Contact Centre Agent at council - i would do anything to get this job but kept getting pipped to the post

[littlepigeon34]

Its a Customer Service Role using the STAR based technique

I have that many examples written out but i feel that half of them dont fit

Im stressing that i need to research a ton of stuff about the council, governance, policy etc and then im thinking would that be too much? As it a contact centre job role, not head of a department sort of thing?

Getting intense headaches now

Why so desperate to get this Job?
what’s your career background?

For the STAR technique answers you need relevant examples that match the job duties. They will be box ticking and you need to stick closely to the job description in how you construct your answers.

Why do you want this particular role so much? What do you do now or have you done previously? You say you keep getting pipped to the post, how many times have you gone for it? Have you got to interview stage before? If so, can you remember what they asked last time? X

Look at the job advert and see what is required. This is what they'll ask about in the competency questions. Have your STAR scenarios relevant.

It's likely to be good communion, dealing with difficult customers/public, great customer service and maybe when you have had to escalate an issue.

--Why so desperate to get this Job?
--what’s your career background?

Sorry but i happen to find your tone condescending and rude.

I'm unemployed. Secondly as i stated earlier its a job role that would open a lot of doors for me having been stuck in two crap jobs, the others were better having worked for The Financial Ombudsman and 5 years at a governing body.

I have a degree in a core subject area and a lot of experience in customer service and administration. i am capable, smart and i think i deserve a chance to shine.

Secondly as i stated earlier its a job role that would open a lot of doors for me having been stuck in two crap jobs, the others were better having worked for The Financial Ombudsman and 5 years at a governing body.

You did not state any of this earlier.

Ok, so if you get asked in the interview why you want the job, don’t say any of that @littlepigeon34!

say that you want to help people to live independently and to have a great quality of life. Say that you like to be part of a community with a common goal. Say that you have experience in customer services and therefore you feel like this role would enable you to enable people to have better outcomes int heir lives whilst also having the opportunity to gain experience in processes , social care etc etc.

Oh dear this response is Not a good sign

Make sure your STAR scenarios answer the question - if you're asked about working in a team make sure your answer includes a team and your role within that team, if you're asked about handling a difficult situation make sure it's a situation that you handled (not that you called your manager to handle it), it's infuriating when I'm interviewing really good candidates who just can't get the points because their scenarios don't meet the criteria. They dont normally need to be tied too much to the job youre applying for, although it is easier for the interviewer if they are. Also, you probably don't need to know too much about policies and procedures as you're not going to be going in as manager so will be trained on what you need to know, but know the basics of the role - what skills do you think the employee needs to have, why do you think you'd be good at delivering the role, is it a role where you can visit before the interview at all, do you have questions prepared for when they ask that at the end - training opportunities, any qualifications you can get doing the role, salary and other benefits

Keep going. Are you trying to get into a county council or district?

It might be they already have someone internal in mind for the job but are obliged to advertise it
That certainly happened alot in the NHS.

I would suggest looking online for questions for contact centre job interviews, with model answers. Also look for similar on YouTube.

They will probably ask you about stuff like "tell me about a time when you couldn't give the customer what they wanted and how you handled it"

I’ve had a couple of interviews using the STAR technique or similar. I had some feedback saying don’t focus too much on explaining the Situation and Task to the nth detail (something I’m prone to do 😂) but focus on your Actions and Result.

Good luck!!

Which services would you be dealing with? Are you sure you really want it? It can be very stressful and not very enjoyable.

A lot of councils (and some other businesses -usually public sector) take staff on into entry level positions for a short term internship. Often these staff are long term unemployed, ex offenders, mothers returning to work, refugees etc and are coached into these "next step up" positions. Unless they really mess up the jobs are theirs. The council has to advertise to appear to be offering jobs to the wider community. In reality anyone who is not considered "vulnerable" has no chance.

In some cases local.councils are parochial and nepotistic - so expect the job to be sewn up for Senga.

Is it right? Is it discrimination? It depends who you are.

If the council has a strategy/plan including values, have a look at that - they quite often like to recruit people who can fit with those.

Interviews tend to be scored based on how well your answer fits what they are looking for - it's not so much about ticking boxes as making sure you answer the question fully and with depth.

My current role is for the council. Prior to that, I had worked in private sector roles. When I interviewed, I was given the questions 48 hours in advance. They very much focused on the role, which I had experience in. I was able to sell my background. I knew none of the ins and outs of the council. I didn't need to. I had lots of intense training relating to the actual council when I joined. The interview should be to assess whether you meet the criteria of the role, or seem able to learn if you miss a few things. Try not to worry, focus on what you know you can do and sell yourself that way. Own up to the things you need training on; I think employers appreciate people with insight into their abilities and shortcomings. Good luck.

What the heck?

Sometimes you read an OP’s responses and it clicks as to precisely why they are out of work

your attitude on this thread explains why you have now confirmed on your other thread (where you also displayed a very defensive peculiar attitude) that you have not been successful in getting this role @littlepigeon34