February 2011


Contents

Back to Basics:  Government Interview Basics: What to Expect at a Government Interview

Application Tip: Your Application Conclusion

Reader Questions:  Should I ring the chair of the selection panel to see if they got my application?

Application Templates: Download our whole of application or resume templates

Feature Article:  You Can Survive the Behavioural Interview!

Interview Tip:  Asking for Interview Questions to be Repeated
Product Spotlight:  50% of the ebook Get That Job! The Best Guide to Applying for a Government Job

Coming Next Newsletter

How to Subscribe


Back to Basics

Government Interview Basics: What to Expect at a Government Interview
You will meet with the whole selection panel, so the interview will most likely be with multiple interviewers, usually three. The panel will ask you questions that relate to the selection criteria, to provide additional claims against the selection criteria. Public Service interviews are almost always structured interviews, and the panel will take copious notes to remember what your responses were. Even if you are advised that the interview will be “informal”, it will still be very structured in comparison to many private sector interviews.

There may also be a “scribe” in attendance at the interview. While the name “scribe” indicates that this person will be taking notes, this person is present to fulfil additional functions. Some of these functions are to assist the panel in their observations of applicants, provide a rating framework for assessments of the criteria, maintain independence, ensure all relevant policies and legislation are adhered to, that the process remains transparent, and that the final report provides a clear and accurate picture for the delegate. However, the scribe does not participate in the decision making process, so you don’t have to address this person during the interview.

There are no standard questions that must be asked at an interview, and contrary to popular belief, not every applicant has to be asked the same questions. The selection panel will generally ask questions that relate to the selection criteria and will use these questions to gain more information about your suitability for the role, using your written application as a guide. Sometimes the selection panel will follow a script where they will ask two or three questions against selection criterion one, then selection criteria two, and so on.  Sometimes they will just ask a series of questions that relate to multiple selection criteria, and sometimes they will only ask you about certain selection criteria - there are no rules here.   Interview questions will generally fall into one of three categories; quantitative, hypothetical and behavioural. A good interview will include some of each of these questions.

There are some common questions which ask you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and to give examples from your experiences. You might be asked why you want the job or what style of management you prefer. A current favourite asks what you would like to be doing in five years' time. Another asks you to consider your future in the light of contributions you might make to the company. There are no given answers to these questions, however it is good to prepare for them in advance. These questions generally do not relate to the selection criteria, and are therefore fairly useless to the panel and consequently they are usually asked by inexperienced panels. These questions are more popular in the private sector where your responses can be considered. Practising for them however can help get you into interview mode.

At the conclusion of interviews applicants are rated against the selection criteria based on their whole application; written submission, interview and referee reports. The person with the highest rating at the conclusion of the exercise is the winner. So be aware that your responses to the interview questions are most likely going to be marked.


Application Tip    

“The examples described above demonstrate that I have superior skills and abilities in x.”
If you can truthfully write this sentence at the conclusion of your statement against a criterion, you have
been successful. While you shouldn’t use this phrase parrot fashion at the end of each criterion, you should
use a final sentence or paragraph to summarise.


Reader Questions

Q.  Should I ring the chair of the selection panel to see if they got my application?

A.  If you receive an acknowledgement by mail or email that your application has been received, there is no need to double check.  If you have not received an acknowledgement, you have the right to know whether your application has been received, so a phone call is a good idea.  Some organisations state in their information packs that they will not acknowledge your application, but this does not mean that you cannot ring to make sure it arrived.  After all, you have spent hours on your application, you want to know that it got to its intended destination!  Make sure you call to check before the closing date though.  If you find out after the closing date that your application never arrived, there is nothing you can do.

Application Templates

Don't forget that we have a range of templates for your application at our VIP website.

