Three Midwifery Degree Interview Tips

Louisa offers three top tips for anyone preparing for an interview to win a University place for a Midwifery degree.

Topics covered in this video

0.00 Introduction

Hey guys, welcome back to my channel Being Louisa. So today's video is sponsored by Nurses.co.uk. Nurses.co.uk is a website with all things nursing from job posts to blog posts, and their midwifery section is expanding with us.

Today's video is going to be my interview top tips.

So, oh my gosh, it's crazy to say that I was interviewing like, what? Three years ago, just under three years ago. I was interviewing for midwifery in about February/March of 2017, which is so crazy to think like two and a bit years ago now. That's so crazy. And I got in and I started September, 2017. I call it believe that happened.

But for those of you guys who are going through that stress; one, I saw you, I see you. I understand that stress. Two; these are some of the tips that I think should help to get you through.

So my top tips for interviewing. If you've ever had another job, kind of think of it like that. How you had prepped to go in for a job interview, that's sort of how you want to go in for midwifery, and now I think I've even heard that they're expanding how many places are offered on a course.

I believe the new cohort for my university now there's like 88 of them in first year, which is mental to me. I'm like "Whoa." I think there was only about 50 something of us in first year. So now there's like 88, like how crazy. That's such a big jump.

So maybe take a little deep breath and inhale and exhale because there's more of a chance of you getting into a midwifery degree since they're now expanding their, you know the spaces.

0.54 Degree Interview Tip 1: Get your appearance right

So what you want to do is remember first impressions are everything. So when you get that always be smiling, because trust me, I read that and I was like, "isn't that obvious?" Then I was like wait no, because I have a resting B face. If you ever see me and I'm zoned out, I have this face that's just like ... Especially if I'm traveling, I have that do not talk to me face like ... But yeah, so having to be reminded like smile.

When you go in there, smile, try and give off a good positive aura I guess, if that's what you believe in, like give off good vibes. That's always, always helpful.

Also the way you're dressed. So right now I might hair is actually a mess. I'm not going to lie to you. I need to wash my hair, it's so bad, but I have this rule. Don't touch your hair if you're feeling stressed. So I haven't.

But what I have done, even though my hair is actually a mess, what I've done is I have just slipped it back, as you can see. And I've just popped on a scarf and I've done like a cute little back swirl thing. I've basically just twisted it and looped it around a donut. So it's a nice little swirl.

So that's nice and neat, or you can do whatever go-to hairstyle that is nice and neat and makes you look presentable.

And then I have on some makeup, I have on a bit more than I would wear for an interview to be honest with you, because I don't wear this every day. This is just for videos and the rare occasion that I go out. So I probably wouldn't have on this lipstick, I'd probably just have on like lip balm and I probably have a little less makeup on. So I've got some highlighter on, as you can see, like that lovely reflection. I probably wouldn't have highlighter on. I'd probably just have a base makeup on, which is basically what I have.

So I have on the foundation and the concealer, that's pushing it for me. That's basically all I have on. I've done my eyebrows a little bit and then I've got lipstick, that's it. And highlighter. But I wouldn't have the lipstick or highlighter.

Some people would wear lipstick if that's what they do every day, I don't.

But yeah, so have something that makes you look nice, fresh faced and just let's you know what you're doing.

And then wear something presentable, because of course you're being judged on your looks, that's your first impression. So be smiling and be presentable. I wore my trusted skater skirt to the interviews and tights because the skirt was a tinchy tiny bit too short, and then I had on my Zara home jacket because it looks so cute and professional, and I had on some...

... I think I actually had on my Doctor Martens, which usually I would never suggest, but it was the only shoes I had at the time, and it kind of went because I was wearing this I think ... Oh because of my jacket, that's why it went, because of my jacket.

Like those colors just stood out, and I actually got complemented on the combo, which was kind of awesome. But yeah, so that's my first tip is be presentable guys. Make sure you're looking good when you go to your interview.

2.19 Degree Interview Tip 2: Do your research

And then my next tip is make sure you've done your research. I get so many people asking what should they research, or what should they look up? Or can I do it for a them and tell them?

And it's like, you need to do this research yourself and you need to look good.

Like make sure that you know what you're talking about, know what they want as well.

Let's be honest, if you've gotten an interview, you probably know what they want and it's in your personal statement.

So know your personal statement, and just know what they want on their website, so go on their website and see what they're looking for within a student.

And yeah, ask loads of questions. Make sure you have questions. That's always a good tip for any interview, is have questions, but also have answers to the questions.

With midwifery, a lot of universities do multi-mini interviews, so MMIs and they ask you a bunch of scenario questions.

So make sure you are able to explain yourself and show you're working out basically, but speak it.

So they will ask you the scenario questions on array of things. Some might not even be relevant to the degree but they want to see are you biased, or what's your reasoning? Why would you choose that person over that person? Like what's the reasoning behind that?

And so yeah, I remember my own, I was like, "Oh I feel really bad, but like if I had to ... but then again it's like this person ... blah blah blah blah."

But yeah, so make sure you just say why you would do that, or how you feel, why you would feel that way, or whatever it is.

That is always good because then when they see do you have any unconscious biases that you don't know about? Does this person reason well? Are they good? Do they have a conscious? Is their conscious telling them, "Actually no, you should do this instead."

They want to see all those things about you.

4.32 Degree Interview Tip 3: Stay up to date on nursing and midwifery news

Another tip is make sure you're reading the news or watching the news. I'm really bad [you can read all the UK nursing news here on Nurses.co.uk!].

I do not do it any more because the news is just too much for me here in the UK right now because it's all about Brexit.

But when they do talk about NHS, make sure you're looking those things up and you're researching it and you know your own opinion on it.

Not someone else's, your own opinion. What is your opinion about the new latest thing about NHS, or about the maternity services? Also make sure you know about the latest scandal that's happened.

So whatever's big within the maternity services because that is something that shows that you know, you're keeping up to date with information, but also that you have an opinion on it.

Don't be like, "Oh my gosh, it showed this, this, this, this this." But have an opinion on it, say how it made you feel when you heard about it, or when you read about it and be like, "But this is just a great area to improve in."

And say how the maternity services could improve from this scandal basically, or from this big mistake or whatever it is.

6.17 Conclusion

So yeah, those are my tips for you. I hope they help.

So basically the short version to a long story is be presentable. Make sure you're looking good in the sense that you look fresh faced, or you just look presentable. Your hair's done good.

Have a nice simple face look and be wearing presentable clothing. I wore a blouse, a skirt. Wear some nice shoes.

I would not suggest wearing your Doctor Martens! But some nice shoes and a nice jacket, and then be prepared with all your materials that you want to say, why you want to be a midwife, what brought you into this career.

Make sure you have those basic questions ready, and then make sure you're good at reasoning and you're good at showing your reasoning out loud because they will ask you questions that will test your reasoning.

And then make sure that you have listened to the news or watched the news, or read something in the news about midwifery.

And then make sure you also know what midwifery is really about. Not just holding babies, make sure you know the ins and outs of midwifery, because that's what you're going into.

So I hope these tips are helpful. I hope your interviews go well.

I guess you guys are actually really more in the writing your personal statement stage, so this is probably like, "Oh my gosh, you've just scared because it's so far away."

So I'm sorry. But this will be here for when you guys are ready for interviews.

So until then, keep on being you. If you like this video don't forget to subscribe to get weekly updates. Bye y'all.

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