The dreaded job interview is a necessary part of the employment process but did you ever stop to think about how the interviewer feels? They are in charge of the interaction and if they don’t do a good job, you may have the wrong impression of the company or they may not be able to correctly interpret your skills and hire the wrong person. Your interviewer has a great deal of stress on their shoulders but there are some ways you can help the interview be a positive experience. Even if you aren’t given an offer from that company, utilize the interaction as a way to learn and grow. Here are some quick things to remember when you’re in an interview so you are memorable:

1. Try to be calm. Your interviewer will be a little nervous, just as you are. Some people are naturally more at ease in situations but others while others can be nervous about even the slightest interaction. When you are centered and calm, the interviewers can be as well.
2. Know the answers. You should know how to answer the standard interview questions but also have intelligent ones to ask in return. Keep your answers succinct so you make a point and don’t sound like a robot but don’t ramble.
3. Engage the interviewer. You may feel intimidated by the other person and that is normal but if you prepare ahead of time, you’ll be able to go on adrenaline. Practice some questions you’d like to ask and then consider their responses. Be prepared for a variety of responses and even consider follow-up questions. You have every right to interview your interviewer to some extent.
4. Brush up on current events. You will undoubtedly make some small talk when you arrive, walk to the meeting room, or even during the beginning phase of the interview. Watch the news that day or at least that week so you have some neutral topics to discuss to calm your nerves and the interviewer’s nerves. Stay away from hot button items and controversial topics.
5. Don’t be boring. While it is a broad statement, boring rarely gets the job. The interviewer wants to see someone who has confidence as well as the ability to converse. Social skills are part of the interview process and the interviewer should feel as though you are someone they would personally want to work with on a daily basis.
6. Ask appropriate questions. If they have memorabilia on the walls and pictures on their walls, it is something they want to be noticed so you can ask questions about it. Stay focused on the company and the role but taking a small detour to enjoy life is one way you can stand out.

Not every interview will go as planned. Some interviewers will be strictly professional  with no small talk or stories to get through while others will take you on a tour of their lives so just be prepared for any type of personality to be behind that desk. Every interview is a chance for you to hone your skills and vocalizing your talents and skills so keep that in mind if you don’t hear back from an interview.

Ethics in any field are important but they are usually simple to navigate in the business field. The right decision is easy to arrive at when it deals with right and wrong such as cheating, lying, or stealing. In the medical field, however, the lines are less clear and many of the opinions held by those in the medical field will differ. While everyone agrees stealing is wrong in business, issues like abortion and euthanasia can present a controversy for those in the medical field. When you are interviewing possible candidates for a medical position, you need to ask the touch questions but keep in mind there is a difference between ethical standards and moral opinions.

Asking the Right Questions
You may personally want to know the candidates stand on hot-button topics but going straight down a list of issues won’t give you a well-rounded idea of who they are and their ethical standards. The idea behind the ethical questions is to gage their reaction when faced with something controversial or something non-standard. Medical professionals should know and understand their duties but sometimes their personal feelings or ideas can cloud their judgment. That is where you want to know how they would react. Even if you don’t agree with their answers, it is critical to see why they feel or chose a certain action as that will point to their ethics. It shouldn’t be a textbook answer or what they think you want them to say but rather how they really feel.  Knowing what to ask can yield the right answers and provide insight into the candidate on a deeper level.

Listening to the Answer
As the interviewer, you are listening for more than just a response. You need to know why the candidate chose a particular decision and the facts they use to support their answers. If they simply have an opinion without reason, their resolve may not be at the right level for your organization. You want a candidate who makes decisions based on facts and what they know at that time. Medical professionals will be faced with difficult decisions on a daily basis and if they are not able to these questions in an interview, what will happen when they are under extreme pressure? Your duty to listen to what they are not saying and even their body language will provide a large deal of information to you. Candidates who fidget and don’t seem comfortable with their answers may not know their own opinions or cannot think critically to make a decision. Ideally, the candidates should have resolve and know where they stand before faced with a tough decision.

