Not
only is the written application very different for a government job,
but the interview will also be quite different.
- Government
job interviews
will be in panel
format, which means that you will meet with two or more interviewers at
the one time.
- The interview will be a
structured interview,
which means that the selection panel will be following a set list of
questions that are related to the selection criteria. Often
they
will read out the selection criterion, and then ask you a question that
relates to that criterion. While it is not necessary for the
panel to stick to their script or ask every applicant the same
questions, this usually happens. Even if you are advised that
the
interview will be informal, it will still be very
structured in comparison to may private sector interviews.
- Given that the questions will
be based on the
selection criteria, it can sometimes be easy to anticipate the
questions ahead of the interview, therefore making your interview
preparation time a lot easier. For example, if a selection
criteria mentions the APS Values, you are almost guaranteed to be asked
what the values are, what they mean, or why they are
important.
So, study up!
- Unless an interview question
is looking for a
quantitative response (ie "yes" or "no" or a specific figure or
definition) the best way to answer an interview question is to try to
recall recent situations that show favourable behaviours or actions,
and present these experiences in story format for the selection
panel. When telling a story, ensure each situation has a
beginning, a middle and an end. The process is similar to
preparing your written application. The PAR on the golf
course method can be useful during interviews, with the Problem,
Action and Result format providing a good structure for story telling
during the interview.
- The panel members will take
copious notes to
remember what your responses are and there may be a scribe in
attendance at your interview. The scribe is present to
primarily
assist the panel in their observations of the applicants, provide a
rating framework for the assessments of the criteria, maintain
independence and prevent favouritism of known applicants by panel
members, ensure all relevant policies and legislation are adhered to
and that the process remains fair and transperant, and draft the final
report for the delegate. While the scribe will help guide the
selection panel in their decision making processes, they will not be
participating in this decision making, so you don't have to address
this person during the interview.
- At the conclusion of the
interviews applicants
are rated against the selection criteria based on their whole
application; written submission, interview and referee reports, and the
person with the highest rating at the conclusion of the exercise is the
winner.
3 Ways We Can Help You With Your
Next Government Interview
1. Sign up to our free
newsletter to receive information and advice for
your next application and interview. Maybe you could even
submit
a question about your next government interview that we can answer in
our newsletter? With your subscription you also get access to
our
VIP section of this website with more resources and tools to help you
along the way.
2. Use our quick guide "401
Interview Questions" to help you prepare and practice for
your next interview.
3. Use our guide, "Get
That Job! The Best Guide to Applying for a
Government Job". It contains a whole section on
government
interviews and explains common interview questions, how you should
answer them and gives you a comprehensive set of practice interview
questions for you to try yourself.
|
 |
Free
monthly newsletter about government selection criteria and interviews.
The latest exclusive information! Read the latest newsletter
here.
|
