Interview Preparation

An important part of your interview preparation is ensuring your CV is up to date. Remember, this is the first thing the employer reads about you and first impressions count! Presentation and content quality are key. In addition, avoid the use of tables or over formatting your CV.

Personal statement – Include a personal statement explaining why you are the best person for the role that you are applying for and what you can offer the company. This is a perfect chance to really sell your skills, achievements and show what you would like to achieve with their company. Additionally, you can write about your clinical experience and the wards you have worked on.

Most healthcare employers expect 10 years of educational and work history with no unexplained gaps. If there are any gaps between employment, it is important for you to state why. When listing your employment experience start with your most recent job, detailing your experience concisely in bullet points. Furthermore, include information on the ward or setting, any supervisory or management duties and typical duties.

List your education in reverse order, listing your most recent qualification first and including the name of the establishment you attended, course title and the dates to and from you attended.

There are a few things that you do not need to include in your CV:

• A photo of yourself
• Hobbies, if the hobbies are relevant to the job that you are applying for then include them, but they are unlikely to
• Age & Date of birth, your age does not affect your ability to do the role you are applying for

Lastly, it is so important to read through your CV properly before sending it to an employer or agency. You need to make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. However, we have a standardised CV template; you can contact a member of the Recruitment Team here to receive it.

Giving yourself plenty of time to study is an important part of your interview preparation. For you to be successful in your interview, It is important to read through the preparation materials your Recruitment Analyst has sent you and never leave it to last minute to prepare.

• Employer – Research the employer, show that you have a clear understanding of their business, what they do and why they do it. Most employers have core values, it is equally important to understand them.
• The role – Understand what will be expected from you in your key responsibilities. Additionally, you could talk about this in your interview if some of the responsibilities match your current role.
• Preparing answers – Your Recruitment Analyst will give you some questions to expect at your interview. This gives yourself the chance to start preparing some of your answers. Your answers should emphasize the skills that are most important to the employer and are relevant to the position you are applying for.

• Skype environment – Think about where you are going to have your Skype call, this is also an important part of your interview preparation. Ensure that you are in a quiet room by yourself on the day of the interview. Once you have decided on the most appropriate room, think about what the interviewer will see behind you. The interviewer’s attention needs to be firmly on you so the clearer your background is, the better.
• Test call – Make sure your Skype is up and running. Your recruitment analyst will call you 30 minutes before you interview to test the internet connection, ensure you are free to take the call in the room you have chosen to have your interview. Also, it is best to test your Skype the day before as if there are any issues, it gives you plenty of time to rectify it.

• Dress for success – Dress as professionally as you can. It is tempting to dress smart from the waist up, but what happens if you need to get up during your interview?
• Be on time – You should set your Skype up before the time of your interview; making the interviewer wait could have a detrimental effect on their opinion of you.
• Internet connection – Stay calm if the internet connection goes. How you react in this situation can reveal to your potential employer your ability to proactively and steadily tackle difficult situations.
• Body language – This is a powerful part to play in the opinion of your potential employer. It is important to sit up straight, maintain eye contact and smile. This shows your interviewer that you are friendly and a confident communicator which in turn should make the conversation flow easier.
• Staying engaged – You can do so by nodding and agreeing or alternatively responding to them by asking a question. It is important to keep your focus on the interviewer, not what is going around you. If there is a distraction, ignore it.
• Follow up – A message to your interviewer thanking them for their time wouldn’t go amiss.

• Feedback – A member of the Recruitment Team will be in touch as soon as they hear the outcome of your interview, which is usually the same day.
• Successful – The team will congratulate you and you will soon be contacted by your Compliance Officer. Your job offer will be issued, which you will need to read through carefully and sign to confirm you are happy to accept the role. The Compliance Team will then guide you through your NMC application and your journey to the UK.
• Unsuccessful – Your recruiter will advise as to why you have been unsuccessful at the interview. Although it isn’t the news anyone hopes for, it’s important to try and take positives out of it; it allows you to see what you may need to improve on.