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Non-Medical Interview Tips

So you've decided what to apply for, done your research and got your CV in shape. Now what? We share our key non-medical interview tips for doctors.

So you’ve decided what to apply for, done your research and got your CV in shape. Congratulations, you’ve got to interview stage! Now what? Below, we share our key non-medical interview tips.

Non-medical interview tips

Most non-medical interviews will have a competency based assessment element. This means that you give concrete examples of situations you have already been in, which demonstrate the skills that your potential future employer is looking for.

  • Do not waffle
  • Do not go in unprepared

Competency interviews require you to put in the effort up front.

  • First, you need to research lots of examples of competency based questions.
  • Second you’ll need to think back over your history to find examples that show you’ve got the relevant skills and abilities.

A useful matrix to follow is STAR for each example:

Situation – the circumstances.

Task – your role.

Action – this showcases the skills that the question is testing. What you did, how you did it, why you did it.

Result – give your story an ending.

Putting this into an example context:

GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN YOU HAVE WORKED EFFECTIVELY IN A TEAM?

Situation – I was working in my Foundation 2 year in the A&E department at King’s Hospital, as part of a team of 7 doctors.

Task – on a particularly busy Saturday night we were short staffed. Someone in the waiting room collapsed and started convulsing.

Action – I asked the desk staff to keep the patients relatives calm, I gave CPR, someone else in my team helped, asked for advice from SHO in charge etc

Result – patient was fine, filled out paperwork.

You can see that this fictional example is extremely specific. What you are trying to do is make the interviewer feel like they were actually there, watching you in this situation. That makes it sound genuine.

Remember if you say you have a skill, you must be able to back it up with an example!

Check out our webinar for a non-medical CV masterclass for doctors.

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Sara Sabin

With a solid corporate background, Sara specialises in advising doctors in how to prepare a non-medical CV and how to prepare for a non-medical interview. She is also the Co-Founder of Medic Footprints.

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