Job Interview Tips and Tricks - From A Recruiter’s Point of View

Job interviews can be scary. Especially when applying for your first job. You may have done some interview preparation at university, maybe were even lucky enough to do a mock interview on your final placement but still don’t really know what to expect. Well, lucky for you, I’ve been on the other side of that (what seems like a really long) table. Keep reading for my tips and tricks to help you at the interview.

Preparation

This might seem really obvious but you can almost guarantee that the very first question you’ll be asked is about why you are interested in THIS SPECIFIC ROLE AT THIS SPECIFIC TRUST. Now, chances are you’ve applied to a bunch of Band 5 jobs, all of which are relatively similar but this question is designed to see what interests you about this role in particular. So, do your research. Look into the role in detail and think of some reasons why you want that specific job. Also look up the Trust, you can talk around the role and include why you want to be part of that Trust/team. Have they won any awards for example.

Another element of preparation is refreshing your knowledge of clinical assessment tools and clinical guidelines that may be relevant to your role. Chances are you will be asked something about guidelines or a specific case study where you want to use them.

If your interview is happening over a video conference platform (as many are now), check you have a quiet space to do the interview. You should also check that your internet connection will support the interview. There’s nothing worse than being in an interview and the internet connection dropping out halfway. If this happens, don’t panic, just make sure you have the contact numbers of the lead interviewer to let them know what happened. They may be able to offer an alternative date/time for the interview.

Have you been asked to bring something to the interview like preparing a presentation? Make sure you have read the instructions clearly on your interview invitation. This may require you to send the presentation 24hrs in advance and if you don’t you may well be penalised for it. Make sure you have also read what is required of you clearly to make sure what you bring is what they want to see.

On the Interview Day

Be early. Not ridiculously early. Only 5-10 minutes early. This way you can let your nerves settle a bit. While you are waiting, try to relax. Easier said than done, I know, but try to take some deep breaths. Clear your head. Forget everything else that’s going on in your life and go into the interview with confidence.

Take a notepad with you into the interview. You can write down elements of the questions to ensure you answer the whole question. You are also entitled to ask the interviewer to repeat any questions. Don’t worry, this won't reflect on you in any way. The interviewer will know that you are asking for the question to be repeated to ensure you got all the information you need to answer it. On that note, before you answer any question, pause for a few seconds. That way you can process all the information before you answer the question.

The interviewer may ask follow up questions after you have given your answer. There may be a couple of reasons for this. They may have thought they missed something you said. The interviewer may not have thought you covered all the points they were looking for and want to give you more chances to get the information.

Always and I mean ALWAYS use a STAR (situation, task, action and result) format for your responses. This way you can ensure you have explained what was going on, what you were asked to do, how you did it and what happened in the end. You could also throw in a little reflection at the end and talk about why it was unsuccessful/successful and what you might do differently next time.

Make sure you have questions for the panel. While this won’t count towards your interview score, it shows your interest in the role/team. It can also be a valuable opportunity for you to get additional information on the role or even work environment that may help you decide whether this is actually the right job for you. You could ask about whether a preceptorship programme is offered, what supervision you get, does the team have away days, how big is the department. This list goes on.

My Final Tip

My final piece of advice is remember to be yourself and believe in yourself. Don’t feel like you have to put on a show and be someone else. You’ve had all the training, and started to develop all the skills you need. 

Good luck!