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How to Answer “Take Me Through Your CV” at Your NHS Consultant Interview
Panels often form their impression of a candidate within the first five minutes. That makes your opening answer the most important part of the entire interview.
The first question, usually some form of “Take me through your CV,” is your chance to set the tone, highlight your strengths, and show the panel exactly why you’re the right fit. Put your best foot forward, and you’ll carry that positive momentum throughout.
Common Variations of the First Question
- Take me through your CV
- Tell me about your experience relevant to the job you have applied
- What is your experience in the speciality
They are all asking the same thing: “Your training and experience”
Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Assuming “it’s all in the CV”
The panel may have looked at your CV, but its more like skimmed through rather than a thorough read. They won’t remember every detail. If you don’t say it, they can’t score it. Align your CV with your jopb description. - Holding back for later
You might plan to “save” your research or leadership stories for specific questions, but they may never be asked. Use your best material upfront. - Being thrown by the wording
Whether it’s “Tell me about yourself” or “Take me through your CV”, your response should use a structured framework like CAMP
The CAMP Framework
For “Take me through your CV”, the CAMP framework is particularly effective:
- C: Clinical: Highlight your clinical training, specialist interests, and patient impact.
- A: Academic: Include research, publications, teaching, and presentations.
- M: Management: Leadership roles, audits, governance, service development.
- P: Personal: Finish with motivation, values, and personal qualities.
Practise your CAMP response with expert guidance: Consultant Interview Coaching.
How to approach P = Personal
There is some criticism of using personal in experience narration. Lets look at why P is the most important part of your CV. You don’t need to give a long story. Just enough to show personality and balance:
- Stress busters / hobbies: talk about something you genuinely do to unwind (e.g., running, gym, music, cooking).
- Show you have a life outside medicine: they’re looking for resilience and longevity in the NHS, so hobbies = evidence you look after yourself.
- Transferable skills: link your hobby back to qualities useful in medicine.
- Sports → teamwork, discipline.
- Music / art → focus, creativity.
- Travel → adaptability, cultural awareness.
- Volunteering → empathy, communication.
Example (short and effective):
“Outside work, I play football regularly, it’s my stress buster and keeps me active. It also develops teamwork and communication, which transfer well into the workplace. I also enjoy cooking for friends, which helps me relax and shows I value balance.”
Example CAMP Answer
“I trained in respiratory medicine with a focus on interstitial lung disease (Clinical). I’ve presented at the ERS conference, published three papers, and designed a registrar teaching programme (Academic). I coordinated a regional audit improving ILD referral pathways and sit on the trust’s clinical governance committee (Management). Outside work, I’m passionate about mentoring junior doctors and improving patient experience across services (Personal).”
I have come across a different framework (PERM) used by some of my candidates.
What is the PERM Framework?
PERM is a ne, less commonly used approach.
- P – Passion: Start with what drives you and why you chose the specialty.
- E – Experience: Share your clinical and professional experience.
- R – Research/Education: Highlight academic work, publications, teaching.
- M – Management: Leadership and service development contributions.
Sometimes, PERM works well because it begins with passion, helping to build rapport with the panel before moving into evidence. It has its disadvantages as discussed further.
CAMP vs PERM
Both frameworks are powerful, but they serve slightly different purposes.
- Mirrors how a CV is structured, Ideal for “Take me through your CV.”
- Simple for the panel to follow.
- Balanced and professional.
- Panel is more familiar with CAMP
- Rigid if you lack academic or management experience.
- Sounds like you’re reciting your CV (But, that is the point)
- Starts with Passion, supposedly creates rapport with the panel (potemntial to confuse too)
- Flexible and adaptable to different wordings of the first question.
- Allows you to tell a personal story rather than just list achievements. (But, interviews are not about stories, panel wants to hear about your experience)
- Doesn’t match the CV format: Can feel out of place when the panel specifically asks “Take me through your CV.”
- Can be too narrative-driven: Risks sounding more like storytelling than evidence-based achievement.
- Easy to go off track: Candidates may spend too long on their “passion” and run out of time for measurable achievements.
- Weaker for panels who prefer structure: Some panels want concrete facts, not broad enthusiasm.
- Risk of repetition later: If you lead with passion/experience, you may repeat the same points when answering later questions.
- Less effective if passion isn’t clear: If your motivation sounds generic (“I love helping patients”), it can feel cliché and unconvincing.
Let’s discuss about your interview preparation needs to succeed
Tip of the day: The panel forms their first impression in the opening minutes. Use CAMP to deliver a confident, structured, and memorable response that sets you apart.
Understanding interview dynamics early and gradually building your portfolio and communication skills, will set you up for success. Our programs are designed to support you at every step of your journey (from IMt/CST/ST3/ST4) to consultant. We offer tailored preparation plans that work around your schedule.
You can book a One to one Coaching for NHS consultant interview , which includes a Mock interview for tailored feedback to develop your answers.
Our tailored consultant interview prep plans for NHS applicants are designed to suit even the busiest doctors. Whether you’re working full-time, doing locums, or balancing multiple responsibilities, we’ll help you prepare with confidence and efficiency.
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