Looking to Hire in 2014?
If you’re looking to add members to your current staff, contact the experienced medical recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce Corporation. Experts in staffing San Antonio, we have the team on hand to assist you with your hiring initiatives. Contact us today for more information!

Maintain your professional demeanor.

Don’t let yourself be unprofessional.

Professionalism above all else. 

Every job hunter has been given these instructions as well as a laundry list of other tips but rarely are job seekers told to let their personality shine through during an interview. Every individual has their own set of qualities and strengths they bring to the table but if they suppress their true self, the potential employer can miss their uniqueness. The last thing you want to be in an interview is forgettable. You want the employer to remember you, the positive things about you and everything you can bring to their company.

6 Ways to Balance Between Professional and Personal During a Job Interview

• Professional: Dress appropriately. This is not the time to wear a political pin or your favorite band tee shirt. You should look professional in attire that is suitable for the position and company where you are interviewing. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of overdressing rather than underdressing. Keep accessories to a minimum and steer clear of anything controversial in your attire, even if you feel that it is part of your personality.
• Personal: Tell simple stories. This can be difficult for some candidates but the key is to keep it short. Don’t elaborate on some crazy story from your college years but if the conversation goes to a vacation or funny family story, feel free to engage the interviewer with a story of your own. Always stay away from religion, politics, and money.
• Professional: Know your skills. Be prepared to share your successes professionally. Don’t divulge your latest diet willpower story or bar conquest but rather share your job accomplishments.
• Personal: Talk about relationships. No, not personal relationships but a boss that you really admired or how you led your team to reach their goals. The interviewer wants to know that you can work with others and relate to those in your organization.  Sometimes a funny story can help to break the ice during an interview but keep it clean and short.
• Professional: Keep a safe distance between the interviewer and yourself. Don’t run home and add them to your social networks or ask them personal questions during the interview. You want to get to know them but on a work-level to start.
• Personal: Don’t let the conversation wind up being a rapid-fire question and answer time. Do your homework ahead of time and try to find some common ground, professionally with the interviewer. Or at least be observant while in their office and exercise those conversational skills where you are engaging.

Interviewers need to remember you. Your skill set, your personality, and even your personality but if you remain strictly professional, you will probably blend in with the other candidates. You don’t have to be off-the-wall or even funny but you should aim for engaging and friendly. No one wants to work with a stuck-up, rude person and if you aren’t careful, your professional attitude may be perceived as stand-offish. Let your personal side shine while maintaining a professional demeanor at the core.

Looking for Employment in 2014?

Let the expert recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce assist you in your job search! We have the professional staff on hand to help you land the job you’re searching for! Contact our team today for more information!

The job interview is both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. While you’re excited to have the in-person interview, you will be nervous about the possible questions and if your answers are on-target. This is the perfect time to show your professional personality and showcase your skill set and do your best to convince the interviewer that you are the best possible candidate for the open position. If you are prepared for the meeting, your interviewer will be the major variable; they could be difficult to talk to, cranky from interviewing all day, or annoyed they are responsible for this hiring process. How do you get through medical interviews when you encounter a difficult personality in the interviewer?

3 Tips to Help You With Your Next Interview.

1. Know the company.
   Just because the job is familiar to you, the company may do things differently and you should know this information. Not everything will be available online but you should be able to hold a conversation about what you know regarding the company history and their target patients. When the interviewer can see that you have prepared, they are more likely to take you seriously.
2. Prepare for the questions.
   They may ask the routine questions and you should be ready to answer them, even if you feel the questions are dated. Medical interviews are sometimes conducted to see how you handle pressure, less than comfortable situations, and even how well you interact with others. The interviewer may be feigning difficulty to test your interpersonal skills.
3. Remain professional.
   In spite of being nervous, flustered, or even upset by the attitude of the interviewer, stay calm and answer politely. You will never regret handling a difficult medical interviewer with courtesy. It is possible that person is simply having a bad day and they are not their usual, friendly self. When you react politely and with confidence, you are showcasing your ability to work well with others, even difficult patients.

