Ep23: Structuring Your Future‑Focused Presentation Around the NHS 10‑Year Plan

Welcome back to the Ace Your Consultant Interview podcast. I am here with Becky for another exciting episode ahead. Hi, Becky.

Hiya, lovely to be here.

So we're going to start off with the question of the week. This is a question that students posed to us. So what question have we got this week?

So the question of the week is, I've been given a 10-minute presentation to do for my interview. And the title is Challenges in My Specialty in the Next 5 Years. I've got loads of ideas, but I'm not sure how many to include. And when I think up solutions for it, should I be thinking about new solutions that I've come up with, or should I talk about things that I've done in the past, or a bit of both? Should I include my USPs? What should I do?

There's a lot, a lot of thoughts going on here in this question. So what do you think about the presentation topic?

I think it's a nice topic. It gives you an opportunity to show that you really understand the specialty. It gives you a chance to really think about, you know, what the priorities are or should be for your specialty over the next 5 years, and also to showcase how you are the person to drive your specialty forwards within your trust. So I think it's a really actually quite nice an opportunity. In this presentation.

Yeah, it's pretty common, I think, to get a question about either future vision for the specialty or future challenges. And yeah, like you say, it's a good chance to— I think it's a good chance to show what you know. And so there's the concern about, like, or the question which is around what do you focus on, how do you bring in your USPs, do you bring in your USPs? What do you reckon?

Absolutely. always bringing your USPs. That's the whole point, right?

Yeah.

So I think there's a bit of a challenge here because the first thing is, I think, you know, you've got to think about what the challenges are and probably what your kind of vision is for the specialty. But you also need to recognise what they think the challenges are. There needs to be some alignment there. And if you're suggesting a kind of vision and strategy for them over the next 5 years or however long it is, It probably should broadly align with what their vision is, because if there's this massive mismatch, it's going to be a bit awkward. I think it's fine to give them some innovative solutions, but it can't be way off what they thought they wanted to do and what their plans are.

Yeah, it's where the pre-interview meetings are so important, aren't they? Because this is where you can find out this stuff. So, you're picking things. I mean, if you work there already, you're onto a winner because you know the kind of things they'll be talking about. But even if you don't work there yet, you can actually find out loads of this from the pre-interview meetings if you listen.

Yeah.

And then you just reflect that back at them. But also, like you say, you have to get in your USPs as well as showing them. Because what you want to say is, these are the challenges for the specialty, and I'm part of the solution to these challenges for you in your senior team. And just bearing in mind that the presentation, it needs to be a presentation that only you can give for your job interview. It shouldn't be a presentation that if I take or you take, we could go in and deliver it and it would be the same. So, when people are just sharing knowledge, this is what I know about the specialty, you're missing a trick, which is that you're also trying to get a job from them. So, you're trying to show why you're the best person for that.

Yeah. It's got to be really clear that there are these key challenges for your specialty, but with you in post, those challenges are going to look a lot smaller. So, that's what you're trying to deliver.

Yes, in a not too smug way. Yeah, slightly.

And 10 minutes—

It is an interview. It is an interview. 10 minutes is not very long. So probably you're just going to pick 3 broad things. One thing I think is good to connect with in this is the 10-year plan, because the challenges and certainly the direction of the specialty is going to be in line with the 10-year plan. And so picking out the 3 themes from that, and if you can connect them, they're not relevant to all specialties, but if they're relevant to yours, it'll really help them. So I would try and bring that in as well.

Yeah, I think so. And I think often, particularly with the 10-year plan, people are thinking about care closer to home, more care in the community. If your specialty can align with that and you can help to deliver that, I think that's really important. Equally, there's a lot of focus on digital solutions and thinking about incorporating AI into the way that we practice, if you've got USPs or projects that draw on those skills, you should absolutely be mentioning those as well.

Yes, so the 3 themes from the 10-year plan are from analogue to digital, from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention. So these are the— you can usually align these mostly with most specialties, so it's good to put that in as well. So next up, we've got the conflict with a colleague example. So this is— a student has suggested they could use this for their conflict with a colleague. So I'm going to tell you it and we can see what you think.

Okay.

So this is a colleague referring a baby to a cardiology clinic, and the colleague wants the baby to have an echo. But when this person assesses the baby, They have no cardiac symptoms, normal exam, normal cardiovascular exam, and they don't think the baby needs an echo. So they explained to the parents that the baby didn't need an echo. They reassured and discharged, but then they got an email from the person who referred, the referring doctor, who was not happy because they hadn't done an echo, which is what they'd wanted them to do. What do you reckon?

