Preparing for your preceptorship midwife interview: a student's guide

This is a very busy and exciting time in the academic year as third year students come to the end of their programme of study and start to apply for preceptorship posts. Whilst there remains a shortage of midwives (Royal College of Midwives (RCM, 2015), applications for posts are still very competitive and so candidates need to ensure they are as well prepared as possible to ensure they perform at their very best on the day. This article revisits what constitutes ‘a good midwife’ (Power, 2015) and then goes on to look at the recruitment process from the perspectives of the interviewer and the interviewee. Paula Briody, Matron for Intrapartum Care (Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust) is actively involved in the recruitment process for her Trust and outlines the key characteristics she looks for in candidates. The article also shares the experiences of third year students who have recently been interviewed for their first midwifery posts. It is hoped that hearing about the process from both perspectives might be useful for all third year students currently applying for their first jobs as they get one step nearer to realising their dreams of becoming a qualified midwife.