As with any job interview, don’t let your nerves or initial impression dictate how you handle yourself. Think back to a situation with a difficult patient that you worked through and they eventually became your favorite patient. It happens in life situations so it can happen in an interview but you have the ability to make a positive outcome even with the most difficult personality.

Looking for Additional Interviewing Support?
At Pinnacle Workforce Corporation, we understand the importance of a successful interview. Contact our team of skilled medical recruiters today to learn how a partnership with our team and positively impact the growth and structure of yours!

When summer hits, you may feel the temptation to slack off a bit and take a vacation from school, work, and even the job hunt. In spite of those feelings, summer can be the best time to find a perfect medical job that will carry you into the fall and even into a promising future. The summer job market is full of opportunities as companies have settled into their routine and know their staffing needs in a clear way. Current teams have identified their strengths and the gaps are obvious so the job search can be in favor of the candidates during the summer searching times. If you are on the market for a new job, consider putting in applications before the rush of summer but even if you missed that time frame, it’s never too late to send out your resume to companies or even to work with a staffing agency to find a perfect new position.

What to Look for in a New Job?

The summer may be warm but the job market in some cities is even warmer. Not only can you find a job that meets your salary expectations but also one where you can make a difference in the life of your patients. A summer medical job can have various components, making it an ideal position for those who are qualified. Here are some things to look for in a summer job:

1. Consistency. When you need steady work, a staffing firm may have just the right positions for you. You won’t need to keep applying to new jobs as you will be in their system and as summer medical jobs become available, they can present you to the potential employers.
2. Flexibility. With summer jobs often comes the ability to have a more flexible schedule. As patients take vacations, days off, and even spend time away from their homes, you may have the ability to work with other patients or to even have downtime for yourself.
3. Location. Have you ever considered taking medical jobs that require travel? A perk of the traveling medical jobs is you will have chance to see various parts of the country. It can be a fun way to sightsee while earning a living at the same time. You could have an adventure each and every summer with a new medical job that requires travel to provide care.
4. Permanent. Some of the summer jobs turn into full-time jobs after the three months and you could start the fall season with a permanent medical job. For those who may just be starting out in the medical field, a summer medical job is a smart way to learn, work with professionals, and work with real patients.

Your summer medical job can be the launching pad for a new career or even as a way to get your “foot in the door” at a new facility while still maintaining a steady job. While others are on vacation, take some time in the summer to further your education and apply for summer medical jobs that will take your career to the next level.

Your teams work hard on a daily basis and while they receive time off during their monthly schedules and even downtime sometimes during their shifts, they may be overworked. Do you know how to spot a team member that is overworked? Catching this problem before it becomes something serious is critical to the overall success of your team. Not only does this show your care and concern for the team but it will help the entire facility work more efficiently when each team member is performing at their peak and not tired or overloaded.

How to Determine Overwhelmed Staff

It may seem like a simple task: to see who is frazzled on your teams and give them some time off. After all, you can look at people and see if they are overworked, right? It is not necessarily easy to see those who need a break and those in the medical field are usually adept at hiding weakness as their job requires great amounts of strength and personal fortitude. Here are some tell-tale signs your staff may be overworked:

1. They forget small things. While everyone can be forgetful at times, the staff member who is constantly forgetting to sign a document or clean a medical device may not be completely aware of their surroundings due to their mind racing in various directions. This can be caused by being pulled in too many directions or having tasks that cannot be completed and they are causing a distraction.
2. They are short tempered. In stressful times, this is common within teams. Everyone begins to feel the strain but after the crisis is cared for, the team members will take a deep breath and return to their professional attitudes and workplace friendliness. The problem occurs when team members are constantly short with others and give the appearance of rudeness.
3. They make mistakes. Because the medical field is fluid and things are constantly moving, mistakes are made as human error is always present. A team member who is overworked will make small mistakes and big mistakes, mistakes they shouldn’t be making at this point in their careers.
4. They are sick. When those on your team are constantly feeling ill or leaving early for doctor’s appointments, you may have a staff member who is overworked. This can affect their health in a negative way and many times it will manifest in a variety of illnesses.

