Register with Us
Medicruit UK is a recruitment agency that specializes in finding healthcare professionals for the NHS and private sector across the UK. We are committed to integrity and respect, and we care passionately about our healthcare professionals and the difference they make in the lives of patients. That's why we offer excellent benefits to all who register with us.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
Medicruit UK is a recruitment agency that specializes in finding healthcare professionals for the NHS and private sector across the UK. We are committed to integrity and respect, and we care passionately about our healthcare professionals and the difference they make in the lives of patients. That's why we offer excellent benefits to all who register with us.
BENEFITS OF REGISTERING WITH MEDICRUIT UK
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Work nationwide in the NHS, private, or home care sector, with flexible full-time or part-time hours.
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Our dedicated booking consultants will help you find the perfect shifts to suit your needs and work-life balance.
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Earn competitive pay rates, plus block booking and referral bonuses.
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Choose from a wide variety of roles for all nurses and healthcare assistants.
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Benefit from regular work, monthly compliance reviews, and online first-stage registration.
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We may also contribute to your travel and accommodation costs.
01
Interview Tips
Make a good impression at a job interview, with advice on how to prepare, and how to show what you have to offer.
An interview is a chance for an employer to see if you're the right person for the job. It's also a chance for you to make sure the job and company are the right fit for you.
You may have a face-to-face interview, a phone interview or a video interview. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many interviews are taking place online. You're likely to use video conferencing software like Skype, Zoom or Teams.
There are different types of interviews which employers might use. You should prepare for the one you’re attending.
ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEW
Your interview may only be with one person. This is usually face-to-face, and is more common in smaller companies.
PANEL INTERVIEW
Some interviews are with a panel of 2 or more people. Make sure you look at all the interviewers when you’re speaking with them. They may also ask you to do a presentation.
GROUP DISCUSSION
A group discussion is usually part of an assessment centre day with other candidates. You'll have to show you can get along with people, put your ideas forward and be respectful of others.
Employers use different types of questions when interviewing. They may tell you beforehand what type of interview it is. They may also have information on their website about their recruitment process.
COMPETENCY-BASED QUESTIONS
The focus is on the things you can do, so you’ll need to give examples to show you have the skills for the job. If you do not have examples from a work environment, you can use experiences from your personal life. You may find out before the interview which competencies they're measuring you against.
STRENGTHS-BASED QUESTIONS
These explore what you enjoy doing or do well. For example, your practical or teamworking skills, or how you work under pressure.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
The employer may test your job-related knowledge and understanding of work processes. This is common for jobs in:
- science
- IT
- engineering
- finance
- law
SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT QUESTIONS
Employers may ask how you would react in typical work situations. This is to check things like your ability to solve problems, make decisions or work with others.
VALUES-BASED QUESTIONS
Value-based questions identify whether you share the organisation's values and understand their culture. This is common for health and care jobs, particularly in the NHS.
MOTIVATIONAL QUESTIONS
These help an employer to see what drives you and to make sure you’ll fit in with their company. Learn what other people say it's like to work at the company or in a similar job. People post their interview experiences on websites like The Student Room and Glassdoor.
You could also talk to people you know who work at the company or are in similar jobs.
Choose a date and time that works for you so you can be ready for the interview and be at your best on the day. To help make sure you’re prepared:
- Read the job description and person specification carefully. Be clear on the skills and qualities the employer is looking for.
- Check the company website to find out more about its products or services and their plans for the future
- Go over your CV or application form and think about things the employer may ask you about
- Prepare some examples that show you have the right skills, personal qualities and experience.
- Practise your timings on presentations and keep a back-up copy
- Ask someone you trust to help you practise answering questions
- Think of 2 or 3 questions of your own that you can ask at the end of your interview, to show you’re enthusiastic about the job
- Pick out something suitable and comfortable to wear
- Check what time you need to arrive and the name of the person you need to see
- Make sure that you know how to get to where the interview is being held. Work out your public transport route or where you can park. Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before the interview starts
- Make sure you know who to call in case you’re late for any reason. If you have a disability you may need adjustments to make the interview accessible.
Before you go into the interview:
- Turn off your phone
- Use breathing techniques to calm yourself - try to remember, a few nerves are normal
- Smile and greet your interviewer with confidence
- Ask for some water if you need it
In the interview, remember to:
- Be polite and use the right language and tone for a formal situation
- Listen to the questions and think before you begin your answers
- Ask the interviewer to repeat or explain further if you do not understand a question
- Be positive about your experiences. If you’ve faced difficult situations, show what you learned from them
- Be honest and assertive
- Ask a couple of questions when you’re given the opportunity. Choose questions that make you sound keen. For example, “What opportunities are there for training with the company?” It’s best not to ask about pay or holidays at this stage At the end of the interview, thank the employer for their time. Tell them you’re looking forward to hearing from them.
When you leave the interview, try to reflect on some of the harder questions you were asked - this can help you to prepare for future interviews.
ACCEPTING A JOB
If you’re offered the job, let the company know in good time whether you want to accept the offer. You can also agree when you’ll start and find out what you’ll need to do on your first day.
TURNING DOWN A JOB
If you decide not to accept the job, turn it down but be polite. You may want to work for them in the future.
IF YOU’RE NOT SUCCESSFUL
If the employer does not offer you the job:
- Try to be positive - this is a chance to learn from your experience and build your resilience
- Ask for feedback on your interview
- Think about the things that did not go so well and what you could do to improve next time
- Get some interview practice. Ask friends, family, colleagues or a careers adviser to help
02
Interview Questions
Practice your answers to some of the main interview questions often asked.
