NHS admin interview advice

[TheScarletgirl]

I have no advice to offer but be yourself and if you don't have a job offer remember it wasn't meant to be !

 

[Cynic123]

Usually you can’t take them in with you but no harm in reading over them while you’re waiting.

 

[The Devils Arse]

I’ve had a number of professional interviews and I’m generally quite successful when I interview. In fact my manager told me only last week that when I interviewed for my role 2 years ago I blew everyone else out the park and he didn’t see the need to carry on with the rest of the interviews (where’s my trumpet? )

Never had an NHS interview but I can offer more generalised advice…

- smile a lot! Be professional but also make sure you come across very friendly and approachable

- make eye contact with the interviewers when answering questions

- have an example in your head of when something “went wrong” or a difficult situation and how you handled it. Whenever I answer this question I always explain my example and explain how I handled it as they have asked, then I say “mistakes will always happen, it’s human nature but what’s important is how you deal with it and how you can try to prevent it from happening again. Mistakes are there to be learnt from”

- don’t be afraid that you’ve not had experience in this sector, just sell yourself. When they ask what you can bring to the role, tell them you’re excited for a new opportunity, you’re extremely motivated and committed, you want to acquire new skills while also developing your current skills and capabilities further. Think of what skills you currently have can be applied in the new role.

- do some initial research, find out a few facts about the department, what their core values are etc and quote one of them when they ask why you applied.

- They might ask how you prioritise workload and handle the pressure of lots of work and different deadlines. For this one I always say I write my to do list down to clear my head. I always say how important communication is, for example if something urgent came in from person A while I was completing a task for person B I would make sure I communicate with both people and explain the situation. If struggling I would speak with my manager and ask what they would like me to prioritise - they like to know you’re not afraid to ask for help!

- Similarly to the last one they may ask how you handle stress. Again I always say I write my to do list down, talk to my manager if it becomes too much, work out priorities and get any quick tasks done first so my head is clear to focus on the bigger longer term tasks.

- They may ask what aspects of the job you think may be challenging for you. The key here is to be positive. You don’t have to lie and pretend you’ll know how to do everything, you can 100% say there are certain things you’ve not done before BUT you’re excited to learn, you’re excited for the challenge and you’re a quick learner. You can say you’re aware there will be new systems to learn but tell them that excites you.

- A lot of interviewers ask what your weaknesses are and you should always provide them with one, even if it’s made up. But reinforce it with a positive! For example I often say “I consider myself to be a people pleaser which often means I have a hard time saying no and can take too much on, but I’m aware of this and it’s something I’m trying to work on so I don’t overwhelm myself.” The employers want to know that you’re honest and can admit to your own weaknesses but that you’re also always looking to improve yourself.

- Finally, at the end ALWAYS ask a question. Ask them sometime challenging that may surprise them, but make sure it’s about the job, not how much money you’ll be earning
Examples I use are:

“What is the most challenging part of working here?”
“What do you enjoy most about your job?”
“Why did you choose to work for this company?”
“What would you say are the biggest challenges in this role?”

It’s time to make THEM think and answer a question and also see how keen and enthusiastic you are.

Good luck

I am job hunting at the moment and am crap at interviews, so this is super helpful! Thank you xx

 

[HaileyBubs]

Jumping in on an old thread in the hopes for some advice.

Does anyone have experience where the interview is for a promotion within your current department? Say from band 2 to band 3, both admin roles? I’m hoping it’ll be more of an informal interview as the panel are my current management but the role was also advertised externally so not sure if I have to do the same questions as other candidates so that it’s fair under HR reg. I’m struggling to prepare as I can’t see them asking me the usual questions like ‘tell us a time when..’ ‘when have you made a difficult decision..’ etc but I don’t know if they have to. Also struggling to prepare questions to ask at the end as I already know everything I need to know about this specific role as I currently work in the department and work closely with someone else doing this new role.

It’s such an odd situation to be in where I tick all the boxes in what they’re looking for, have the experience and advantage of already being in post within the department but also feeling SO underprepared for the interview!

It's always harder preparing for an interview when you know the interviewers. I would say prepare and present your answers as if you don't know them. They will ask you the same questions as the other external candidates.
I'm in NHS finance, and the STAR technique is something that we were generally advised to use when answering interview questions.