I'm a little bit on the fence about this one, to be honest. Um, on the one hand, it kind of ticks the boxes because—

Yeah.

Because we generally say with the conflict with a colleague example, we want it to be an example where somebody is a bit annoyed with you and you managed to de-escalate that. So that, that bit is there. You could, you know, then go back to that colleague and Explain, de-escalate, and so on. I suppose there's a little niggle in there for me about why didn't you just email the colleague in the first place and say, thank you for your referral, I saw this baby in clinic, just let you know this is what happened. So, oh, I don't know, I kind of— I think it could work, but I wondered whether you could have headed it off and not had the conflict in the first place if you'd just told them before.

Maybe. I wonder though if that could be one of your reflections, is that actually once you sort it all out and you smooth it all over with them, that actually on reflection you could have just picked up the phone or whatever it is, emailed them to say, uh, proactively, and maybe it would have avoided it. So, because it's not, uh, maybe that's not what the normal practice would be. Maybe it happens all the time.

Yeah.

Um, so yeah, I don't think it's enough. Yeah.

Because you're right, one of the things we want people to show in the conflict with the colleague example, or, you know, any example of tell me about a time when, we want people to demonstrate some learning.

Mm-hmm.

And actually, you know, the learning from this one could be exactly that. You know, actually, when I'm not fulfilling the, you know, expectations of the referrer, I always go back to them, explain what happened and, and why I differed from their plan. So, actually, yeah. Okay, you've turned me around. I'll take it.

Persuaded you.

Yay!

Yeah, I think it's good because it does fulfil all the criteria that we set, and it's not a, oh my goodness, how did this happen? kind of thing. It seems fairly— I would guess it happens often. And assuming there's a good process to how it was then resolved and that they're all friends again now, then I think it could work.

Yeah. Okay. Go for it.

Right. Next up, we are going to talk about how to answer an interview question. Uh, what interview question are we going to look at today?

So, the question that one of our students recently had at an interview was, what do you think the challenges of transition from trainee to consultant are? I have to think about this as a question.

Like it. Good question. Very apt. I guess in a substantive interview, it would really only work if everyone applying was a trainee, I suppose, because if you were a locum, although you could still be asked that question. Yeah. So, how would I approach this? So, I think there's a few things. So, first is recognizing that it is a transition and it's a process, and it's also not just like, that's it, you're a consultant and now you're done, because there's a recognition that being a consultant is an ongoing process, and you're not fully formed in that first year, or even the first 5 years, but that continues to evolve over the next 20, 30 years, however long you're there. So I think it is the recognition that it's an ongoing process, but there are definitely jumps in responsibility and challenges in that transition period. And so it's pulling them out without making you seem like you're not ready for it. I think one of the things— So, if they ask a challenge, do you think it's asking for a personal challenge? It's not really saying what are your challenges going to be. I suppose it's saying what are the general challenges. I would say delegation is probably one that springs to mind, which is just being able to— learning how to trust people and delegating responsibility appropriately.

I think there's probably something around, you know, bigger picture view as well, and, you know, understanding system and process and a bit around governance that you probably might have done, you know, in a supported or smaller way before as a trainee, but now you're gonna have to do day to day as part of your job. You're probably gonna lead on some governance stuff, maybe some quality improvement, maybe some stuff that involves system change. So I think there's that sort of big picture element to it as well.

Yeah. And with that maybe is the tight organisational time demands, which is as a trainee, you're just your service delivery, you go in, you leave. Whereas as a consultant, you've got admin load as well for the department, for your own development. So, there's a different element of time management, and there's a lot more stuff going on that you have responsibility for. So, I think one of the challenges is learning how to manage that and be enthusiastic, and you want to get involved in new stuff, but making sure that you meet all the responsibilities that you have.

Yeah, I think it's an opportunity to show that you're somebody who's got some insight into the fact that you know, you're not, you know, as a day one consultant, you're not, you know, everything that you're going to be further along in your career, that it's going to be a continuous learning process.

Yeah.

That you're somebody who's got some kind of strategy for recognising your limitations, and that you're somebody who can appropriately ask for advice, and you've got some kind of check-in process for yourself to make sure that you're Doing what you need to do, meeting the standards, but also getting the support that you need.

