March dates for Virginia Health Services’ Recruiting Roadshow announced
Virginia Health Services recruiter Colleen Reynolds began a monthly road tour of our nursing and rehabilitation centers in January. It continues throughout March.
The Recruiting Roadshow will give applicants a chance to apply and interview in person at our locations in Newport News, Hampton, York County, Gloucester and Kilmarnock. Job candidates can see our centers and get a feel for where they are applying.
“I want to make myself more visible to team members and applicants in each building,” Colleen says.
The increased presence should better support new hires and identify team needs.
Schedule
The schedule is planned for several days in March.
- Lancashire Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (with a collaboration with VEC Warsaw division), 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, March 21.
- At Rappahannock Community College, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday March 22.
- Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1-5 p.m. Friday, March 24.
- York Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and The Hamilton Assisted Living, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, March 27.
- Coliseum Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.
- The Newport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and The Huntington Assisted Living, 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, March 29.
- Northampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1-5 p.m. March 29.
- James River Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, March 30.
How to be a successful applicant
Colleen shared ways to stand out among job applicants to Virginia Health Services. She sees hundreds of applications and conducts about 15 phone interviews a day. Make yourself standout.
“I’ll take a chance on people for a phone interview if the application looks like a professional effort was made. If you’re not making the effort in the application, hard to think you’ll put an effort into the work. Put your best foot forward to get to the interview process and sell yourself,” Colleen says.
Application tips
- Complete all application questions.
- Spelling and grammar should be correct.
- Create a professional email address to use when applying. Use your correct contact information so you are reachable.
- Have a professional resume (regardless of work history).
- List any transferable skills
- Be professional (avoid personal details)
- List work experience
- For those with limited or no work history, such as high school students, please list any part-time work experience or have an objective statement with a career goal listed. Be sure to include school and graduation date.
How to successfully interview by phone
- Research Virginia Health Services (information is easily accessible at vahs.com). Colleen says, “Tell me why you want to work for VHS and what you know. Take the time to visit the website. I always ask, ‘why do you want to work for Virginia Health Services?’”
- Ask questions about the job and company.
- Read the job description so you can best speak to how your qualities and skills make you the right fit for the job to which you are applying. Talk up your skills – hard (like clinicals) or soft (such as organization and time management).
- Be on time. Answer the phone. Give advance notice if possible to cancel. “Life happens, but keep it at a professional level at all times,” Colleen says.
- Know your resume. Clarify when you were licensed. Colleen says, “Know your own work history and those important dates.”
- Send a thank you message to follow up to everyone you spoke to.
How to successfully interview in person
- Be professional.
- Be on time.
- Dress business casual for an in-person or virtual interview.
- Be prepared. Know your work history.
- Present yourself in a professional way.
- Be prepared with questions. Ask about the position or VHS. “You have to make sure it’s a good fit for you the same as we need to make sure it’s a good fit for the company. … You have to make sure you know where you’re going,” Colleen says. (This applies to phone interviews as well.)
- Send a thank you message to follow up.
“Everyone serves a purpose on the team,” Colleen says. “Tell me how you think you’ll fit in the organization and what you bring to the team.”