Ace Your Interview: A Guide to US Department of Veterans Affairs Registered Nurse Interview Questions

HOW TO PREPARE Interviews are opportunities to learn and to share information.  Performance-Based interviews are not difficult, but unless you are prepared, they can prove to be quite unsettling.  In helping you get ready, here are a few tips to follow.

• Find out about the Department of Veterans Affairs’s goals, mission, and how it is organized. The VA website is a good place to begin. Read about the VA’s mission and strategic plan and think of what you can do to help. Find out about the VA office or administration where you will be working as well. In case you want to ask something during the interview, write it down.  Don’t neglect to learn about our client, the veteran. At VA, everything we do is geared toward the veteran.
• Think about the job and the type of job you are applying for. Learn as much as you can about the position. If you can, look over the Qualification Standards Handbook and get a copy of the job description. Talk to other professionals in the field who work for the same company or a different one. Search the Internet and newspapers to help you with your research. If you want to know what’s new in your field, read trade and current magazines. Explain why you want to work in this field and what your long-term goals are.
• See what the job posting says about the duties, and think about how your work experience relates to the job you’re applying for. Â Analyze the match between your skills and the job. In the vacancy announcement’s Rating Factors, it lists the specific requirements for the job. You should figure out which of your skills are most relevant to the job.
• Identify examples from past experiences that demonstrate those skills. Know how to “tell a story” about how you used those skills. Use examples from jobs, internships, classes, activities, working with others, and community service you’ve done in the past.
• Try to give examples from the last few years, because the interviewer may want to know more about them. It is easier to give details about something that happened recently.
• You should be ready to give an example of a time when something bad happened. Describe a time when things did not go as planned. Pay attention to what you learned and what you could have done differently.
• Choose two or three of your best qualities and think about how you will talk about them in the interview. Make sure you have examples (tell a story) that show these traits.
• Prepare two or three thoughtful job-related questions for the interviewer.

GENERAL INTERVIEWING TIPSÂ

• You should work on your interview skills long before you are asked to go on one. Look at yourself in the mirror or record yourself on tape. Giving a “mock interview” to a family member, friend, or coworker is a great way to improve your interviewing skills.
• Look professional. When you go for an interview, it’s important to look professional. Conservative attire creates a positive first impression. Â .
• Think positive. Feeling positive projects confidence and enthusiasm.
• Make sure you know what time the interview is and how to get there. Get the name, title, and phone number of the interviewer in case of an emergency.
• Arrive early. Give yourself a lot of time to get there, park, and go through security. In order to get into most government buildings, you will need to show photo ID and have your things scanned. Get to the interviewer’s office no more than 10 minutes early.
• Make sure you bring extra copies of your resume, a notepad, and something to write on to all of your interviews. You might also want to bring some supportive materials with you, like printed copies of articles, a portfolio of your work, or a list of sources you used.
• If you have to bring a cell phone, make sure it’s turned off before the interview.

Important screening questions about your overall background may be asked. For instance, you might be asked if you are allowed to work in the United States, about your educational background, about your willingness to move or travel, or about other basic things.  However, the bulk of the interview will be spent asking questions about your background and experiences. Keep in mind that the interviewers are interested in both your answers and the way you came up with them.  Keep in mind that some behavioral questions will take you a few moments to construct your answers.  The interviewer will expect you to give adequate thought to your responses. In contrast, if you practice interview skills ahead of time, you will be more focused and better able to answer questions you hadn’t thought of.  Do not speak too quickly as the interviewer may have difficulty understanding you.  Pausing briefly will give both you and the interviewer time to think and reflect.  Do not be afraid of silence. Remember that you need to make a good impression and show that you are the best person for the job. As with any interview, it is only natural to experience anxiety. When you do PBI, the interviewer will want you to talk about yourself by giving specific examples of how you used your knowledge, skills, and abilities at work.  The expectation for specific instances can bring on a sense of apprehension. You can get ready for a PBI by thinking about the job you want and writing down the things you believe will help you do well in it. Then, think about the things you’ve done that meet the requirements for the job and how you can explain what you did, how you did it, and what happened at the end.  Speak in concise terms about relevant experience. Do not be modest in describing your qualifications or you can eliminate yourself from further consideration. You can brag about yourself at PBI to show the interviewer why you are the best person for the job.  However, be honest about your accomplishments.  The interviewer may want to check with others to confirm that you’ve done what you’ve said. PBI gives you the chance to show off your skills, abilities, personal traits, and excitement about the job. The interview is a chance for the potential employer to learn about the candidate’s experiences that were especially hard and required a lot of persistence. Another good thing about PBI is that it lets both you and the interviewer see if your skills match up with what the employer wants. A benefit of PBI is that the interview sessions are consistent. Each candidate is asked the same series of questions. The questions are about the person’s work history and how they acted in different settings to get information about real-life situations that are related to the job. By setting up the interviews in this way, the applicants are evaluated fairly and consistently based on how they answer the same questions.

