Questions to Ask at a Nursing Career Fair
Questions to ask at a nursing career fair, for students and new graduates who get a few minutes with each hospital or health system recruiter. They are grouped the way those minutes tend to go: which units have openings, the residency and its start dates, NCLEX and license timing, shifts and staffing, pay and the conditions attached to bonuses, then what to do once you leave the booth. Under each question is a note on what to listen for and what to do with the answer, and where a rule depends on the state or the employer the note says so and tells you to ask how it works there.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Who is hiring
Which units are hiring new graduate nurses right now?
Why ask it
Start here, because a health system's banner says nothing about which floors have seats. A useful answer names units and a start month. If you hear 'we hire everywhere', ask which units took new graduates in the last cohort.
Can a new graduate start in a specialty such as the ICU, the emergency department or labor and delivery?
Why ask it
Policies differ from one hospital to the next, and sometimes from one manager to the next, so ask here instead of assuming. A yes should come with how those residents are chosen and whether orientation runs longer. If the answer is a year on a medical-surgical floor first, ask how the move to a specialty works after that year.
What makes a new graduate's application stand out to you: the capstone unit, tech experience, something else?
Why ask it
New graduate resumes look alike, so let the recruiter tell you what they sort by. If they name something you have, say so on the spot and move it to the top of the page before you apply. If they name something you lack, ask what could stand in for it.
Do new graduates apply to one residency posting, or to each unit separately?
Why ask it
Some employers take one application and place residents afterwards; others want a separate application for each unit. Apply the wrong way and your resume can sit in a queue nobody on the new graduate side reads. Write down the exact posting name or number they give you.
Do you hire nurses with an associate degree, and is there a deadline to finish a BSN?
Why ask it
Raise it early if it applies to you, since a degree requirement will not bend however well the chat goes. Where the answer is yes with a deadline, find out how many years you get and whether the tuition help covers a bridge program.
Which of your hospitals or campuses are these openings at, and do I choose one when I apply?
Why ask it
One booth can stand for a dozen buildings an hour apart, and some residencies place you wherever the seat is. Say where you live or plan to live and let the recruiter narrow it down. If the campus is settled after the offer, find out how much say you would have.
Is a manager or educator from one of the hiring units here today?
Why ask it
A system recruiter knows the dates, the pay rules and the application. Preceptors, patient loads and the feel of the floor belong to the unit. If someone from the floor is at the table, give them the rest of your time; if not, see whether the recruiter will pass your name to that manager.
How many residency seats usually go to your own externs, techs and students who did clinicals here?
Why ask it
Programs often fill part of a cohort from people already in the building, and a recruiter will usually say so if asked. A large inside share should not put you off. It tells you to apply the day the posting opens and to mention any clinical hours you did there.
I am still a year from graduating. Do you have nurse extern, tech or aide jobs for students?
Why ask it
The question for juniors, who otherwise have nothing to apply for today. A student job puts you on a unit that may later hire you and gives a manager a year to watch you work. The two details to leave with are which semester you must have finished and whether the hours bend around clinicals.
Residency
How long is your nurse residency, and how many of those weeks are on the unit with a preceptor?
Why ask it
A year-long residency can mean a few months of precepted shifts followed by monthly classes, so get the two numbers separately. Weeks at the bedside with a preceptor decide how ready you feel on your first shift alone. A hospital with no residency should still be able to say how many weeks a new graduate orients.
When do your next cohorts start, and which one fits my graduation date?
Why ask it
Give your graduation month and let them do the matching. You want three dates back: when the posting opens, when it closes and when the cohort begins. A program with frequent start dates is more forgiving of a late test date than one with two fixed cohorts a year.
Is it one new graduate to one preceptor, and do I stay with the same person?
Why ask it
The best answer is one to one, with one or two named preceptors across the whole orientation. 'Whoever is working that day' means explaining what you can and cannot do at the start of every shift. Preceptors who volunteered and were trained for the role are a further good sign, and a recruiter proud of the program tends to mention both.
