To think I just won't get a job?

[ILeanne94]

9 unsuccessful interviews...I'm doing something wrong. I honestly do so much prep as well but the information just isn't sticking... Going over policies and procedures and then also trying to go over answers to your scenario questions. Yet here I am, just had my 9th unsuccessful job interview.

My next one is on the 30th, an entry level NHS position.

These roles before have been entry level but I do have a degree and I feel I prepare a lot of answers and things but on the day they will ask me something and if it's not an exact question I prepared I am lost and end up trying to waffle something together or have to skip it completely!!!

I really am needing a job and any advice would be amazing. Thank you

Have you received any feedback? I think nhs positions have very specific criteria you need to meet in order to progress - have you been coached on these specifics at all?

I'm sorry you've been struggling with this, job hunting is very difficult.

I’ve recently got a job after 6 other interviews. The one I got I did the less prep for. I think it meant I came across less nervous, more natural and more confident.

Don’t let the no get to you, you will get there. Good luck!

@AlongCameBetsy

Have you received any feedback? I think nhs positions have very specific criteria you need to meet in order to progress - have you been coached on these specifics at all?

I'm sorry you've been struggling with this, job hunting is very difficult.

Tbh I meet the essential and desires criteria on paper and they like my supporting letter enough to interview me and then in the interview if I do get feedback it's always "not aware of certain situations" "lacked certainty" but it always feels like I can't remember every little detail going into the interview and they just so happen to ask stuff I've only brushed over. 7 days I've been prepping for this one so far and I feel I've literally got no further with retaining information :(

What feedback have you had. That’s the only way you’re going to fix what the problem is. If there is a problem.
How competitive is the job market round your way? Is it possible they’re just finding candidates they like more?
What job experience do you have? What skills do you bring?

Well, I've just got my first ever permanent job at 44, so don't give up hope!

It sounds like you might be over preparing. You can’t come up with an answer for every potential question, you’ll drive yourself mad if you try.

I’d be prepping index cards on a thematic basis with a word cloud type visual that creates a few natural prompts for you (if that makes sense?)

@Smartiepants79

What feedback have you had. That’s the only way you’re going to fix what the problem is. If there is a problem. How competitive is the job market round your way? Is it possible they’re just finding candidates they like more? What job experience do you have? What skills do you bring?

I've got a lot of experience within voluntary/education based situations but not really in a paid position, so maybe they really do just always have someone who have worked in it before but how am I supposed to get one D: I always link stuff to my experience but i struggle with the scenario questions. I have the "tell us about yourself" and "why do you want this job" imprinted on my brain at this point but they always manage to add a random scenario questions I have never even thought about before, so is this really a case of just waiting until I finally get the interview I'm asked one I've prepared? I'm terrible at thinking on my feet

@OneGoodTurn

It sounds like you might be over preparing. You can’t come up with an answer for every potential question, you’ll drive yourself mad if you try.

I’d be prepping index cards on a thematic basis with a word cloud type visual that creates a few natural prompts for you (if that makes sense?)

Oh that does sound good thank you

Have you come across the STAR technique to answer questions?

Can you say a bit more about the NHS role that you are applying for, Op? I bet you will get loads of help and advice here.

Maybe you are over prepared. An entry level interview shouldn't be like an exam. They are looking for evidence that you meet the criteria and that you have the right attitude.
It's ok to take a moment to think about your answer but I think it will make a poor impression to skip an interview question completely.
I would try really slowing down, leave a pause, speak slowly, don't panic. You are obviously qualified or you wouldn't be getting interviews so it's just a matter of interview technique. Which is a learnable skill. Don't despair!

Just keep going, you will definitely get a job, you are gaining experience at every interview. Good luck for 30th 🤞

I'm terrible at thinking on my feet

This is probably what is letting you down. Look at the person spec and the job description, and try to imagine questions based on them. So if one of the points on the spec is a high level of organisational skills, then a question might be tell us about your experience of having to be organised in a previous role, how did you make sure everything got done? If you can imagine the kind of situational/competency based questions then you can start to prepare some answers.

What jobs are you going for, Admin?

I tend to think it's a numbers game. It also depends on who else applies. Sometimes the competition is stiff. Sometimes not so.

I'd just keep applying and interviewing. Something will stick eventually. Don't give up!

The jobs are laboratory jobs, I have a degree in biomedical science and have been in retail for the last 2 years, applying for these entry level positions each time they come up and I'm always happy with how I can write my answers but yes thinking on my feet is the issue!

