How to be successful in a University interview

It’s that time of year again when Universities are in full interview mode to fill spaces on their nursing and midwifery courses starting in September this year. If you’ve been invited for an interview, we can give you a few quick tips to help you be successful.

Be presentable

Dress smartly – not necessarily in a suit if you don’t have one, but smart trousers, black shoes and shirt or blouse is really the minimum standard of dress. The interviewers want to see you can present yourself in a professional manner, and your appearance is part of that.

Don't ramble

Talk slowly – everyone talks fast when they are nervous, if you speed up your sentences too quickly the interviewers won’t be able to take notes at that speed, let alone to listen to you! Breathe slowly and remember to pace yourself.

Have a clear head

Think clearly – you won’t be expected to know a great deal of detail about the intricacies of every module you will be studying if you are successful, but the interviewers will expect you to have a basic knowledge of the career you’re embarking on, the practical elements of the course (such as placements, skills assessments etc), and they will test your understanding of exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

Know your stuff

Research intently – interviewers will often ask you about a current issue that has been in the spotlight recently and is relevant to your course. In the months, weeks and days leading up to your interview make sure you read the news, read industry websites, follow organisations on social media and get to know the current events you could be quizzed on.You don’t need to be an expert, but an awareness and interest in the issues are key.

Remember that interviewers aren’t there to catch you out, they are there to get to know you as person and to assess whether you are likely to be successful on the course and if you fully understand the effort, commitment and sacrifice you will have to make to be successful.

Any student nurse, doctor, pharmacist or midwife will tell you the course is a huge undertaking, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly because you have to give up most of your free time, social life, time with your family and almost any other recreational activities you do while you’re studying!

But you shouldn’t think of that in a negative light, if your dream is to be a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, dentist or midwife then it’s just a necessity of achieving that goal.