 Hi everyone and welcome back to another vlog so today's vlog is all about applying for your very first job as a newly qualified nurse. Well any job really is a nurse so yeah hopefully you're going to find it useful and I can give you some tips and advice to help you on your way and hopefully you're going to smash it. In this vlog I'm also going to talk mainly about GP interviews because that is where my main love is but I am going to give some overall advice for standard interviews hopefully that's going to help you out as well if you're not applying to GP. I also just need to add that I have already done a community nursing interview vlog which I will post the link below so have a look at that if you want more district nursing specifically go and check that one out. My first tip on interviews to this one is probably the biggest tip I think is how to ease those nerves because I'm the sort of person probably like you where I get really nervous my mind goes blank they'll ask me questions that I know the answer to every day in everyday life but at the interview under the pressure your mind goes blank you're like I have no idea what colour the grass is outside it's one of those and it's terrible why do we do it to ourselves but this tip is exactly for you and hopefully it's going to help you calm those nerves a bit. So go in and look around contact the place or area that you're applying to ask can you go in meet the team see what they do have a look around at the clinic rooms things like that this is what I did that I was very very fortunate that the practice said to me you're new to the area do you want to come in and have a look around meet the team and if you are still interested you like the look of the place come and apply and it was amazing I'm so glad I did this because it honestly put my nerves ease I spent an hour in that place that day and it wasn't even the interview it was just looking around chatting to all the staff it was lovely and it honestly on the day of my interview I was so relaxed I was still a bit nervous because I really wanted it but it really it just yeah it really benefited me and hopefully that's going to help you out. However there are obviously other techniques that you can use breathing techniques a bit of meditation calm yourself down listening to music on the way little things like that that you can do whatever you know and works best for you use that. My second point is as well dressed to impress everyone sort of seeing comments about asking what shall I wear to an interview first impressions is everything to me I went in a full-blown suit let me show you so my full-blown suit was this jacket not the blue shirt underneath ignore that but this was my suit jacket beautiful colour green is fashionable at the minute apparently and these were my suit trousers and I wore a white shirt underneath and it just it looks professional and I wanted them to look at me and think wow we could employ this girl and that's the way you should think as well so yeah OTT is the way I see it so let's move on to the specific questions of interviews because that's what you really really want to know you want to know the questions answers all of that jazz so I'm gonna move along into that and have to apologise I've got little dog in the background who might jump on on the bed jump off the bed so I'm really sorry if that's a distraction throughout this video but it is what it is he's cute so the first question that they always ask I've been asked this in every single interview I've ever had whether it's very HCA role might both my nursing roles even when I worked in like sales and hospitality it's something that everyone has always asked so you're guaranteed you're more than likely 99% gonna be asked this question why do you want this job why do you want to work in this particular area so mine was GP why do you want to be a GP nurse you have to share your passion if it's just a job to you and you're just applying for the sake of applying because you really need the money think of something to say don't say that just say come from the heart think about all the positives of the role think about the area you're gonna be working in what do you love about that area what has made that stand out compared to all of the other nursing jobs that you could apply for because there's thousands on NHS jobs why is that one in particular stood out to you and why do you can you see yourself working in that area just answer it honestly and openly but please don't say I just need the money because I don't think I'll go down too well the next question that you usually get asked but not always is your experience and quality so what can you bring to the team what qualities do you have this is where you have to sell yourself and I know people really struggle I really struggle with selling myself but the way I see it is it's me or somebody else so if you're not selling yourself enough that can literally just be a tiny little point that they pick upon to not give you the job I failed a couple of times previously at interviews purely on selling myself and I rang up and I got the feedback because I was getting to the point where I was like why am I getting this job so I rang up feedback on two occasions both times they said you need to sell yourself more and you need more confidence so it just goes to show that is a big thing because if everyone's got the same experience if everyone's got same qualifications which we all have all nurses you really really need to sell yourself make you stand out from everybody else another question you might get asked on is the person spec on the job so I would massive tip look around the person spec and the job requirement slash description for the particular area that you're working at whether it's GP or another area make sure you know those look through the essential criteria because they might say to you okay what experience do you have in this you've said that you meet the criteria talk to me about it so just do that go through the list and think on your head okay what am I gonna say to answer these questions if they ask me about it and my