Hi again midwives in the making, this is the fourth and final MidwifeDiaries Interview School tutorial. This post is all about the basics of midwifery interview preparation - get these bits and pieces right and you'll be well on your way to being an excellent candidate! Whether you've newly decided you want to become a midwife and you're  feeling like you don't know where to begin with your midwifery interview preparation, or you've got loads of knowledge already and just need to put it together, Interview School can help you on your way to success (without you coming across as trying too hard or like you're using 'stock answers' - more on this later).

Did you know I always tell people one thing when I'm coaching people on midwifery interview preparation? It's this:  Midwives in the making know it - but they also have to show it!

This means, during your midwifery interview preparation, you should obviously swot up on all your midwifery info - but you should also revise how you are going to showcase this knowledge. It's really easy to forget about this whilst you're doing midwifery interview preparation in favour of learning the newest guidelines or reading midwifery journals. But spending a bit of time thinking about how you're going to present all your hard earned knowledge is just as important.

1.  Make a good entrance

Even the most nervous of us (and believe me, I was in that boat at one point!) can manage this through strength of mind. Stand up straight and smile, shake hands, sit down and so on with good composure. Even if you're secretly wanting to run, run like the wind, and leave a interviewee shaped hole in the wall, get yourself through the motions to make a good first impression as research suggests most interviewers will make up their minds about a candidate within the first 30 seconds. Standing confidently and smiling will also provide a feedback system to your body which will prime you to interview well.

2. Have all your documents ready - this is such an easy part of getting your midwifery interview preparation right!

Have your passport photos, passports, exam certificates and so on ready and waiting to impress them in that first crucial 30 seconds. No excuses, get it done!

3. Give your interviewers some eye contact

It's really easy to look at the wall behind them, or down at the table, but if you smile and share some eye contact, it tells them you are a socially aware person - just what they are looking for in a student midwife.

4. Keep your language simple

Your interviewers will be busy people, just like you. They will have lots of interviews to do and loads of candidates to see - so get your message across plain, simple and memorable. Many of us overcomplicate things in interviews to try and make ourselves seem impressive - but this piece of research suggests people who use simpler words actually come across as as more intelligent. Instead of saying 'I excel at perusing textbooks and journals to better my knowledge of midwifery', just say 'I love reading about midwifery. Textbooks, blogs, journals, NICE guidelines - it's all fascinating to me'.

5. Slow down!

Most people will talk really fast when they are under pressure. A slow, well thought out answer will be far more impressive than something rattled off. You'll also stand out because virtually no candidates do this, they just aim for a sprint finish because they think it will be impressive or they are running on adrenaline. This will also help your interviewers see you are not just using answers that you've memorised - you will come across as much more genuine and likeable if you take your time.

I hope these tips will aid you in your midwifery interview preparation! Next week I will address some of the key knowledge you should have.  Do you agree with  'It's not enough to know it - you also have to show it!' - and do you have any tips? I'd love to hear from you, and thanks for reading. Did you find this post on midwifery interview preparation helpful? If so please like and share with midwives in the making - and subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on any key material.

I really hope you found these Interview School Posts helpful. You can find post one, two and three here. And if you did enjoy them please consider sharing them with a midwifery focussed mate!

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