interview presentation wed - help!

[gingerwench]

I've reached the second and final stage of a selection process. I have a 10 min presentation to give regarding 3 challenges they have identified that I will face (i.e. how will I respond to them) and what additional challenges can I identify.

It's a 12 month maternity cover contract so one of the challenges I anticipate is taking over leading a team, filling someone else's shoes for a period of time, but with the expectation that they will come back. So challenge in making the job my own without alienating the actual post-holder.

So, do you think this is a legitimate challenge that I should mention or should I just ignore it and come up with something else? The post-holder is part of the selection process.

If I do mention it, how should I phrase it?

If I was employing a maternity relief, I would want them to follow the existing plan for the year because it's already been agreed, budgetted etc.

As you say, I think the challenges are

• getting to know a team and understanding how they interact quickly

• winning their confidence and the confidence of the customers or other departments that you can fill the shoes temporarily

• making sure the job can be handed back smoothly after a year

• Coping with things that arise that aren't in the plan or handover, but dealing with them anyway which I think is "making the job your own"

When's the presentation? Good luck

It's tomorrow - eeek!

Thanks that's been a helpful comment.