Check out our most popular Microsoft Word template for your whole application, as well as the recently added occupation specific resume templates:

Military to Civilian Resume Template

Teacher Resume

Customer Service Resume

Accounts Payable Resume

Social Worker Resume

Secretary Resume

Registered Nurse Resume

Medical Assistant Resume

Feature Article

You Can Survive the Behavioural Interview!
By Damen Choy

Behavioral interviews are becoming more and more popular in this highly competitive job market. The main reason that employers like the behavioral interview is that it can predict the future actions of candidates quite accurately. What do we mean by this?

Traditional interview questions - the ones you may be more used to - typically call for highly objective answers and can be based on misperceptions. For instance, how you answer the question, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" is based on your own perception of yourself. Since the employer does not yet know you, he or she cannot judge the accuracy of your answers.

However, behavioral interview questions provide the interviewer with much greater insight into how your mind works. As the name implies, behavioral questions focus on just that: your actual behavior - and not your perceptions. In this type of interview, the interviewer has targeted several specific behaviors and attitudes that the job requires, and has designed behavioral interview questions that will shed light on whether you might be a good fit for the position.

Behavioral questions examples

Here are some typical interview behavioral questions:
  • Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without sufficient information. How did the situation work out?
  • Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who did not like you. How did you deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
  • Describe a decision you made that was unpopular. Why did you make the decision? How did you sell your decision? What was the outcome?
  • If you are given an assignment that you don't know how to handle, what would you do?
  • What would you do if a customer complains about you to your boss?
  • Tell me about a time when someone's interruptions were in danger of causing you to miss a deadline. What did you do?
Notice how much more specific and detailed this type of question is than traditional, straightforward interview questions. The idea behind the success of behavioral questions & answers is that a person's past performance is a good indicator of his or her future performance.

Navigating behavioral questions & answers

While answering this type of question may seem more difficult than traditional questions, actually, with a little practice, you may find that the answers come more naturally since you're simply recalling your past experiences. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind for answering behavioral questions in a way that will help your interviewer the most:
  • Always relate the question to a specific instance in your career.
  • Describe the tasks that were related to the instance. What was the expected outcome?
  • Describe your actions in relation to the task or instance. What did you do? Why did you decide to do it?
  • Always describe the actual outcome of your actions, even if it wasn't favorable. What did you learn from the experience? What might you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
In answering interview behavioral questions this thoroughly, you show that you understand what the interviewer is looking for and that you're willing to offer up the information to help them make the best decision.
 
Additional tips
 
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Just answer the question as honestly as you can, while focusing on describing your actions during the situation.
 
Don't feel attacked by the interviewer's follow up questions, which may feel very probing. The interviewer is simply trying to understand how and why you've acted in situations he or she believes related to the job, and is not personally attacking you.
 
Relax and take a deep breath before answering. It's ok to take a few minutes to think of your answer.
 
If you're describing a stressful situation, avoid the temptation to get upset all over again. Detach yourself from the emotions of the situation, and describe the details as factually as possible.
 
Smile! Speak smoothly and confidently.
 
With some practice and preparation, you'll find that you can handle the more difficult behavioral interview questions successfully and with confidence.
 

Damen Choy Author and Editor http://InstantCareerAdvice.com a career advice website providing free ebooks, articles and software for career advancement, job interviews and resume writing advice. Damen has also written a book about job interview available at Amazon.com. Access the ebook version here at http://www.a-better-job-interview.com
 

Improve Your Writing Skills

BETTER BUSINESS WRITING
With Tony Spencer-Smith

Saturday 19 February, 10am - 4pm

At the NSW Writers' Centre, Balmain Rd, Rozelle
Bookings: www.nswwriterscentre.org.au / 9555 9757


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NSWWC Member* (30% disc)     $105
NSWWC Conc Member* (40% disc) $90

*NSWWC membership is $65 a year, or $50 concession.
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Coming Next Newsletter

How to research an organisation for your application or interview,
overcoming selection criteria writer's block,
how to find every government department in Australia,
Application tips, interview tips,
plus more!


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