Band 2 NHS Interview

[ExtraCreamy]

I have an interview on Monday for a Band 2 NHS role. I've been in my current job for over 14 years and it's high time for a change! I've done research about what the role is and what responsibilities I'll have, core NHS values etc but does anyone have any insights about what kind of questions they might ask? I really want to do well and I really believe I'd be good at this job! Thanks in advance

Well done. It must be a boost to your confidence to know you can keep it together and give sensible answers, even though you’re out of practice. I hope you get it.

Thanks everyone for all your help and advice. I got the job! I don't have a start date yet but I'm really happy!

Well done @ExtraCreamy , amazing! I got offered an admin job in nhs last Friday. Am still waiting on my written confirmation though from what I’ve read, be prepared for a long wait for paperwork to be sorted.

I’ve been checking every day for an update. (How sad am I?! )
That’s great news!
Welcome to the NHS.

Congratulations Op. Just a note of warning - NHS recruitment processes can take a long time. I successfully interviewed for a job during the first week of December and got the official offer letter just before the end of January! Hopefully that won't be the case for you though.

Thanks all! Yeah, they did say NHS HR can be slow, but I don't think I'll mind too much. I know the end of customer service isn't far away now!

@CousinQuandary that's actually really lovely! It's kind of nice for someone I don't even know to be keen to know the outcome!

That’s the exact same feeling I have, I can see an end in sight from the job I’m in now too (also cust service!)

Hi all, I have (yet another) band 2 admin interview for NHS tomorrow.
I have 4 years of working in the NHS as admin, a job I loved very much but my contract ended a year ago and have been out of work since. I’ve attended 4 nhs admin interviews within a year all with a no thanks despite my extensive experience in various admin departments doing everything from reception, audio typing, referrals; you name it, I did the job. So WHY am I failing to get back into the NHS despite my experience and qualifications? I was a great team player and worked so damn hard. I research thoroughly for the job I’m being interviewed for but without success. Part of me feels like not even bothering to turn up tomorrow. Do you think I rely to heavily on my past experience and not try hard enough at interview? I do tend to start to ramble on but this is just nerves; nobody likes interviews.
please some advice! My confidence is at an all time low and feel if I get knocked back again tomorrow then I’m done with applying to the NHS.

@Catlady165 Go to the interview, what sort of role is it?

Band 2 admin (which I did for 4 years!) I have convinced myself I’m not going to get it. I have no nerves but think I’m attending to ask questions when I get my knock back answer of wth am I doing wrong and does experience count for nothing anymore.

@Catlady165 have you had any feedback for the others?

@Catlady165 I know you said admin but what sort of role? Back office? Front facing?

Yes I always ask for feedback. I went for a band 3 admin job once (I’d been doing band 3 work for months on band 2 wage!) I got told no for a band 3 but absolutely definitely we would give you a band 2. A band 2 job came up a few months later, same interview panel and STILL got a no thanks!
I think my answers go off on a tangent and I fail to give them the answers they want. My nerves cause me to ramble a bit and my head goes blank too. They tell me which question I fail on (the questions seem to change each interview that they pick on even though those answers had been ok before) so I go away and do so much preparation for the next one but still no joy. This will be the last nhs job I apply for. It’s a joke.

Front and back office. A bit of everything by the sounds of it which I know I can do!

You sound quite down about it which might be coming across in the interviews?

it’s hard to know really isn’t it, they often have someone earmarked internally and that’s just one of those things, nepotism is a bit rife. Or could just be someone answered better which isn’t personal it’s just one of those things.

I get really nervous in interviews, the only thing that helps is just to prepare my answers and make lots of notes about the dept and role so that I can answer anything unexpected.

Yeh I do feel down about it and my partner said the same that it’s probably earmarked for someone. One rejection I got the woman said you were so close, missed out by one point but I knew the other girl going for the same job and got told the same! Utter bollcks.
at least I’m not nervous though, I find the whole process really boring now but I do act enthusiastic, cos at the time, I am. Maybe I just show too much enthusiasm and passion.

@Catlady165 I know it’s shit but try not to overthink it, it’s rubbish but often it is just the case that someone got the one extra point etcbut who knows as I said above I’d like to think their choices are fair in line with the points system and not just because it’s a friend of a friend or something stupid.

I didn’t get the job! Shocker!
a man with nursing background beat me. A nursing background for an effing admin job!
I got the usual schpeel how well I did and can’t believe you haven’t been snapped up. I replied well I keep getting beaten on the score system! I won’t be applying to the nhs again. Time for a change of job.

Nurses do admin and I bet a lot fancy getting out of nursing right now. I’m not going to bash on them as I’ve seen the burn out.

Sounds like they are giving you positive feedback but you sound really disheartened and this might be bleeding into negative reactions maybe but it just sounds like you’re a bit unlucky being pipped to the post, it happens. What about council or other admin?