How many new graduates do you take in each cohort, and how many go to the unit I want?
Why ask it
The cohort may be large while a popular unit takes two, which is worth knowing before you name a single first choice. If the application lets you list a second and third unit, check that doing so does not weaken your chances at the first.
Does orientation run the same number of weeks on every unit, or longer in critical care and other specialties?
Why ask it
A length that changes with the unit usually means someone matched the training to the patients. If every floor gets the same number, ask how the critical care units fit their extra content in. Write the figure beside each unit you are considering so you can compare employers at home.
Would I be hired to one unit from the start, or rotate through several before being placed?
Why ask it
Both designs exist and suit different people. A rotation helps if you cannot choose a specialty yet; a direct hire is better if you already know. With a rotation, ask who decides the final placement and what happens if your first choice has no opening at the end.
If a resident is not ready when orientation ends, can it be extended?
Why ask it
You are listening for 'yes, and it happens', said without embarrassment. A recruiter at a program that extends orientation can usually describe how the decision is made and by whom. Hesitation, or talk of a performance plan, tells you the end date is a deadline.
After orientation ends, what support continues through the first year?
Why ask it
Classes, a mentor from outside the unit and check-ins with an educator are the usual answers. Ask how often each one really happens and whether the time is paid. A residency that stops the day the preceptor does is an orientation with a longer name.
What do new graduates tell you was the hardest part of their first year here?
Why ask it
A recruiter who stays in touch with residents has an answer ready: the first months on nights, the first patient who got worse quickly, the week orientation ended. A specific answer usually comes with what the program does about it. 'They all love it' tends to mean nobody has asked them.
How many of the new graduates from your last couple of cohorts finished the residency and stayed?
Why ask it
Few recruiters carry the exact figure, and a rough one is enough. Listen for whether they can point to a former resident who now precepts or takes charge, which is hard to do at a program people leave. If the question is turned aside, try asking where residents tend to go when they move on.
Is the residency accredited by an outside body, or designed in house?
Why ask it
Accreditation means someone outside the hospital has held the program to a standard, though an in-house program can be just as careful. Get the name of the body so you can look up what it requires. Either way, find out what residents do in the program that an ordinary orientation would leave out.
Once the residency is over, what is there to grow into: a clinical ladder, specialty certification, charge or preceptor training?
Why ask it
It is a fair thing for a student to raise, and it shows you are thinking past the first year. Whether the hospital pays for a certification exam, and whether a step up the ladder changes pay, differs by employer. A recruiter who can say when nurses there usually start precepting has watched people do it.
NCLEX and license
Do I need to have passed the NCLEX before the cohort starts, or can I begin while I wait to test?
Why ask it
The answer depends on the employer and on what the state's board of nursing allows, so take it from the recruiter and not from a classmate headed to another hospital. Get the date by which they need your result, then count backward to the latest day you could take the exam.
Can I apply and interview before I graduate, or do you wait until the degree is conferred?
Why ask it
Timelines vary a good deal between employers, and students miss cohorts by assuming they have to wait. If they interview months ahead, ask what the offer would be conditional on. If they wait, ask for the earliest date an application from your class would be read.
If I do not pass on the first try, do I move to the next cohort or lose the offer?
Why ask it
Nobody enjoys asking this at a booth, and recruiters hear it all day. A reassuring reply is a set policy: a second attempt, a later cohort, perhaps a tech role in between. 'We look at it case by case' is your cue to get the terms in the offer letter.
Is there a paid role for graduates who are waiting on a license, and what is that person allowed to do?
Why ask it
Whether a graduate can work before licensure, under what title and with how much supervision, is set by the state and then by the employer, so the only useful answer is how it works at this hospital. If the role exists, find out whether those weeks count toward orientation or come before it.
I will be licensed in a different state. What do you need from me before I can start here?