Medical staff members are accustomed to high stress and expected levels of perfection but this can be draining. If your team doesn’t take off the necessary time for vacation and personal days, they may be overworked or if you are constantly short-staffed, they may be feeling the overload. Give them some time off or hire more people to lighten their load. Consider using a staffing firm to help with the workload until you can financially hire them on full-time or until you have established a true need for their employment.

Say the word “boss” to a group of people and their minds will conjure up an image of someone they worked for in the past or maybe their present boss. Now say the word “leader” and more often than not, a different image will pop up in their heads; perhaps a world leader or someone who fought for change and progress but not someone who simply barked out orders and punched a clock. These two words will bring up different things for each person but there is usually a distinction and it is usually associated with a positive or negative feeling. If you are a manager, how do you lead your team in a positive way instead of just bossing around your medical staff?

Leaders Lead by Example

A boss is someone who is in charge of a situation or a group of people and they are placed in that position because they are the most qualified or they were at the right place at the right time. The boss is usually perceived as someone who won’t get their hands dirty, that’s why they have employees under them to do all the work. There are exceptions to every situation but bosses are rarely seen as motivating factors in a workplace or even inspirational factors in a person’s life but a leader will make a lasting impression in the lives of those around them.  Bosses can become great leaders and take their organization to the next level by understanding these 3 factors:

1. Leaders aren’t afraid of hard work. They will work tirelessly until the job is done and they are unconcerned with receiving any credit for their work. They are working towards the good of the whole, not just their own well-being.
2. Leaders will build up their team rather than tear them down. Even when a team member is headed in the wrong direction, a good leader can help to redirect them in a more positive way without the other person feeling inferior or singled out. Leaders know how to work with people to bring out their best and strive on a daily basis to edify rather than discourage.
3. Leaders know when to push forward and when to stop. Some projects and some situations will warrant a push, in spite of obvious struggles, while others will require the team to move on to something more productive. This can happen in the healthcare field frequently as laws change and regulations require new adherence and facilities may need to shift their focus or specialty.

Leaders are those who inspire from within their team, not out of fear but because of the respect they have earned from those around them. While a boss can be trained to do their job, a leader has innate qualities that can be developed but rarely taught. Most leaders will have their own source of inspiration that has brought them to their current career path.

Now that the days are longer and the heat of summer can be felt, finding the work-life balance can be even more difficult. After all, there are so many fun activities during the summer and it’s usually the time of year when families can travel to see one another, but if you’re not careful, managing it all can leave you feeling worn out. There are several things you should remember as you punch the clock on a daily basis to avoid that feeling of burn out.

1. There are still only 24 hours in a day. Just because it stays light outside longer, doesn’t mean you have to find more work to do. It’s a common problem among people who are prone to overworking to see the light outside their windows and feel the urge to keep up the fast pace. The time could be late in the evening but because the sun is still shining, they will feel the need to continue working.
2. Take a vacation. It is a great time of year for travel deals and even local attractions offer package deals for residents, so take advantage of your accumulated days off and get-away. Planning ahead for a fun trip can be just the right tool for staying motivated but also being able to scale back while you’re away.
3. Stay away from distractions. It is important to stay focused, even in the summer. You may find yourself more easily distracted as there is usually more going on during these months. Recharge with people you truly care about, not just acquaintances who want to benefit from your relationship. They will suck the life out of you and can be a drain on every aspect of your life.
4. Don’t give up on your routine. Things may happen in the summer that are out of the ordinary; you may have family visiting from out of town or the kids may be home from school during the days but do your best to stay in a routine. This means not neglecting your work-outs, meditation time or other quiet time, or getting into an unhealthy eating pattern. The routine you establish throughout the year carries you on a daily basis and it is helpful during the summer months as well. You may need to modify it slightly but tossing it to the wind will not be helpful to you in the long run.

As summer comes and goes, it is important to stick with your goals and resolutions that you’ve set for the year. It is an easy time to get distracted and either work or play too much and both can be detrimental to your overall success.

Looking to Hire Additional Staff in 2014?
Contact the experienced recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce Corporation for additional information on how a partnership with our team can positively impact yours!

