Episode Details
Back to EpisodesThe Heart‑Stopping “One Negative Word” Interview Question – And How to Answer It
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In this episode of the Ace Your Consultant Interview podcast, Tessa and Becky walk through three areas that reliably trip candidates up: teaching examples, conflict scenarios, and gaps in your CV.
They start with a common student question: “Can I just talk about my day‑to‑day ward teaching?” and explain why that won’t cut it if you want to stand out at consultant level. You’ll hear how to turn your education work into specific, high‑impact examples, including simulation programmes, curriculum planning and measured outcomes that actually tell the panel who you are as an educator.
Next, they unpack a “golden example” about refusing a neonatal transfer and show why some conflict stories are high‑risk if you don’t frame them carefully. They cover how to avoid sounding obstructive, how to show de‑escalation and support for stressed colleagues, and why recording yourself talking through tricky conflicts is worth the discomfort.
Tessa and Becky then tackle a deliciously awkward wildcard question one student faced: “Three positive words your colleagues would use for you – and one negative word they’d use when you weren’t listening.”
Finally, they dive into career gaps: health, family, unemployment, GMC issues and more.
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