How to prepare for your interview | Birmingham City University
Source: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/how-to-apply/after-you-apply/how-to-prepare-for-your-interview
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
How to prepare for your interview | Birmingham City University
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Interview guidance
Prepare for your interview
Top tips
subject-specific advice
When applying to many of our Health and Education courses, you will be asked to attend an interview which may be online or in-person. This is an opportunity to show us who you are and why you’re passionate about helping others.
Interviews are arranged through BCU's applicant portal MySRS. To navigate and organise your interview, you can use our handy MySRS guide.
How to book your interview through MySRS
What to prepare for your interview
Observe the world around you
What stories and events are currently impacting your chosen profession? What’s your opinion on the latest news in your field?
Research and understand the role
Have a clear view of why you want to work in your chosen profession.
Do you know what the expectations are? What values and skills do you have that are necessary for the role?
Have your documents ready
If you need to show any documents, they will be listed in your email from admissions. Make sure you have them to
hand
and
familiarise
yourself again with your all-important personal statement!
Plan some questions to ask
Remember this is your chance to find out about us too – so talk to us when you get the chance!
What are you going to wear?
Try to dress smartly. We want to see that you appreciate and respect that
you’ll
have to adhere to a dress code both on placement and once you enter the workplace as a qualified professional.
Work experience
If you have time,
try to get some hands-on
experience
and talk about what you learned in your interview; nothing beats exposure to a real environment.
Top tips for during your interview
1. Be on time!
Promptness is an important part of professional conduct so if you’re coming on to campus, allow lots of time for travel and plan for possible delays. If your interview is online, make sure you have everything set up and ready to go in good time.
2. Don’t talk TOO much!
We want to hear about your skills and experience but it’s also important to keep to the point! Don’t make inappropriate jokes or share horror stories! Of course, we want you to smile and be yourself, but we’re looking for the next generation of professionals and want to know you can interact with people appropriately.
3. Maintain natural eye contact.
Don’t stare, but also don’t look at the floor... Just think about the normal eye contact you would make with a friend when you’re having a chat.
4. Don’t be
negative,
if you need to refer to something negative, show how you turned it into a positive.
5. Conduct yourself in a manner that shows you are free from bias
and are happy to treat and work with anyone from a cross-section of cultures and society.
6. Enjoy it!
We’re not looking to trip you up – we want you to do well. You’ve put in the hard work so now it’s your opportunity to shine!
Get advice tailored to your chosen course
Education and Teacher Training
Education and Teacher Training interview guidance
Nursing
Nursing interview guidance
Midwifery
Midwifery interview guidance
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Professions interview guidance
Social Work and Communities
Social Work and Communities interview guidance
More information
Accommodation
Find your home from home at BCU. We offer eight halls of residence options, ranging from on-campus to inner-city living. You can take a virtual tour of each accommodation option to find the one for you.
More about accommodation
Admissions
Read our admission FAQs to get your application questions answered. If your question isn’t covered, we have all the details of how to get in touch.
More about admissions
Student Support
From disability and mental health support to CV and job interview training, BCU ensures you have all you need during your time here – and beyond – to succeed and flourish in your studies and career.
More about student support
Social Media
Follow our social media channels and discover more about life at BCU, including what the University and city will offer you if you study here.
More about social media
Virtual tour
Experience a day in the life as a BCU student through immersive 360-degree tours of our campuses. Take a look at our industry-standard facilities, innovative learning spaces and bustling social spots.
360-degree tours
Recent searches
No recent searches
Popular searches
Virtual Tour
Interview advice
Postgraduate study
Scholarships
Open Days
Suggested searches
Accommodation
Life in Birmingham
Reaching beyond
Graduate Scholarship
Degree Apprenticeships
We use cookies on this website to improve the experience we provide. By continuing to use our site you agree to this, or visit our
cookie policy
to manage your settings.
Saved courses
Search website
Interview guidance
Prepare for your interview
Top tips
subject-specific advice
When applying to many of our Health and Education courses, you will be asked to attend an interview which may be online or in-person. This is an opportunity to show us who you are and why you’re passionate about helping others.
Interviews are arranged through BCU's applicant portal MySRS. To navigate and organise your interview, you can use our handy MySRS guide.
How to book your interview through MySRS
What to prepare for your interview
Observe the world around you
What stories and events are currently impacting your chosen profession? What’s your opinion on the latest news in your field?
Research and understand the role
Have a clear view of why you want to work in your chosen profession.
Do you know what the expectations are? What values and skills do you have that are necessary for the role?
Have your documents ready
If you need to show any documents, they will be listed in your email from admissions. Make sure you have them to
hand
and
familiarise
yourself again with your all-important personal statement!
Plan some questions to ask
Remember this is your chance to find out about us too – so talk to us when you get the chance!
What are you going to wear?
Try to dress smartly. We want to see that you appreciate and respect that
you’ll
have to adhere to a dress code both on placement and once you enter the workplace as a qualified professional.
Work experience
If you have time,
try to get some hands-on
experience
and talk about what you learned in your interview; nothing beats exposure to a real environment.
Top tips for during your interview
1. Be on time!
Promptness is an important part of professional conduct so if you’re coming on to campus, allow lots of time for travel and plan for possible delays. If your interview is online, make sure you have everything set up and ready to go in good time.
2. Don’t talk TOO much!
We want to hear about your skills and experience but it’s also important to keep to the point! Don’t make inappropriate jokes or share horror stories! Of course, we want you to smile and be yourself, but we’re looking for the next generation of professionals and want to know you can interact with people appropriately.
3. Maintain natural eye contact.
Don’t stare, but also don’t look at the floor... Just think about the normal eye contact you would make with a friend when you’re having a chat.
4. Don’t be
negative,
if you need to refer to something negative, show how you turned it into a positive.
5. Conduct yourself in a manner that shows you are free from bias
and are happy to treat and work with anyone from a cross-section of cultures and society.
6. Enjoy it!
We’re not looking to trip you up – we want you to do well. You’ve put in the hard work so now it’s your opportunity to shine!
Get advice tailored to your chosen course
Education and Teacher Training
Education and Teacher Training interview guidance
Nursing
Nursing interview guidance
Midwifery
Midwifery interview guidance
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Professions interview guidance
Social Work and Communities
Social Work and Communities interview guidance
More information
Accommodation
Find your home from home at BCU. We offer eight halls of residence options, ranging from on-campus to inner-city living. You can take a virtual tour of each accommodation option to find the one for you.
More about accommodation
Admissions
Read our admission FAQs to get your application questions answered. If your question isn’t covered, we have all the details of how to get in touch.
More about admissions
Student Support
From disability and mental health support to CV and job interview training, BCU ensures you have all you need during your time here – and beyond – to succeed and flourish in your studies and career.
More about student support
Social Media
Follow our social media channels and discover more about life at BCU, including what the University and city will offer you if you study here.
More about social media
Virtual tour
Experience a day in the life as a BCU student through immersive 360-degree tours of our campuses. Take a look at our industry-standard facilities, innovative learning spaces and bustling social spots.
360-degree tours
Recent searches
No recent searches
Popular searches
Virtual Tour
Interview advice
Postgraduate study
Scholarships
Open Days
Suggested searches
Accommodation
Life in Birmingham
Reaching beyond
Graduate Scholarship
Degree Apprenticeships