Interview Gold Course, has anyone tried this?

[mumznet]

Is it useful to pay towards this www.interviewgold.com/ , I think it;s around £60 and can help with applications and interviews. So they have a lot of useful content to help individuals. I am looking to progress within the civil service. or am I just wasting my time with this? thanks

If you're already in the civil service there will be lots of help on offer for free. Get yourself a mentor.

thanks, that is useful to know. I think that is definitely an option to find a mentor. But I was really hoping to purchase this, however can't see many reviews that this is useful?

Then I would suggest it is not!

If you are in the civil service already, this will be an absolute waste of money. Practice writing up competencies in STAR format and get them checked by someone you trust. Then find a trusted senior colleague (either the grade you want to be or the grade above that) and get them to do loads of interview prep with you. I'm a G6 and have done this for lots of junior colleagues throughout my career, using questions that i have been asked in interview panels. My experience of many many recruitment panels, is that most candidates let themselves down on interview technique - they waffle, don't answer the question properly, spend too long on the "S" rather than the "R" of STAR - that comes from practice with a real person, rather than an online tool i think.

Thank you all. I am glad I didn't purchase this, I'm already a civil servant so probably no need for this.

I was looking for help, as even if you're a civil servant sometimes it can be difficult to progress if you don't have good examples.

Have you asked anyone senior to you to read through applications?

I did, but those are from an old job. I need to write new ones, I am awful at writing or thinking about what I did!! a bit slow to get my ideas down but hopefully I will get there.... I can think of some competency examples, but in total I think there are about 9, so when it comes to applying I haven't got examples for some of them and that's why I can't send off any applications. So for changing and improving, seeing the bigger picture, I don't have any examples. and even the ones I have are scoring 3-4's

If you don't have good examples then you need to be proactive and go and find the opportunities to build them.

What grade are you trying to move from and to?

thanks. I do have various experience, and also volunteer for various work within the civil service, but I'm not excellent at writing in STAR style. I am a HEO and hope to go to SEO then progress further.

My sister used it and said it was v good, helped her get up to a HEO post. Apparently well put together and professional and lots of STAR stuff in it, answers and such. I suppose some of that you can do yourself if you are good at it but I know lots of people struggle.