A good question to ask at the end I suppose, is if there's a chance of job progression, or study/training funding etc

 

[Gimmethegossipgirl]

band 6 you gooooo girl i’m trying to get up from band 3!! but i can only currently do part time hours

Same!! X

 

[The Devils Arse]

Hey guys I thought I would just let you know I got the job I’ve actually turned it down as I’ve realised it’s too many hours and I’ve got a small baby but fear not, I’ve got 2 more applications pending for a 3 day role doing virtually the same thing in a different department, so keeping my fingers crossed. I feel really silly that I’ve turned it down but I knew it wasn’t right for me. If anything, it’s given me fantastic experience and I’ll let you know how I get on with the others

Congratulations!

 

[em97!]

Hello does anyone on here know what questions they will ask for admin apprentice assistant. I have a interview via MS teams next week and am wondering how long the interview will be. Any advice is appreciated.

I am guessing the questions may be tell me about yourself, why the nhs, dealing with difficult people, what does confidentiality mean to you etc

 

[Hbirdette]

Is it acceptable to bring notes with me to the interview? I don’t think my brain will retain all of this

 

[Hairraiser]

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for this post I used some of your examples for my interview the other day and I got the job! I’m so happy! xx

Amazing! Well done xxx

Got another interview for a different department, same banding. This time it’s a zoom meeting
I’m actually more nervous about this one, I’m much better if I’m face to face with the person who’s asking the questions ‍
I’m sure it’ll be ok
I know what sort of questions to expect so I hope I can be as confident as before

 

[MarthaFarkus]

ooh i’m interested too (not applying for the role yet) but my friend done this course and she is looking for a full time role. she loves doing phlebotomy and wound care, but she’s finding it difficult to get a job which is quite surprising as they are cheaper to pay than nurses!

Yes, I think as it’s a fairly newish role they’re still getting around to creating more posts for it. With the one I’m applying for, they’re taking the successful applicant on straight after qualifying - so a guaranteed job at the end of it which would be nice. Im a band 4 at the moment but would go down to band 3 whilst training, then up to band 4 again. I’m ok with that, just give me the job!

 

[Gimmethegossipgirl]

Do you know what questions they will ask

They may ask you about the trusts values, difficult situations/patients. They may ask you some scenarios eg patient enters, phone ringing and dr asking you for something who do you assist first? What you could bring to the role, what does team work mean to you? How would you deal with a difficult co worker things like that xx

 

[Admiralbow]

I was literally about to make a post about interview questions but some of these answers are so helpful, Thankyou!

 

[Gimmethegossipgirl]

Is it acceptable to bring notes with me to the interview? I don’t think my brain will retain all of this

I think so I’ve taken mine in before, they were also bullet points and key things to mention but I’d also noted questions I wanted to ask in case I forgot them

 

[JodieB12]

I love tattle cause I know someone will always have an answer so here I go

I’ve got a job interview coming up for a band 4 admin role in the NHS. Any tips at all? I’ve got to nearly 30 and somehow never had a formal interview I hit all the criteria for the person and job specification, just don’t wanna cock up when it comes to my interview!

I’ve been for a band 3 and 5 I got the 5 but they asked the same questions

they always ask “name a time you had a difficult experience with a colleague or team member and how did you handle this?”

also learn The trust values they ask you to demonstrate one

 

[Gimmethegossipgirl]

NHS admin role

Hello is anyone here an admin in the nhs ? Do you like it ? And are you required to work Christmas Day.

tattle.life

have a look on this thread some helpful info.

Are you already working in NHS?
I’m a band 3 - I want to go to a 4 but it involves going full time I would mainly say try and relate experience/examples you have in your current post to questions they ask.
I fid a little research about the service before mine so I knew what they did/ what to expect.
Good luck xx

 

[Bexybest]

As others have said, STAR technique weighted equally. As an interviewer I am interested in what you have done, not the back story etc.

Pull together a few prompts beforehand of 'examples of' using the STAR model. The same ones always crop up: communication, team working, conflicting priorities, resilience, working under pressure.

Be confident and friendly - it goes a long way!

Good luck.

 

[MarthaFarkus]

Hello does anyone on here know what questions they will ask for admin apprentice assistant. I have a interview via MS teams next week and am wondering how long the interview will be. Any advice is appreciated.