Yeah, because one of the things with sharing the challenges is also, I think, an opportunity to say, this is how I'm going to deal with them. I've thought about these, and I actually do have a plan. That's a chance. It doesn't necessarily mean it's bringing in your USPs, but bringing in, this is what I'm doing to address it. I think within that is, you're part of a larger team, the other consultants are there to help you, be your support, colleagues, friends during that time. So, there's always other people there to help, and that you should be able to lean on them as well, and not thinking like, that's it, you're on your own now. So, I would use both, demonstrate the challenges and bring in how you're ready to handle them.

Yeah, I think they need to know that, number one, you're not somebody who's just going to be so arrogant that you think, I'm a consultant, I can do what the heck I like. Um, but also you're, you're not going to be somebody who's going to completely buckle under the pressure, so there's got to be some balance in this answer.

Yeah, and that's recognition that it's a step up and it's normal to feel a bit, um, nervous about it, but that doesn't mean you're not ready and you know what it involves and you have strategies in place. I think it's a good question.

Yeah. I like it. I think it's good.

Last up, we have our tip and trick of the day. And today we're going to talk about something we love to talk about in the Academy, which is cognitive derailers. What do you— what does that mean, Becky? What do you think about them?

I think this is something that is a common pitfall for anyone preparing for an interview. And it's really about the stories that you tell yourself. That are about your prep, your performance, predicting the outcome, all of the things that are going to kind of take you out of the headset, out of the mindset that you should be in when you're preparing for an interview. So, it's all of those things like, I'm rubbish at interview, I can't sell myself, I always buckle under pressure, I've had 2 failed interviews before, and so I'm going to fail again.

They want that guy anyway.

Yeah, he's the preferred candidate. It's a done deal. Um, all of those things that are either putting additional pressure on you or telling yourself that there's no way you can get this job anyway.

Yeah.

So you, you just gotta stop it.

Yes.

It's not helpful.

Yeah. And, and all the whole, you know, I'll just give it a go. It's just for practice. It's fine if I don't get it. Another one will come along. And then you, all of these things are self-protection. They do make you feel better because you're saying essentially, these things are predetermined. It is not within my responsibility or remit to be able to do anything about it. But of course it is. It's within your grasp to get the job. And by doing that, you're kind of stopping yourself from fully throwing yourself into it and fully committing because you're worried how bad it's going to feel if you don't get it.

Mm-hmm.

And we do see people talk themselves out of the job in that way in the very immediate run-up to the interview where everything is going well, but then suddenly they have all these thoughts that totally derails them.

Mm-hmm.

And so, part of what I think we do often is just to advise people how to think about what to do in the run-up to the interview, the day before, the night before, so that you're not talking yourself out of it and you just need to You need to know that you're going— that you are able to get the job, that you are the best person for the job and you are prepared. And stop talking yourself down. Talk yourself up.

Talk yourself up. I think also, often this stops people from preparing in an effective way because they spend weeks telling themselves, I can't do this anyway. I'm rubbish at— I can't— I didn't prepare well last time, and so I'm not going to prepare well this time. And, you know, I can't do this anyway. And the, you know, the other guy, you know, he's the, he's the shoo-in. Um, where actually, instead of spending, you know, 2 weeks procrastinating and telling yourself that story, you could spend 2 weeks doing an interview answer every day and just being really good.

Yeah.

By the time you get to your interview.

Yeah.

Um, I, I know it sounds easy, uh, you know, you probably think, oh, you know, it's, well, it's easy for you to say. It is, but it is also a fact that it is You know, easier to just sit down and prepare one answer a day than it is to tell yourself all the reasons why you can't.

Very true. Very true.

Harsh, but you know, that was— I felt like that was a bit of a mum talk.

That's what we're here for. We're here for some tough love. Um, yeah, no, I think, I think people do need to hear it. And yeah, and sometimes even just being aware that that's what's happening is enough to turn it around and think, no, come on. You can do this and just get yourself into the right frame of mind.

Yeah. The reality is you can do it. We've had thousands of people through the academy who literally have done it. So it obviously is possible.

Yes.

Okay.

So, uh, we've covered quite a bit this week. I think we will wrap up there. So thank you very much, Becky. Uh, next week we have lots more stuff, including looking at a golden example about working well in a multidisciplinary team. So we'll see you back next week.