Easier said than done, but you need to relax and have a conversation with them.
It needs to feel natural.
The more fluid it is, the better.
There will always be questions you did not prepare for in every interview.
Pause a moment, think, choose an scenario and explain it to the panel and tell them what happened and how you dealt with it or how you would sort it.
You can buy a few seconds of thinking time by saying things like "not an scenario I have faced yet, but .....", "that is quite an interesting situation.." or something like this. It takes a few sec to say, it flows and it gives you a moment to compose the answer in your head.

@ChuckBerrysBoots

I'm terrible at thinking on my feet

This is probably what is letting you down. Look at the person spec and the job description, and try to imagine questions based on them. So if one of the points on the spec is a high level of organisational skills, then a question might be tell us about your experience of having to be organised in a previous role, how did you make sure everything got done? If you can imagine the kind of situational/competency based questions then you can start to prepare some answers.

Yes!! Questions like that or "what would you do in this situation" my mind goes blank as they just sit and stare at me and I can't even think of a situation in my head as I've only prepped for other examples, it's a nightmare

@thesandwich

Have you come across the STAR technique to answer questions?

Yes! And I always have some lovely STAR prepared answers before the interview but they will not ask those ones and ask something else and I try and fit it around the scenario I've already thought about and then I get confused and don't know where I'm leading I've had it twice that they go "okay let's move on" and in that moment ik I instantly won't get the job lol

Do you have any actual lab experience? If you don't I'll bet you're losing out to those that do - and I hate to say it but there's about to be a load of newly unemployed covid lab testers.... Can you get experience in a private lab (Randox for example) or go through an agency?

Having interviewed candidates for mid-level NHS jobs recently I can say it's really disappointing how many candidates miss out on the basics. My opening question is along the lines of 'this role involves doing x and y for (name of Trust), what can you tell me about the Trust?'. This is just my super-friendly way of asking 'have you actually bothered to google us before turning up for this interview?' I've recently had candidates for roles at Band 7 (definitely not entry level) who clearly hadn't. What's the point of this ramble? Do the basics. What does the employer actually do - for bonus points pick up one extra stand out fact from the website, be friendly, open and enthusiastic. For an entry level job there will probably be a fair number of candidates with broadly similar skills (on paper) so you need to stand out a bit so here your biggest asset is you. Sure you can prepare all the standard answers you want but adding in a little sparkle of what makes you special might just swing it.

You need to think of it as a conversation not a Q&A style grilling, first and foremost.

Questions like that or "what would you do in this situation" my mind goes blank as they just sit and stare at me and I can't even think of a situation in my head as I've only prepped for other examples

What would* you do in an unfamiliar situation you hadn’t prepared for? Work it through out loud. In a way it’s not what^ you say it’s how you describe your decision-making to them. “Show your workings” as they used to say at school - what matters as much as the ‘correct’ answer is how you got there, and if it’s not the correct answer someone can identify the misstep and suggest what you’d do instead and then you agree enthusiastically “Ah, great point..,” etc and then everyone feels like you’re someone they can train, and open to feedback…

Seriously. If your feedback has been “not aware of certain situations" (you are now though, right) and "lacked certainty" you can totally address this - “certainty” is more about projecting confidence that you’re someone who will problem-solve.

That's a really small number of interviews. It's depressing but I'm sure you'll get there!

Some great points so far! Also remember that your interviewers are people (not just interview robots!) and they’re looking for someone who will fit into the team and they’ll enjoy working with. Try to be yourself, be open and friendly and smile.

I freaked out in an interview once where I went completely blank in a presentation, laughed it off and said “sorry I’m having a bit of a moment!”. Interviewers laughed, which broke the tension and I got back on track. Got the job!

As someone who has done loads of interviews, can I suggest that you may be prepping detail and not principle? No one is EVER EVER going to know every detail of what to do in every scenario. What happens is that you know the principles and apply them....so is the scenario health and safety? confidentiality? data use? training and refreshing? performance?

once you have sorted which umbrella the scenario comes under then you can say "well this issue is about xxx. Where I work now I would do xxx/report to yyy/evacuate the lab but one of the things I'd need to do if I get the job is familarise myself with your policy/procedure/practice on this" Unless you are calamity Jane, you won't have experienced every scenario they come up with so you won't always be able to say "oh when that happened at xxx lab, I did yyy"
As an interviewer I never wanted to see that the candidate could recite learned detail but that they could think and reason.

@titchy

Do you have any actual lab experience? If you don't I'll bet you're losing out to those that do - and I hate to say it but there's about to be a load of newly unemployed covid lab testers.... Can you get experience in a private lab (Randox for example) or go through an agency?

I have no employment lab history no :( but I have some work experience in a clinical lab and I do link it the best I can but I'm worried because of the feedback on "lack of certainty" etc it's more about how I'm coming across but ofc maybe it's actually because of the no lab history employment