Why ask it
Say which state your license will come from, because some states honor each other's licenses under a compact and others want a fresh application. Find out who handles the paperwork, what it tends to cost and how many weeks they would allow for it. If the recruiter is unsure, confirm with this state's board of nursing before you plan a move.
Which certifications do you want in hand on day one, and which do you provide during orientation?
Why ask it
Each employer draws this line itself, and a basic life support card is the one most likely to be wanted up front. Hold off paying for an advanced course until you know they would not have put you through it themselves. Check which provider's card they accept, since not every course is recognized.
Shifts and staffing
Which shift are new graduates usually hired onto: days, nights or a rotation?
Why ask it
Expect to hear nights on many units, and take a straight answer as a good sign. What matters is whether the posting states the shift or it is settled after the offer. If shifts rotate, ask how far ahead the schedule comes out.
How many patients would I be assigned once I am on my own on that unit?
Why ask it
A recruiter will often give the planned number, which may not be what happens on a short night. Note it, then put the same question to a nurse or manager from the unit and compare. Limits are set by law or contract in some places and by the hospital in others, so ask what governs it here.
How long do nurses on that unit usually wait for a day position?
Why ask it
The honest reply is a range, in months or years, and it differs by unit. 'It depends on turnover' is true and no help, so ask how long the newest day-shift nurse waited. Decide before the fair how long you could live on nights.
For a night position, is orientation on days first, and when does the switch happen?
Why ask it
Orienting on days tends to mean more procedures, more providers around and more teaching. A sound plan then gives you some precepted night shifts before you are alone. Going from day orientation straight to solo nights is the version to question.
What weekend and holiday commitment comes with a new graduate position?
Why ask it
You want it as a number: every other weekend, every third, how many holidays a year. A recruiter who can say it in one sentence is working from a written rule. Follow up on whether new hires and long-serving nurses carry the same share.
How soon after orientation could I be floated, and to which units?
Why ask it
A protected period, stated in months, is what you hope to hear. 'New grads float like everyone else' is a worry in a first year, when one unit is already a lot to learn. If the opening itself is in a float pool or resource team, find out how many units you would orient to and for how long on each.
Do any of the hiring units take call or require overtime?
Why ask it
Procedural areas such as the operating room often carry on-call shifts, and students rarely think to ask. Find out when call begins for a new hire, how it is paid and how often people are actually called in. Whether overtime can be required is a matter of state rules and hospital policy, so have the recruiter say what applies here.
Pay and strings
What is the starting hourly rate for a new graduate, and is it the same on every unit?
Why ask it
Plenty of recruiters will share the new graduate rate at a fair, because it tends to be one set figure, and some will point you to the posting instead. Either reply is normal. If they give a number, check that it is the base rate before any shift differential.
How much do nights and weekends add to the base rate?
Why ask it
Differentials come as a flat amount per hour or as a percentage, and the two are hard to compare in your head. Write down the form as well as the figure. It matters most if you have just been told to expect nights for your first year or two.
Is there a sign-on bonus for new graduates, and what commitment comes with it?
Why ask it
The dollar amount is the less important half of the reply. The other half is how long it binds you, when the payments arrive and whether the figure quoted is before tax. When only one unit carries a bonus, it is fair to ask why that unit needs one.
If I left before the commitment ended, how much would I owe back, and is it prorated?
Why ask it
Prorated repayment shrinks with each month you work. Full repayment does not, and the two feel very different near the end of a commitment. Check too whether you would still owe it if you were let go or the unit closed.
Do residents sign a work commitment for the program itself, separate from any bonus?
Why ask it
A training agreement is a separate document from a bonus agreement, and a hospital can have one, both or neither. If there is one, collect two facts: the length of service it expects and the sum owed for leaving early. How such terms hold up varies from place to place, so read the agreement itself before an interview and not at signing.
If I transfer to another unit or campus inside the system, does that break the commitment?
Why ask it
Most students picture the commitment as tying them to the employer. Sometimes it ties you to the unit, which is far tighter if the floor turns out to be a poor fit. The follow-up is how long residents wait before an internal transfer and who has to approve it.