After working for years in the same field, a sense of drudgery and negativity can begin to take over your daily attitude. This attitude can lead to a mid-career meltdown as you realize this may not be the exact path you always wanted or you are not fulfilling the dreams you had at the start of your career.  It is safe to say that it happens to everyone at some point or another in their professional life. Maybe you see a coworker who seems fulfilled or a family member who has changed jobs and claims to have a new lease on life. Sometimes a drastic change will work but for most in the healthcare field, you’ve worked too hard to reach this point to just throw it all away.

3 Ways to Reduce

the Risk of a Mid-Career Meltdown

1. Increase your education. You’ve heard the saying, “if you don’t like it, change it” and that applies to your professional life as well as in your personal life. As a nurse, you can choose to work in a certain area of specialty and for many nurses, this is an area in which they are truly passionate such as pediatrics, labor and delivery, or a variety of other departments but these take advanced education and training. Maybe you don’t need to change your career but rather find an area that feeds your passion and is part of the reason you became a nurse.
2. Network with others in your field. Sometimes when a nurse feels isolated at work, they can begin to feel depressed. After all, day in and day out with people who are sick can wear on your emotions and sometimes losing a patient can be difficult to process without the help of others who understand. Your non-nurse family and friends won’t understand yet you need to have the ability to vent and talk about work with those who understand. As you network, you may even see how other facilities operate and realize yours is better or worse and you can make an educated choice to change locations or change your attitude.
3. Do your best to improve. You may not be able to change your entire department but what if you made an effort with your immediate team?  The workplace can change and the results can be positive for your career. When the time comes around for a team leader position or other leadership option, you could be considered due to the changes you implemented. Your career can take an upward turn when you decide to stop being complacent and work on improving your surroundings.

Your career starts and ends with you and your attitude. While it’s normal to feel frustrated with the professional direction of your life, it is up to you to change it. It could something as simple as asking for a schedule change or something more complex such as transferring to another facility, but whatever you decide to do, meltdowns will not help your career and you should take the necessary steps to reduce the possibility.

All the hype surrounding the Affordable Care Act and the changes it has brought to the healthcare field have made providers worry about the effects it will have on their jobs, paychecks, and even their job security. The nursing field has always had a demand for qualified professionals but now with the ACA in effect, this demand has increased and nursing staff are in short supply. The negativity that is presented regarding this new healthcare bill is responsible for a lot of uncertainty within the medical field but in reality, there are positive aspects to the bill as well.

As a nurse, here are some of the possible impacts to your field that you may experience:

• Nurses will be working outside of the hospitals and within the community. One of the core elements of the ACA is to increase wellness and preventative care, which means providing care to those who need it before something more serious happens and to go to the patients who need help. Nurses will visit their patients and try to help those with chronic conditions not progress in a negative way. Smaller medical offices will be taking the forefront in care and guiding the public to a healthier lifestyle in order to avoid the major illnesses.
• Specialty nurses will be in high demand. The ACA is now providing money to support the development of nurse practitioners and for most nurses, the cost for further education was a deterrent but now, it doesn’t have to be.  A nurse who wishes to train in a specialty field won’t have to experience lost wages due to the downtime and upon completion, they will be heavily recruited.
• Overall care is being improved. The majority of nurses work in the field because they care about others and want to help them and will go out of their way to ensure quality care is provided. These nurses are rarely compensated extra for their long hours and excellent care but with the ACA, a pay for performance program will compensate providers based on the patient outcomes, instead of the patient volume. This means a nurse can work with a patient until they have recovered or achieved their desired results.
• The aging population is being embraced. Patients over 65 used to be dropped by their providers but now the opposite is happening and these older patients are being treated again. Doctors and hospitals are now able to train and specialize in geriatric care instead of running away from it.

The ACA has changed healthcare in many ways and for the nursing community, it carries a mixed reaction of positive and negative aspects. As the bill takes full effect and the changes remain fluid, learning how it can improve your field should be a priority to your facility. Rather than focusing on the negative or the problems it will bring, make it a point to learn the good it brings to the medical field and as with any new legislature, make it work in your favor instead of fighting the changes.