Walking into the Unknown: The Doula Interview…

I’m not sure there are any jobs in the world that require quite this much interviewing to make a living…  Remember back when you had a “normal” job?  Once you nailed the hiring interview, that was it… you had a job.  Now you get to go through the interview & hiring process several times each month, knowing that each client will only last you a few months until they too have had their baby & your care has ended.  Plus, in many cases we know that families are interviewing several other doulas before making the decision, and at least some of these may even be dear friends.

The doula interview is a key aspect of a successful practice that doesn’t perhaps get the attention it deserves in our training.  From the moment we walk in that door we are stepping into an unknown terrain of expectations, assumptions, hopes, worries…  We can certainly be prepared with the ideas that we want to be sure to get across about the value of our care, but each interview inevitably includes a few surprises.

While the core intention may be to share information about your services to help a family make a informed decision in hiring you, there is often far more that takes place in any given doula interview.  Every doula has a story or three about a doula interview that went astray…  Perhaps you ended up feeling like you almost taught a full prenatal class in your one hour together, put more time into processing her first birth than discussing the upcoming birth, or the 45 minute interview turned into 2 and a half hours.  While some interviews are an absolute joy, there are other times that we leave feeling unsure, self-judgmental, or confused.

>>>Check out my free podcast recording on doula interviews sharing more key ideas to help you navigate the unknown terrain of each doula interview, walking in that door feeling prepared, clear & confident, and leaving feeling the same way!