How does your tuition or student loan repayment work, and who qualifies?
Why ask it
Three different benefits hide under this heading: money toward loans you already have, reimbursement for future classes, and outside programs the employer only makes you eligible for. Pin down which one they mean, the yearly cap, how long you must work first and what you would owe back on leaving.
Is there any relocation help for a new graduate moving from out of the area?
Why ask it
Skip it unless you would be moving. Where money is offered, treat it like the sign-on bonus: it may have to be paid back if you leave early, so get the terms. Where it is not, a recruiter can often say where the night-shift nurses commute from, which is useful before you sign a lease.
Are residents full time with benefits from the first day of orientation?
Why ask it
Often a quick yes, though the wait for health coverage differs between employers. A school plan or a parent's plan may end around graduation, so the date that matters is the first day you are covered here. While you are on the subject, confirm that classroom days are paid at your full rate.
Following up
After today, should I apply online first or send you my resume directly?
Why ask it
A resume left on the table often does not count as an application, and recruiters will tell you so. Ask for the exact posting to use and whether to mention this conversation in it. Do it within a day or two, while the recruiter can still put a face to the name.
Are you interviewing at the fair today, or booking interviews from it?
Why ask it
Some hospitals bring managers and hold short interviews in a side room, and a few make conditional offers on the day. Put this one early in your visit, not at the end, since slots fill. If an offer does come that fast, it is fair to ask how long you have to answer.
What does the interview for the residency involve, and who would I meet?
Why ask it
Find out whether it is one conversation or several, whether it is a panel and whether the unit manager sits in. Nursing interviews often lean on 'tell me about a time' questions that you answer from clinicals. Knowing the format lets you prepare three or four patient stories in advance.
When do offers for this cohort usually go out?
Why ask it
This date lets you line employers up against each other. If one offer would expire before another hospital has even interviewed you, it is better to see that coming now. The other half of the answer is how long candidates normally get to decide.
Before accepting an offer, can a candidate shadow a nurse or walk through the unit?
Why ask it
A few hours on the floor show how the nurses speak to each other, how heavy the assignments look and how a new face is treated. Some hospitals cannot allow it before hire, for privacy or health clearance reasons, and that is not a mark against them. A phone call with a nurse who finished the residency last year is the next best thing.
If the cohort I want is full, is there a waitlist, or should I apply for the next one?
Why ask it
Seats can open late, when other candidates take a different offer or miss a licensing date. Find out whether a waitlisted application rolls forward by itself or has to be sent again. Take the next cohort's dates today, so a gap of a few months is something you can plan around.
May I have your card, and is email the best way to reach you with a question?
Why ask it
A brochure cannot answer an email, so leave with a person's name and address. If the cards have run out, write the recruiter's name and the hospital on the handout before you step away. Your follow-up should mention the unit you discussed and your graduation month, so it can be answered without a search.
How to work a nursing career fair
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the fair
Read the new graduate page before you read the banner
Most hospitals that recruit at a nursing fair have a web page for new graduates with the cohort months, the units and the degree they ask for. Read it for the five or six employers you would truly work for, and cross off every question on this page that it already answers. What is left, usually the preceptor arrangement, the NCLEX deadline and the terms of any commitment, is what the booth is for.
Know your own dates
Almost every timing question on this page comes back as a question to you: when do you graduate, when do you plan to test, which state will license you. Have those three answers ready to say in one breath. If you do not know your test date yet, give the month you are aiming for.
Pick two units and a reason for each
'Where do you want to work?' is the first thing most recruiters ask a student. Have a first choice with one sentence from clinicals behind it, and a second choice you would be glad to get. 'Anywhere' sounds flexible to you and unprepared to them.
Decide what would rule a hospital out
A booth visit lasts a few minutes, less once a line forms, so most of this list will go unasked at any one table. Work out beforehand which answers would end your interest: no new graduates on the unit you want, a cohort that starts before you can test, a degree you do not hold. Put those questions first and spend whatever time is left on the residency itself.