experiences but you already know that anyway because you obviously meet the criteria you wouldn't have an interview so that's just gonna come naturally off the top of your head they usually ask things like team working like what makes a good team how would you be a good team player those sort of questions as well and just think about good teams that you've worked in so if you've had a placement somewhere or if you've worked in an area as a HCA or a qualified nurse if you're qualified nurse already think about the sort of do the good teams that you've worked in what was good about that team what what worked what didn't work and just to say that in the interview just go through the lists of and show examples as well another tip sorry always if you're gonna give an answer always give examples they love if you give loads of examples of how you do it it just shows that you're understanding the question and you'll understand what's expected of you in the role as well if that makes sense so always give examples you're also more than likely not everywhere does this but nine times out of ten I think most places always ask a scenario based question so they want to see what your responses in this sort of question so they might give you the angry patient scenario what you're gonna do with an angry patient if they come into your room you're the only one there how you're gonna handle that situation are you a calm person are you patient can you sort of distract the patient and sort of settle them they just want to see your reaction and how you handle the stress basically and that's all about your communication skills it's all about you know listening to the patient not overpowering the patient telling them that you understand their concerns and all of that and just making them comfortable and yeah and seeking help and advice if you need it so if a patient's getting really aggressive to the point where they're punching you or something you want to call security and so yeah it's about being safe but sensible at the same time so if you are applying for GP it's a lot of lone working questions as well so how are you at being autonomous you need to show that you're autonomous because if you want to work in primary care community district nursing GP that sort of area you need to be confident in your own skills you need to be confident as a nurse obviously you'll have the support and you'll have the training and all of that but it is a lone working type of role you're not gonna have a ward to fall back on all these people and to be honest I love that this is why GP's perfect for me I love being on my own and being in control of my own clinic my own patients I love it I thrive in that sort of environment so you need to show that you need to show that you can do that give an example again of when you've been autonomous and when you've handled that sort of situation how you work in that situation do you cope well under the pressure all those sort of little things is exactly what they're looking for a few other things that I've heard I don't know I wasn't asked these sort of questions but I have seen on other Facebook pages and things like that is people have been asked about safeguarding and mental health when in GP in particular because that's quite big as well about recognising those signs and symptoms and who you would refer to your appropriate services so if you are applying to GP look around the area at what's about like have they got mind have they got healthy minds have they got mental health teams community mental health teams what are the local safeguarding is the multi-agency safeguarding involved have a look at all those sort of things just to be prepared just in case they do ask you that question always better to be over prepared for an interview I think and lastly just be yourself just if you can't be yourself who can you be so be yourself try and relax show that passion in the area that you want to work in and they will absolutely love you I'm sure on one last note sorry guys take your folder take a portfolio if you've got a portfolio this is mine with all of my certificates all of my achievements in at the back I've got some previous mental feedback slips that I've put in there that they can get out and they can read if they want and just ID and things like that in the back just in case they need to photocopy that sort of thing but take a portfolio with you take if you're a student nurse newly qualified nurse take all of your mentors feedback any patient feedback anything you've got that's going to make you shine take and just yeah sell yourself like I said so just one last little summary of applying for any sort of nurse job out there just one look up the area you're working at know it inside out know what they do services they preside ride everything because they might ask you that to if you are applying to GP make sure you know the local prevalence of the area what sort conditions are out there age ranges things like that have a look on the government and council websites the GP practice website itself might give you that information and the values and visions look them up as well the job description and the person spec you want to know inside out just in case they ask you anything and they ask you to give you examples make sure you know those because they're more than likely going to ask you the essential stuff in the interview and the rest we'll just follow the rest of just come naturally the scenario questions teamwork and you know it guys you do it out there already you've done it on placements you've done it as a nurse whatever you know we just relax calm your mind and just answer as you would and lastly give examples I've said it already give examples make sure you example everything so you show you understand what they're saying so thank you as always for tuning in don't forget to subscribe you haven't subscribed yet and I just wanted to say if I haven't covered anything if there's something extra that you'd like to know give me an inbox and I'm more than happy to answer any questions that you've got for me so thank you so so much and I shall see you next time