cause problems? The knowledge of these questions beforehand will give you a clear idea about how early you should leave.

Researching About the Facility

Nowadays, getting a perfect job is becoming harder and harder each day. During the interview, the interviewers strive to know as much as possible about you. However, many times they seem to be interested in knowing how much significant knowledge do you possess about the company. Researching thoroughly about the company before the interview is a really important thing and might make a very good impression. If you know a lot about the company or facility, then the interviewer may find you interested in the job as well as the company. Almost all interviewers ask specific questions about the company/facility. Thus, it is certainly better to answer such questions accurately with confidence.

Here are some ways by which you can gather an abundance of information about the company.

Company's Official Website: The best way to know about the company is to go through its official website. The official website of a company usually contains its history, brief details of the board of directors, and recent updates. It also tells you about the services, it provides. So, just have a quick look on the website and write down all the important details.

Images and Social Media: Every facility strives to keep its social media account updated. Just open the Facebook or Twitter page of the facility, and you will get an abundance of information at your fingertips. Google Images is another way to gather valuable information.

Current and Former Employees of the Company: If you check your social media accounts, phone number, or Linkedin accounts, you might come across a current or former employee of the company. Sometimes, the employee may deliver some valuable information about the company for the interview that is hard to get from the online sources. Moreover, you can also mention in the interview that you are connected with someone who works in the company/facility. This will surely lend a positive impression during the interview.

Stay Prepared for the Unexpected

You don't know how the interview process will go. Some companies or facilities have different processes for the interview like group interview, phone interview, group discussion, and individual interview. Applicants should stay prepared for anything unexpected.

Here are some tips on how you can prepare and perform during a phone or group interview.

1. Phone Interview: Nowadays, more and more companies and facilities have added the phone interview as the initial part of their overall interview process. It is up to the company whether to notify you to schedule a future phone interview or to initiate a surprise interview call. Taking clearly with confidence and performing well during a phone interview is as important as it is for a face-to-face individual interview.

Applicants should practice the phone interview questions at home with their family or friends again and again. Rehearsal can bring perfection and confidence in your tone. While talking to the interviewer during a phone interview, try to speak in a uniform medium tone. Your voice shouldn't be too loud or too low. The speed shouldn't be too fast or too slow either.

2. Group Interview: Group interviews are becoming a fast way to interview and compare a number of students at the same time. Apart from that, group interviews show that how an applicant puts his/her personal opinion in front of many people. To stand out from the rest during the interview, arrive early and put your opinion/answer as soon as possible. Speaking early with confidence will automatically bring you plenty of attention.

Your body language says and shows a lot about you. Sit up straight so that the interviewer finds you an attentive, alert, and enthusiastic person. Prepare and rehearse the questions with your family and friends and try to relax once in a while during the interview. Act and speak professionally, but remember not to interrupt anyone while s/he is speaking.

Practice Everything!

This is something only a few applicants do. After reading all the LPN interview questions and the way to answer them, it might feel that you will perform exceptionally. But, that doesn't happen in all the cases. Everything needs the practice to be perfect. Even practicing before going to an interview is recommended. Practice all the questions and answers several times at home (with a friend or a family member) to drive away all the hesitation during the interview.

Conclusion

Remember that success is a process, not just an outcome. Doing everything you can do within the time-frame you have in your hands with the information available can prepare you more than you think. It is perfectly fine to be a little bit nervous on the interview day but you can always defend the negative feelings by working out to make the interview successful. Even if you get rejected, it counts on your list of experiences for you to identify the mistakes so that you don't repeat them the next time.