PBI questions are mostly about finding out about a specific performance situation or task, what you did, and how it turned out. Here are several examples of what you should expect:

• Tell me about a time when you had to use your communication skills to explain something difficult. How did you know if your message got through? (In the first question, you assumed the person did understand.) ).
• Give me an example of a big goal you set for yourself and explain how you reached it.
• Walk me through how you made a choice about a big project you finished.
• Have you ever been given a lot of different tasks at once? If so, how did you handle them?
• Tell me about a time when you had to make a tough choice.

You should know what kinds of questions they might ask now. The next step is to know how to answer them. To give a full answer to a behavior-based question, you must first think about specific situations you faced at work (including any volunteer or internship work), then describe the exact action you took, and finally talk about what happened as a result of your action. The interviewer will be looking for concrete examples not generalities. Remember that “PAR” stands for “Problem, Action, and Results.” For example, “PAR for the Course.” As an example, the number of local newspaper subscriptions was going down, and a lot of long-term subscribers weren’t renewing their contracts. Most of a newspaper’s money comes from subscriptions, so fewer renewals would have a huge impact on the paper’s future, especially when it comes to hiring. Action: Looked at the original subscription rates and came up with a new promotion package with special rates for all renewals. Results: Increased renewal subscription by 25 percent over the same period last year. This promotion package not only brought in more renewal subscriptions and kept staff jobs safe, but it also helped the office replace a badly needed piece of equipment that could no longer be fixed. The person being interviewed is supposed to tell a story (with a beginning, middle, and end) about how they used a practical skill. When answering interview questions, be brief and succinct and try not to ramble.

Messages are conveyed during the interview not only by what you say but by how you say it. Â Positive nonverbal communication will reinforce your verbal message.

• Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and introduce yourself.
• Always be positive, and try to stay away from bad words and phrases as much as you can.
• Maintain good eye contact at all times.
• A good interviewer will really try to get to know you and make you feel comfortable. They will usually do this by making small talk about sports, the weather, current events, and other things. at the beginning of the interview. Make sure you take part in the conversation; don’t just nod and smile.
• You should be excited about the job, the company, your skills, and how you can help the company succeed.
• Be friendly and smile. This will make you and the interviewer feel at ease.

• You should try to cut down on annoying habits like tapping your pen, twirling your hair, looking away from the interviewer, moving your legs, or drumming your fingers.  Filler Words – such as “ummm,” “like,” y’know” .
• Sit comfortably, maintain good body posture.

VA Interview Question

FAQ

How to prepare for a Veterans affairs interview?

What is the common question in a VA interview?

Why do you want to be a nurse at the VA?

What are the interview questions at VA?

Tip: Many interview questions at VA have several parts, like this one. Consider bringing a notebook to jot down notes as questions are being asked so you answer them in full. Question: Describe a situation where you have not communicated well with a co-worker, supervisor, management official or union official. What was the situation?

How do Va job interviews work?

The way in which employers conduct job interviews may share similarities, but they’re not the same. During the VA interview process, they use the performance based interview (PBI) format. Applicants must respond to questions about situations they could encounter on the job. They are assessed on a scale ranging from 0 to 5.

How do I prepare for a VA interview?

A good place to start is the VA web site. As you read about VA’s mission and strategic plan, think about how you could contribute. Also, learn about the administration or office within VA where you will be working. Make a note of any questions that you may want to ask during the interview. Don’t neglect to learn about our client, the veteran.

How do you respond to a VA interview?

Restate your enthusiasm for the organization and position, and thank the interviewer for his or her time. Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.