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Managing the interview
However much preparation you do beforehand, going into an interview is usually slightly nerve-wracking. Do not make the mistake of thinking that, after entering the room, the situation is out of your hands. There are still a number of techniques you can use to make sure the panel sees you in the best possible light.
Interview preparation
It might appear obvious but it is important that you prepare for the day.
- Make sure you are familiar with the job description and person specification.
- Remind yourself of what you wrote in your application on how you met those requirements.
- Learn about the organisation itself – what makes it different from others and whether those differences will have an impact on your work.
- Think about what type of questions will be asked about yourself and write down some thoughts on how you might answer them.
- Prepare some questions to ask the panel. Be careful not to ask for information that has already been provided or discussed during the interview.
First impressions
There are a couple of simple steps to take to create a good first impression:
- Arrive in plenty of time and allow for contingencies. Remember some organisations can be quite difficult to navigate round. Have a 'Plan B' for how you will get to the interview. If you do get delayed, make sure you notify the appropriate person within the organisation as soon as possible.
- Dress appropriately making sure that you send out the right signals about your confidence, self discipline and judgement. It might be useful to check the dress code of the organisation by looking at pictures of staff on the organisation's website or asking around.
During the interview
- Make eye contact with all members of the interview panel. Do not just focus on the person who has asked the question you are answering. It is important to engage with all.
- Smile! It suggests confidence.
- Be clear and concise in your responses.
- Structure your answers with 3 or 4 main points of examples from your own experience.
- Do not assume that the panel know the detail of what is in your application form or CV.
- Sell yourself - give real examples of 'how' you have achieved a positive outcome, specify what these were and the benefits. Be clear about what your personal contribution was.
- Remember to use 'I' rather than 'we'.
- Make sure you understand the organisation's mission and can talk about why it is important to you.
- Be aware of your body language. You want to convey that you're enthusiastic, positive and energetic.
- Remember to ask questions as it helps demonstrate that you are keen and want the job.
- Be positive at all times.
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- HEE Applicant Guide
- Having A Successful Interview
How to prepare for interviews
If the key word in writing a successful application (Section 1) was tailoring , the key word in having a successful interview is preparation . As the saying goes, “to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail”.
With the type of competency-based interviews that HEE uses, you will need to prepare in advance of the interviews, to have some solid STAR examples in readiness. Some people can just “wing it” on the day, but most people can’t. If you don’t plan how to answer questions, by having some STAR answers ready to go, then you may be stumped or “go blank” at interview.
However, there is no mystery to this, it’s all about the right type of preparation to plan for success.
As an inclusive employer you can expect to be asked some questions around diversity and inclusion . You do not need to be a diversity and inclusion expert, but you need to be aware of discrimination, biases, inclusion and how these can impact daily working life.
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- Preparing for Effective Interviews
Congratulations, you made it to interview! You can use the resources in this section for information on what to expect at your interview, for advice on different types of interview and how to prepare effectively, including a range of interview questions and sample answers.
Guide to Interviews - A guide to help prepare for effective interviews
Guide to Interview Testing and Selection Methods - A guide identifying Interview Testing and Selection methods
Top 10 Tips to Interviews - Tips to Interviews, before, during and after
Sample Interview Questions - A document identifying sample interview questions for different kinds of interviews (general and competency based)
General Interview Questions and Sample Answers - A document identifying generic interview questions and sample answers
Competency Based Interview Questions and Sample Answers (Using Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR)) A document identifying Competency based interview questions and answers
Top 10 Tips for Accepting and Starting a New Position - Tips to consider before accepting and starting a new job.
- Developing Your Team Activities and Resources
- Taking Stock and Setting Goals
- Preparing an Effective Curriculum Vitae CV
- Preparing an Effective Covering Letter
- Researching the Job Market and Effective Networking
- Completing an Application Form
- On-line Tutorials
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Structure your answers with 3 or 4 main points of examples from your own experience. Do not assume that the panel know the detail of what is in your application form or CV. Sell yourself - give real examples of 'how' you have achieved a positive outcome, specify what these were and the benefits.
We will cover. Preparing for interview. Types of Interview. Interview Questions. STAR technique. General interview tips. What is the purpose of an interview? Preparation. Due diligence. Presentation/other tasks etc. Identify key areas and prepare evidence. Summarise challenges and how you can contribute to each.
Preparing for an interview… Perhaps you havent applied for a job in a long-time, or you want to update yourself on how best to prepare for an interview? The key word is preparation. This short document sets out a series of hints, tips and advice to help you. Many of the tips below, relate to face-to-face interviews but, there are
If you’ve not sucked at the NHS job application, then you may just get invited to an interview. Having done quite a few of these over the last few years, and helped a few people prepare, here...
The unwritten rules of an interview. Practical tips for applying these rules. How to prepare for interviews. Step 1 - The organisation. Step 2 - The job. Step 3 - You. Remember the STAR example. STAR in practice. What if I don’t have a positive example? Some final advice. Practical pointers - interviews in person. Practical pointers - Virtual ...
The interview for a Band 7 role in NHS includes general, experience-based, and in-depth/situational questions; candidates should be prepared to convey their professional narrative, demonstrate their expertise, and showcase skills relevant to these specialized roles.
With the type of competency-based interviews that HEE uses, you will need to prepare in advance of the interviews, to have some solid STAR examples in readiness. Some people can just “wing it” on the day, but most people can’t.
Interview Skills. Overview: This session offers an insight into the fundamentals of preparing and navigating your way through an interview. It will cover pre-interview preparation, common interview questions and how you might respond to these, along with a series of tips for interview success.
In this blog we want to give you an overview of competency-based interviews, give you some advice on how to structure your answers and let you know what competencies we consider to be important to be successful at NHS Professionals.
You can use the resources in this section for information on what to expect at your interview, for advice on different types of interview and how to prepare effectively, including a range of interview questions and sample answers.