We’re excited to meet you and we want you to feel comfortable and prepared as possible. This page will provide you with all in the information you need for your selection and experience day.
On arrival a member of the team will meet you and escort you to the room to begin your selection and experience day.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your session time to register.
What to expect during your selection and experience day
Our selection and experience days are your opportunity to explore the opportunities of your future career as a healthcare professional in person. Meet our talented and inspirational academics and students and have exclusive access to campus and see our first-class facilities.
The day will also include you getting ‘hands on’ in bespoke clinical skills sessions so you can experience first-hand the simulation-based learning we deliver here at Staffordshire University. One of our paramedic lecturers will also take you on a tour of the Stafford Campus to show you our world-class simulation centre and other facilities.
During your allocated Selection and Experience Day you will also take part in both an interview and a group activity. Please be reassured that our approach to interviews is very informal, albeit important. The process will be natural dialogue between you and the panel, led by specific questions. We essentially want to get to know you and discuss your ambitions, experience, understanding and the skills you have acquired.
What to expect during your group activity
The group activity will take place in small groups of candidates led by members of our paramedic team and may be supported by current students. The activity is an informal opportunity for you to attempt a fun and engaging group task and to demonstrate the interpersonal skills and team working that are vital to being a student paramedic.
What to expect during your interview
The focus of this part of the day is to ensure that you reflect the values of the University and the Paramedic profession.
Your interview is an opportunity to tell us why you want to start your journey to becoming an Paramedic here with us at Staffordshire University. It is also time for you to show us what skills and experiences you have had previously that have shaped you into the person you are today as well as demonstrating why these skills will aid you on your path to becoming a registered Paramedic.
The interview usually lasts approximately 20 minutes and will be led by a Paramedic from our lecturing team. Your panel may also include a student from the paramedic course.
What to expect if your interview is being held on online
Prior to your selection day you will be sent an email detailing the date and time of your interview as well as an invitation to attend a welcome and subject talk on Microsoft Teams. The email will contain all the relevant information of how to join these virtual meetings as well as contact details in case you encounter any issues on the day.
Following your email, you will receive an invitation with your specific time slot for your individual interview that takes place after the welcome talks. Please ensure that you take note of this time.
The invite will have a “Click here to join the meeting” which is usually located near the bottom of the email, to join the meeting just click this link approximately 5-10 minutes prior to your allotted time in case you experience any technical issues, and your interview panel will then join you at the scheduled time.
The interview usually lasts approximately 20 minutes and will be led by a Paramedic from our lecturing team. Your panel may also include a student from the paramedic course.
The links below are guides for joining via a PC/laptop or mobile. Although I would encourage you, where possible, to use a PC/Laptop to join the meetings.
The interview question
Q.1 What or who inspired you to become a Paramedic?
Q.2 What does being a paramedic mean to you?
Q.3 What skills and experience do you have that will help you become a paramedic?
Q.4 Student Paramedics and Paramedics are held to a professional standard of conduct – Can you give us an example of a time you demonstrated these professional values?
Q.5 Tell us about a time when you had to deal with a challenging situation and how you dealt with it at the time?
Q.6 Can you share an example of a difficult experience you have faced and how you demonstrated resilience in overcoming it?
How to prepare
During your interview we will be looking to see:
- Your current understanding of the Paramedic role
- Who regulates us as well as our professional responsibilities
- What qualities should Paramedics demonstrate
- What challenges you feel you may encounter and how you may overcome these
- How have you prepared yourself for studying at Staffordshire University
Here are some good ways to research the profession you want to join:
- You should thoroughly research your choice in the Paramedic profession. Be prepared to be able to discuss the role and importance of organisations such as the College of Paramedics and The Health and Care Professions Councils.
- You should familiarise yourself with Staffordshire University and the structure and content of our course. This could be through our website, YouTube channel or social media or through other university metrics.
- Have a good general awareness of the current trends in paramedic practice or research by reading a recognised paramedic journal or listening to a podcast.
- We are aware that many of the typical routes and experience such as volunteer organisations or observation opportunities have been curtailed due to the pandemic. Any experience such as customer service or caring for a loved one can be used to illustrate the communication skills and care we look for in prospective paramedics.
- Good interpersonal skills are vital when you are looking to engage in a career which involves working within unplanned emergency care.
Other points to consider:
- Ideally, you should be a car driver or aim to have passed your test and have daily access to a vehicle by the start of your first placement. Placement can be across the West Midlands Ambulance Service area and is not limited to Stafford and the surrounding areas.
- Consider your work/life balance and home circumstance and the impact of a full-time course which involves placement on shift work (such as lates, nights, weekends, bank holidays).
- Additionally, many ambulance services require a C1 (LGV) license as an essential criterion for employing staff, whilst this isn’t an essential criteria for commencing your degree training it may be worth considering.