I have an interview on Friday - it is 6 hours long! please help!!!!

[tummytickler]

Hi all!
Please give me some advice!
I have applied for the position of Maternity Care Assistant at my local hospital, and I have an interview!!! Hooray!
But, the letter said my interview was 6 hours long .
My long term plan is to do a midwifery degree, and this is care assistant job is the perfect job for me until i am in a position to do that in 4 or 5 years time, so i really want to do well at the interview (obviously ).
So what on earth are they going to do wiht me for 6 hours?
What should i be swatting up on between now and the interview? Stuff anout the NHS in general i should know?

Any advice would be most welcome - i havent had an interview for years and i am petrified.
I really dont want to come accross as a wannabe midwife, so i feel i cant mention the research i did in the last 18 months of my degree (Anthropology - lots of focus on culture, birth and parenthood).

Well i have gone on an awful lot. Thanks if you made it ithis far

Right, first of all, make sure it is 6hrs long, maybe a phone call to confirm/check/thank for invitation.

If it is, I can only think that they may do a tour with you, run down of job, basic tests.. literacy/numeracy? It may be a hospital trust thing.

You have already said it will be the perfect job for you, so you just have to switch your head around and think about it like you are interviewing them.... or checking out if the job is suitable for you.

You don't need to mention that you have aspirations to be a midwife just yet. but I would mention the research you have done, or at least talk about the research you have done with some knowledge.

And you need to think about the honest reasons why you want to be a work in this setting... you must have a pasiion for it so let them know about it...

Good Luck!!

My daughter had a day like that but not in the NHS. On her day they had a session with other potential recruits, group exercises, required to give a talk in front of the others, eat lunch with others prseumably to be observed, I think some psychometric tests, that kind of thing.

Maternity care assistant and 6 hours sound ridiculous to me. Does the NHS have nothing better to do with all the tax we pay than devote all those resources to this.

Xenia - my best friend is an employer and she said that she will always show potential employees around the library, and often she will employ the one who is polite to the tea lady over the one with qualifications coming out of thwere ears!
So i guess i will be observed a lot!
I too thought 6 hours was a bit excessive!
Novacane - I will think about it more in terms of checking the job is the one for me, thanks.
Amazing how spending years at home with kids can make you forget about this stuff.
I never used to bother about job interviews, just breezed in and was fine! Now - major panic!!!
Thanks

I prepare for interviews by thinking very carefully about the questions they may ask you and have answers ready. I know you can't accurately predict but I thinkit helps you to think about basic stuff about the job and a bit of confidence. I practice speaking and use visualisation techniques.

I think your research is very relevant, and I can't see why gaining practical experience of working in the environment in which you eant to train in would be viewed in any way negative - most sensible I think.

Why do you want this position (obvious I know
What skills can you bring - dont say all bollocksy stuff though
Do you have ny relevant experience (think of transferable skills)
They may ask you a question about a challenging situation/ethical stuff - think around this and of potential scenarios they may put to you

I also go through my application form and CV again and look at my weaknesses so I am prepared to speak about them or anything else that they may pick up on.

HTH and sorry if ive patronised just my thoughts. good luck