There’s one question almost every new PMHNP wants to ask in an interview.
It feels honest. Human. Practical.
But it quietly chips away at your credibility the second it leaves your mouth:
⚡ “What’s the work life balance like for this role?”
On paper, it seems reasonable. Unless it comes up too early.
In the room, it signals something else entirely.
You are evaluating the job before you’ve demonstrated you can even do the job.
Bert Bean, CEO of Insight Global, put it bluntly:
You risk sending the wrong message about your aspirations.
Hiring managers aren’t allergic to boundaries. They’re allergic to the idea that your priority is escaping the work instead of engaging with it.
☕️ Eva would have said it differently:
“These are questions you initially think about privately, not for your very first hello.”
Because here’s the truth:
Balance isn’t something you ask for. It’s something you build.
You build it through competence, trust, reliability, and presence. These are the qualities that earn autonomy.
Early in your relationship with an employer, the subtext of every exchange matters.
When you lead with “balance,” you unintentionally frame yourself as someone who may struggle with a busy day instead of someone who knows how to get stuff done.
But you’re not inexperienced with hard work.
You’ve held space for people at their breaking points, adapted treatment plans mid-shift, and squeezed documentation into the edges of your day.
You’re resilient. Capable.
You just want a workplace that respects the humanity behind the professional license you carry.
And you deserve that. However, this is not as your opening note.
There’s a better way to read culture, expectations, and after-hours demands.
We’ll get to that in a coming newsletter post
✨For now, remember:
Your first impression is not what you ask for.It’s the calm, grounded presence you bring into the room.
🌿 Next issue, I’ll share three great questions you can ask that shows you whether this job honors your time, your boundaries, and your humanity.