This page offers advice on general interview skills, preparing and practicing, using the STAR technique, and managing virtual interviews.

We also have further advice on sample interview questions and managing interview nerves.

RCN members who have been shortlisted for an interview and want interview coaching  can now book this online.

The aim of the interview is to gather information to assess whether you have the right skills, experience, knowledge, values, motivation, and personality for the job.

This is your opportunity to show the employer that you are the best person for the job and demonstrate what you could bring to the role or organisation. 

Some of the main factors for succeeding at interview are:

• Your interview technique (understanding how answers are scored, how to answer and structure your answers)
• Preparation and Practice (researching the role/organisation, revising relevant topics, preparing mock answers, practising/rehearsing thoroughly)
• Your demeanour (personality, confidence, communication, delivery, body language, etc.)
• Managing your interview nerves 

The more you have prepared and practiced, the more likely you are to feel in control on the day and give a stronger, more confident performance.

Below are some tips on how and what to prepare.

Review your application 

A Person Specification will list the skills, experience, and abilities that the employer is looking for in a candidate, giving you clues as to what topics could come up at interview. 

The Job Description will clearly set out what the role involves, including the purpose, duties and responsibilities. You will be expected to have a good understanding of what the job entails and its role within the department or organisation.  

Revisit your application or supporting statement to refresh your memory. A potential employer may ask you about certain parts of your application during the interview.

Prepare: Underline all the skills, experience and personal attributes, and write down examples that show how you meet these using the STAR technique, making sure your answers are backed up with specific examples or evidence. Review and revise the examples you have prepared.

Practice: Practice by saying them out loud and rehearsing your answers

Research the employer

You will be expected to know about the company or organisation you’re applying to. This is why arranging an informal visit beforehand could be a really good idea.

Explore the employer’s website for information and news, check their social media, or use your contacts to get advice from people who work there.

What is their mission statement, their vision, their values? Do they have a strategy? What are they proud of, or what achievements have they accomplished? What is their key focus? Are they involved in any pilots, schemes, or initiatives?

Think also specifically about the team, service or department you are applying for.

Prepare:  Research the employer and write down a few key points.

Practice: Imagine you are asked the question, "What do you know about us?" Write down your answer and rehearse until you feel confident.

Values 

Values based recruitment (VBR) is an approach used by both NHS and private sector employers, where the employer decides on a set of core values for their organisation. They then use these values as a benchmark, to help recruit staff and identify the candidates who they think will be the best fit. 

Employers are passionate about their values, putting a massive emphasis on them for recruitment. They will want to see that their candidates’ values, behaviours, and attitudes align with their own. (If the employer doesn't have any formal values, look on their website to see if you can find their vision or mission statement.)

Prepare: Revise your employer’s values or core competences until you are familiar with them.

Practice: Imagine you are asked the question, "What can you tell us about our values?" Write down your answer and rehearse until you feel confident.

Research your profession and field

Make sure you’re up to date with any initiatives, issues, hot topics and challenges within

• healthcare in general
• your clinical area or clinical field
• your specific UK country

You might be asked about topics such as the 6Cs of nursing, NHS core values, or the duty of candour. You may be asked about country specific strategies or plans, such as the 10 year plan in England, A Healthier Wales, the NHS Recovery Plan in Scotland, or Northern Ireland's Health and Wellbeing plan.

This might be a good time to join one of the RCN's professional forums if you're not already a member. You can also us the RCN library.

Prepare: Research your profession and field and write down a few key points

Practice: Imagine you are asked the question, "Tell us about some initiatives and challenges in healthcare?" Write down your answer and rehearse until you feel confident.

Prepare some mock interview questions 

The Person Specification and Job Description may give you clues as to what could come up at interview. Some Person Specifications will specifically indicate which of the criteria will be assessed at interview stage.  

You can also see our sample interview questions for ideas.

Prepare: After examining your job pack and thinking about the role you’re applying for, prepare some relevant mock interview questions. Write down your answers using the STAR technique.

Practice: Practice using the STAR technique and rehearse until you feel confident.

Rehearse

When practicing for interviews, always practice out loud. Take into consideration:

• What tone and language you will use 
• How you can convey your passion, enthusiasm, interest and/or confidence
• How your personality will come across
• Your facial expressions and body language

It's useful to practice in front of a mirror or record/film yourself. This may help you notice if you're talking too fast, sound too quiet, or lack enthusiasm for example.

You could practice with family, friends or colleagues. Ask for constructive feedback and practice again if necessary.

Don’t forget you can book an appointment with a career coach to go through interview techniques or interview coaching. See further below for more details. Please note, there is a waiting time for appointments, so book in as early on as possible. 

Prepare strategies for managing your nerves

Everybody gets nervous at interviews. Make sure you have thought out and tested some strategies for managing any anxiety or interview nerves.

See our guide on managing interview nerves for more information, techniques, ideas and videos on this.

Using AI tools

You may want to explore using AI tools such as Chat GPT, copliot or gemini.  to help you prepare and practice your interview skills. AI tools can be used to:

• suggest practice interview questions relevant to your target job
• simulate a mock interview and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement
• help you structure responses using the STAR technique
• identify hot topics, resources, or clinical frameworks/guidelines that are relevant to your target role
• summarise information about your target employer, their values, goal and strategy

For more information and examples of useful prompts, see our page how AI can help with your career.

