Civil service interview - preparation time

[jclm]

I have an interview early next week for the civil service. I have been ill all this week so have lost a lot of preparation time.

Please give me any tips about how to prepare and how long you would normally set aside for interview preparation.

Hi

I work for the civil service and do a fair bit of recruitment.

Firstly you need to look at the success profiles behaviours for the grade you are applying for. That will list what the interviewers will be scoring you on. So prepare an example that covers all of the indicators in the success profiles. Use the STAR method when preparing your example. Use notes but don’t read from your screen if it’s a video interview. The interviewer will know and you won’t score well.

Is there any strength questions? It should be listed in the advert if there are? If so there is a strength guide too amongst success profiles.

Generally - don’t use too much ‘we’ unless it’s working together behaviour. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet.

I usually take a few evenings to prepare (been applying for promotion recently) but depends on the grade you’re applying for really on how much time to devote to it. I’d make sure you really understand the success profiles and how they will score you. Watch some videos as lots of helpful info on there. Good luck

This guy seems quite helpful. He’s done quite a few videos

Thanks @Darbs76

I'm applying for SEO. No strengths questions. I'll watch the videos.

I feel it all comes down to my ability to prepare the answers to the questions rather than my ability to do the job!!

Yep that's exactly the problem with CS jobs!

@jclm

Thanks *@Darbs76*

I'm applying for SEO. No strengths questions. I'll watch the videos.

I feel it all comes down to my ability to prepare the answers to the questions rather than my ability to do the job!!

Ok I guess you need to make sure your examples have the right stretch for the grade. What they suggest is looking at the next grade up indicators and try and get your example to hit those.

Yes with civil service interviews it’s really more about the ability to pass the interview, but the examples are relevant to ability to do the job as those behaviours indicate the type of work you’ll be doing, eg delivering at pace - it’s manic in the civil service at the moment so you’ll be doing plenty of that. It feels different to other interview style as you’re not showing you can do that particular job but you’re capable of performing at the relevant role, eg SEO.

So much recruitment going on in the civil service at the moment, lots of big campaigns