I am guessing the questions may be tell me about yourself, why the nhs, dealing with difficult people, what does confidentiality mean to you etc

Congratulations on getting an interview. They may ask you about how you organise your time and have a think about the Trust’s values (because they’re hot on that). I’ve had a few interviews via teams now and I’ve found sticking my notes around my laptop helps (I’ve used water bottles, juice bottles, anything tall and stuck with masking tape). They usually last about 30-40 minutes, I’ve found. Good luck!

 

[Hbirdette]

I’ve had a number of professional interviews and I’m generally quite successful when I interview. In fact my manager told me only last week that when I interviewed for my role 2 years ago I blew everyone else out the park and he didn’t see the need to carry on with the rest of the interviews (where’s my trumpet? )

Never had an NHS interview but I can offer more generalised advice…

- smile a lot! Be professional but also make sure you come across very friendly and approachable

- make eye contact with the interviewers when answering questions

- have an example in your head of when something “went wrong” or a difficult situation and how you handled it. Whenever I answer this question I always explain my example and explain how I handled it as they have asked, then I say “mistakes will always happen, it’s human nature but what’s important is how you deal with it and how you can try to prevent it from happening again. Mistakes are there to be learnt from”

- don’t be afraid that you’ve not had experience in this sector, just sell yourself. When they ask what you can bring to the role, tell them you’re excited for a new opportunity, you’re extremely motivated and committed, you want to acquire new skills while also developing your current skills and capabilities further. Think of what skills you currently have can be applied in the new role.

- do some initial research, find out a few facts about the department, what their core values are etc and quote one of them when they ask why you applied.

- They might ask how you prioritise workload and handle the pressure of lots of work and different deadlines. For this one I always say I write my to do list down to clear my head. I always say how important communication is, for example if something urgent came in from person A while I was completing a task for person B I would make sure I communicate with both people and explain the situation. If struggling I would speak with my manager and ask what they would like me to prioritise - they like to know you’re not afraid to ask for help!

- Similarly to the last one they may ask how you handle stress. Again I always say I write my to do list down, talk to my manager if it becomes too much, work out priorities and get any quick tasks done first so my head is clear to focus on the bigger longer term tasks.

- They may ask what aspects of the job you think may be challenging for you. The key here is to be positive. You don’t have to lie and pretend you’ll know how to do everything, you can 100% say there are certain things you’ve not done before BUT you’re excited to learn, you’re excited for the challenge and you’re a quick learner. You can say you’re aware there will be new systems to learn but tell them that excites you.

- A lot of interviewers ask what your weaknesses are and you should always provide them with one, even if it’s made up. But reinforce it with a positive! For example I often say “I consider myself to be a people pleaser which often means I have a hard time saying no and can take too much on, but I’m aware of this and it’s something I’m trying to work on so I don’t overwhelm myself.” The employers want to know that you’re honest and can admit to your own weaknesses but that you’re also always looking to improve yourself.

- Finally, at the end ALWAYS ask a question. Ask them sometime challenging that may surprise them, but make sure it’s about the job, not how much money you’ll be earning
Examples I use are:

“What is the most challenging part of working here?”
“What do you enjoy most about your job?”
“Why did you choose to work for this company?”
“What would you say are the biggest challenges in this role?”

It’s time to make THEM think and answer a question and also see how keen and enthusiastic you are.

Good luck

Thank you! Such a detailed answer, I really appreciate it

 

[MarthaFarkus]

I know this is not strictly NHS admin related but I have been selected for interview for a Trainee Nursing Associate in a couple of weeks. I currently work in the NHS as a Covid vaccinator and have worked on and off for the NHS for nearly 30 years. I have always wanted to be a nurse but the timing and life situations have always gotten in the way. Does anyone know any questions that they may ask me and how to answer? I know safeguarding comes up in everything but I just want to be as prepared as possible as this could potentially be different to any NHS interview I've had before. Many thanks in advance and good luck to those having interviews in the near future.

 

[Gimmethegossipgirl]

Sooooo….I have some good news.
I got a call from the person who had been given my details & application from the job I didn’t get before. She was asking me a few questions but nothing ‘interview’ like, but we had a formal chat about my experience & skills.
long story short, she offered me the job there and then!!!!! She was happy with the previous interview score I got, and my application and having a chat over the phone so towards the end of the call she said ‘well I’m pleased to tell you, Id like to offer you the job, congratulations!
I was speechless, I couldn’t believe it! I had to submit another application for this role and the teams interview was 22nd, but I no longer have to do that now.

I’m so happy!!!thank you everyone on the thread for your kind words xx

Congratulations that’s great news x