You finally received an interview invitation call from a home care company that you have wanted to work for. Now what? In this blog, Avanza Training will share helpful tips on how to land your dream job in home care before, during, and after the interview process.
Applying
When placing an application for a home care company as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), it’s important to showcase why you wish to work for them to help provide care for their patients.
But what qualifies as a good application? What will get you noticed?
A great cover letter can grab the attention of the interviewer and hiring manager and is one of the first impressions you will make on your future employer.
Read a recent article from Indeed on tips for writing a good cover letter for healthcare employees.
When applying for roles, one tip we offer our CNA’s is to call the employer within the first five days if they do not hear back after applying online or in-person.
A great way to begin this phone call is, “Hi, I am calling to check in on the status of my application and was wondering who the appropriate individual would be to speak to.”
This follow-up phone call shows your interest in the role and is a great way to showcase your organizational and communication skills before the interview.
During the Interview
As a CNA working in home care, you need to be able to calmly handle medical emergencies in a one-on-one environment, and it’s important to vocalize that experience during your interview. Doing this will help you land your dream job in home care.
Avanza Training chatted with an experienced healthcare recruiter from Team Select Home Care and here are his top three questions to ask during the recruiting / interview process.
- Do you have a passion for working with pediatric patients or adult patients more, and why?
- What does your experience with handling emergency situations by yourself look like? Can you also tell me about a time you experienced difficulty treating a patient during an emergency situation in the home and how you resolved that difficulty?
- Do you have a personal connection to an individual with a trach or vent, a g-tube, or who requires seizure management?
When speaking with the experienced healthcare recruiter, one thing he mentioned and wanted to stress was the importance of scheduling and travel time.
“When speaking to future team members about working with us, one thing I always want to find out is what schedule they are looking to have and how far they are willing to travel to and from the patient’s home from where they currently reside,” says Jake Dahle-Melsaether, Regional Recruiter at Team Select Home Care.
After the Interview
You have successfully completed your interview, what do you do now?
Within the first 48 hours of finishing your interview, it is recommended that you send a follow up email sharing your gratitude for the opportunity.
You can use the template below:
“Hi (insert name of interviewer(s)),
Thank you so much for the opportunity to discuss the open CNA role with (insert home care company name). It was great meeting you and learning more about the position and possible families I would be working with.
I am confident that my experience and healthcare background will enable me to complete the job requirements and fully support our valued patients and their loved ones.
Please let me know if you need anything further from me and I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
(insert your name)”
Depending on the company’s interview process, if you do not hear back within seven business days, it is recommended that you follow up again with the individual or team who interviewed you, by choosing “reply all” on the email you have previously sent.
The Ultimate Guide On How To Write A Follow-Up Email.If you land your dream job in home care, we would love to hear from you! Post on social media tagging Avanza Training and using #AvanzaTrainingDreamJob!