Bring a one-page resume built for nursing
List your clinical rotations with the type of unit, name your capstone or final preceptorship placement, and include any work as a tech, aide or extern. Put your expected graduation month near the top, where a recruiter sorting a stack by cohort will see it. Print a copy for every booth on your list and a few to spare.
At the booth
Open with two sentences about yourself
Program, graduation month and the unit you are hoping for: 'I am finishing my BSN in May and my capstone is on a cardiac step-down unit. Which of your units are taking new graduates?' That is enough for the recruiter to place you, and it gets you to your first question before the minute is up.
Find the person from the unit
Larger employers often bring a nurse manager, an educator or a recent resident along with the recruiter. They can answer the questions under Residency and Shifts and staffing from their own shifts, where a recruiter is working from a fact sheet. If the recruiter is busy with someone else, starting with the nurse at the end of the table is not second best.
Be ready for what they ask you
Recruiters use a fair to screen. Expect to be asked why you chose nursing, why that specialty, whether you would work nights, and whether you plan to stay in the area. Short, true answers are fine. A recruiter who starts asking you questions is interested, so do not rush back to your own list.
Ask how it works here
Rules on working before licensure, patient limits, overtime and repayment agreements change with the state and the employer. What a friend was told at another hospital may not apply at this one. Word your questions around this hospital, and treat anything you read online as something to confirm with the recruiter or the state board of nursing.
Keep one note per hospital
Cohort months, weeks with a preceptor and commitment lengths are all small numbers, and by the fourth booth they swap places in your memory. Before you join the next line, put the recruiter's name, the units, the dates and anything they asked you to do into one note on your phone. A photo of the residency flyer saves writing half of it.
After the fair
Put the answers side by side
Make one row per employer and a column for each thing you can compare: weeks with a preceptor, cohort start, shift, length of any commitment and what you would repay. A hospital that felt friendly at the booth can look quite different in a table, and so can one whose recruiter was tired at the end of the day.
Apply first, then write
A recruiter can do little with an email until there is an application to match it to. Submit the posting they named, then send three or four lines: your name and program, the unit you talked about, your graduation month and the fact that you have applied. If they gave a date for hearing back, let it pass before you check in.
Get money and license terms in writing
A booth conversation is a summary given from memory. Before you accept anything, ask for the written terms of the bonus, the commitment, the repayment schedule and the licensure deadline. Where the paper and the conversation differ, the paper is what you would be signing.
Hear from the unit as well
The recruiter described the program. Before you decide, try to talk with the manager, an educator or a nurse who finished the residency recently, and ask two or three of the same questions about preceptors, floating and patient loads. Matching answers are reassuring. Answers that differ are worth one more conversation.
Mistakes to avoid
Leading with the bonus
Pay questions are fair, and they belong after the ones about training. A student whose first words are about the sign-on bonus tells the recruiter what they are choosing by. Orientation length and preceptor arrangements will shape your first year more than the bonus will.
Opening with 'tell me about your hospital'
It spends a minute on what is printed behind the recruiter's head, and the students ahead of you in line asked it too. Start from what you read: 'Your site says the residency is twelve months. How many of those weeks are with a preceptor?'
Naming only one unit
The specialties students ask for most often have the fewest new graduate seats. Say what you want, then ask which other units build toward it. Refusing to consider a second choice can end a conversation that might have led somewhere good.
Walking past the smaller employers
Community hospitals, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities and home health agencies come to nursing fairs too, often with a short line and a director of nursing at the table instead of a recruiter. If the big systems near you take few new graduates, that can be the more useful ten minutes. The questions about orientation and preceptors matter even more where there is no formal residency.
Collecting brochures instead of names
A bag of handouts and pens feels like progress. What moves an application along is a person who remembers you and a posting you have applied to. Count the fair by the names you wrote down.