Employers want to see that you have a genuine interest in working for them by asking questions like:
- What do you know about our company?
- Why do you think you're a good fit for our company?
- Why do you want to work for us?
To prepare for questions about the employer, you need to research the company. You should look at their website and 'about us' pages to find out more about their products, services and values. Show what you've learned about the company throughout the interview.
Employers will want to get to know you and may ask things like:
- What do you do in your spare time?
- What are your hobbies and interests?
Show what kind of personal qualities, interests and skills you have. For example, you could talk about:
- cooking - to show you're organised and can follow instructions
- travel - to show you're adventurous and flexible
- team sports - to show you're a team player with good communication
- music - to show you're creative
If the job requires certain skills, you should demonstrate these in your examples.
Employers usually base questions on jobs you have done in the past. This gives you the chance to talk about your experience. For instance, they might ask:
- When have you faced a challenging situation?
- Can you tell us about a personal achievement at work?
- Have you ever taken the initiative?
- Have you ever failed at a task?
Your answers should reflect the skills the employer wants. Be positive and tailor your examples to the job description. If you don't have much work history, you can use examples from outside of work. You can also use examples from volunteering experience.
The strengths employers look for will depend on the job role. They may ask you questions like:
- What are your main strengths?
- Why should we hire you? You can use specific examples to highlight your strengths, such as:
- communication - to show you get on with others
- problem solving - to show that you can find solutions
- enthusiasm - to show that you have a positive attitude to work
- flexibility - to show that you can adapt to different ways of working
Plan your answers around 2 or 3 examples that are relevant to the job. You can back these up with qualifications or training you've done.
You should be honest when answering questions on your weaknesses. Say how you're working to improve them.
Example Question - "Do you have any weaknesses?"
Answer - "I struggle with time management on projects. To make sure I stick to the time frame I'm creating a timetable of steps at the start of each project".
At the end of a job interview, employers will usually ask if you have any questions for them. This is a good chance to show your interest in the company and your enthusiasm for the job. For example, you could ask:
- What is it like to work here?
- What does a typical day involve?
- How do you see the company developing over the next few years?
- Will there be any training opportunities after I start?
The employer may ask you questions about leaving your last job. If you've been out of work for a long time, explain why. Talk about the positive things you've done while away from work. For example, networking, retraining, volunteering or keeping fit. If you:
- left by choice: be positive about why you want a new job and describe why their company suits you better
- got made redundant: explain the situation, be positive and describe how you've responded since
- were fired for misconduct or poor performance: explain why your standards dropped, what you've learned and how you've improved since the experience
03
Video Interviews
When you apply for a job, you may have a live video interview or a pre-recorded interview. Get advice on how to prepare.
Like all interviews you’ll need to prepare well. Make sure that you know the:
- date and time of the interview
- contact details
To help you prepare you should:
- spend some time on practice questions you’re given
- research the company and what’s involved in the job
- look at the company website and get an understanding of their culture and values
- read through any guidance notes from the recruiter and follow their instructions
- go through your CV or application form and prepare examples to show you have the skills and experience
- prepare some answers to common interview questions
- have some questions of your own ready to ask
You may also find it helpful to make notes and put them somewhere you can see them.
Before you start you should test your microphone and make sure you know how to use the software. This includes how to:
- start and end the session
- mute your microphone or turn off your camera
- share your screen – you may have to do a practical task during the interview
Make sure you plug in or charge your equipment and that your internet connection is good. Log in with at least half an hour to spare so that you can check everything is working well.
Find a quiet space with no interruptions. If you live in a shared house, you may need to warn others to be quiet around the time of your interview. Find somewhere you can sit that does not have anything distracting in the background. Make sure you have good natural light or use a lamp so that the interviewer can see you well.
If you can, use a computer or laptop rather than a tablet or mobile phone. Position it so the camera is at eye level. It may also help if you:
- use headphones to improve your sound quality
- split your screen and have your prompt cards on one half and the interview on the other
- close down any other windows on your computer and turn off your mobile phone
Wear smart clothes that look professional. Go for something plain that does not look distracting on camera. Try not to wear a lot of jewellery. Avoid anything that could distract you and be noisy when you move.
You should do some practice runs. Record yourself and watch the recording back. Make sure you:
- be clear when you speak
- do not talk too fast
- pause at the end of a question so that you don’t talk over the interviewer (there is a slight delay online)
- smile and look interested
- sit up straight and have good body language
- keep up good eye contact – look at your camera rather than at the screen
Take some deep breaths and try to stay calm. Try to enjoy the experience and show the employer you are a good fit for their company. After the interview, you should write down:
- 2 or 3 things that you think went well
- 2 or 3 that you think you could improve next time
You may feel you need help to build your confidence in video interviews. Talk to a careers adviser at school, college or university or speak to one of our Medicruit UK advisers.
A live video interview is like a face-to-face interview. You'll have an interviewer or a panel of interviewers ask you questions in real time. It will be on a service like:
- Skype
- Microsoft Teams
- Facetime
- Google Meet
- Zoom
In a live video interview, if you have any technical problems, let the interviewer know. It’s best to stop and restart if you need to.
Pre-recorded interviews usually open at a set time and stay open for a few days. You record your answers during this time and send them back to the interviewer to watch later.
You usually watch a video and have a set amount of time to record your answers. The questions will either appear on the screen or the employer may have recorded them in advance.
In a pre-recorded interview you will not be speaking to anyone. You will not have any visual clues from an interviewer to encourage you. To help try to imagine you are talking to a real person. You could practice in front of a mirror or with a friend to help. You should:
- read the questions well before answering
- use any practice questions to check out if you can stop or re-record any of your answers if something goes wrong