Interview coaching with the RCN

RCN members can schedule free, one to one interview coaching over the telephone as part of their membership. See further below for details on how to book online. Our career coaching page also offers more information about coaching. 

(Please note, our career coaches are not clinical so they won’t be able to offer any guidance on clinical interview questions or clinical issues, decision making, standards or best working practice etc.)

Your interviewers will be looking to see how you present yourself, how you come across, and how you handle pressure.

How you interact with your interview panel may also be a good indication of how you would interact with your patients or colleagues.

Dress to impress

Make sure you dress smartly and appropriately for the interview. Make sure you are freshly washed, freshly groomed, and wear smart, clean clothes. Employers may view the way you look after yourself to be indicative of how you might look after your patients.

Create a good first impression

First impressions count, so have a think about yours. Basic courtesies such as saying hello and making eye contact are so important, but can sometimes be forgotten due to nerves.

Greet your interviewer(s) with a warm smile, appropriate eye contact, and open body language. After saying hello, you may want to introduce yourself, say it's nice to meet them, and thank them for taking the time to interview you. You may also want to shake their hands, if you feel comfortable to do so. 

Body language

Have a think about your body language. You want to come across as positive, approachable and confident. 

Examples of nervous or "closed" body language can include fidgeting, crossing your arms, slouching, or avoiding eye contact.

Examples of positive or "open" body language can include adopting a good posture, keeping your hands visible, nodding occasionally when others are talking. 

Hand gestures

Research suggests that open palms are associated with honesty and openness. If you are seated, try resting your hands loosely on your lap or table with your palms slightly visible to convey approachability and confidence.

Eye contact

Appropriate use of good eye contact aids rapport building and trust. Make sure you share your eye contact equally among all members of the interview panel when giving your answers, and not just the person you feel the most comfortable with, or the person who's doing the most talking.

Smiling

Smiling aids rapport building, conveys confidence and enthusiasm, and makes you appear more personable and approachable.

You can also smile to indicate you are listening to the interviewers when they are speaking.

Positive attitude

Try to come across as positive and professional at all times. Avoid negative language and never speak negatively about patients, colleagues or previous employers. 

Communication

Think about your communication skills, such as smiling, nodding, or leaning slightly forward when others are speaking to you, to convey active listening.

Clarify or pause if needed

Don’t be afraid to take a moment to think about a question or ask your interviewer to repeat or rephrase it.

This shows you are considering your answer and that you want to understand; both of which demonstrate good communication skills.

Final impression

Finish the interview with a good final impression. You could thank them for their time and say that you enjoyed the opportunity to meet them and discuss the role.

Everybody gets nervous at interviews. Make sure you have prepared and practiced some strategies for managing any anxiety or interview nerves.

See our advice on managing interview nerves for more in depth information, techniques, ideas and videos on this.

Interview routine

On the day of the interview, follow the same steps you would for an in-person interview, e.g., make sure you've eaten something, dress professionally, and allow time to mentally prepare.

Background and composition

Plan in advance where you will position yourself for your virtual interview.

Choose a quiet, uncluttered space that reflects professionalism. Position yourself so the camera frames you clearly. 

Lighting

Lighting is important as you will want the interviewer(s) to see your facial expressions to help build trust and rapport during your interview. If you are in a darker room or interviewing towards the end of the day, you may want to consider having an extra light to illuminate your face.

Experiment in advance of your interview to make sure you’ve got it right.

Interruptions

Make plans in advance to ensure your interview space will be as free as possible from any potential interruptions.  

If you do experience an interruption, apologise, stay calm, and resolve it as quickly as possible. Acting professionally during unexpected or challenging situations can be a good reflection of how you might handle tricky scenarios in your work life.

Eye contact

Eye contact is crucial for building trust and rapport. When you are being interviewed, take care to look directly into the lens of the camera that is recording you rather than your screen. 

Body language

Position your camera, phone, or recording device at an angle that naturally allows you to keep your head up straight. This can convey professionalism and confidence.

Consider using your hands to emphasise points or to help punctuate your speech. Research shows that showing open hands can aide trust and rapport building, and it can also be used to convey confidence.

Facial expressions and non-verbal cues

Smiling can help make you look more personable, confident, and approachable, and simple things like nodding while your interviewer is talking can convey good listening skills.

Notes

Arrange some notes around your interview area to help jog your memory or serve as a prompt. Don’t go overboard as you don’t want it to sound like you’re reading from a script.

Practice run

Make sure you have set everything up way in advance of your actual interview. You will want to check that the lighting and camera work is suitable, the sound is working ok, and that you are comfortable and familiar with whatever technology and software you are using.

RCN Careers resources

You may want to see our page on interview skills for general advice on interview techniques, structuring your answers and practice and preparation tips, as well as sample interview questions and how to answer them.

RCN Careers also offers one to one telephone interview coaching appointments. See below for information on how to book this online.

If you've been shortlisted for an interview and would like one to one interview coaching with an RCN Career Coach, you can now book online. 

Use our decision-maker tool below to double check if you're eligible for interview coaching and to view the booking link.

You will need to log into the RCN website and be in active membership to view the decision-maker tool and booking link.