Maternity cover staff - a threat?

[pepitoincognito]

I am going for an interview next week for a year long maternity cover contract. I do not have a job at present. Obviously I hope that I get the job and at the end of the year I am kept on in the team when the employee I am standing in for comes back.

I am interviewing with the team boss and the employee going on maternity leave. So any tips for how I impress both and make the person going on leave feel like I am good enough to safeguard her job but I am not going to try and oust her. I am thinking questions like

• X, what has worked really well for you to date doing this job, what are the typical challenges I would face?
• How would you like me to document things so it is easy for you to pick up quickly when you get back?

So any tips about what qualities you would want in your maternity cover? Or am I thinking too much about this?

You are thinking too much about this! I've just finished a maternity cover and wasn't kept on despite people saying what a great job I'd done etc etc. Why do you think you would be kept on, is the company expanding? Would you expect to be kept on in the same role or a more junior role?

I asked why did they like working there, and woul it be a case of "steady as she goes" or were there big projects coming up.

Big projects, that is a pretty critical question - thanks Wips. I hope to be kept on because they are expanding into international markets and I have international experience and 3 languages. They are also moving into a new field, not just property development but now also property investment fund management, and growing massively. I have some financial services experience and have done an investment management course a couple of years back.

Asking why they like working there is a great question; any time I've asked it (after bring asked it when I was interviewing a candidate) the panel have really loved it.

My advice if you get the job is be super nice and accommodating. In my exit interview I was told that I was really well regarded by everyone. But don't do I what I did and put off looking for something else in the hope I'd be offered something.

Thanks Wips. Really need this to go well. Are you also interviewing at the moment then or have you found something now?

About to start looking! Have seen a few things but they are fixed term contracts again and I'd like to get something permanent.