I used to struggle with interviews. My nerves always got the better of me, I was always asked difficult questions, something always went wrong - interviews became an ordeal and I avoided them.
Then I had a great opportunity. The company I worked for reorganised and had to reinterview all their employees. They needed more assessors to cope with the numbers, so I volunteered. For the first time I discovered what it felt like to be asking the questions, I saw the process from the other side of the table.
Since then I have conducted many interviews in the public and private sector, and I have become a successful interviewee too. I know that to practice your answers you need to be able to predict the interviewer's questions.
And that is why I am offering a limited number of mock interviews, based on my experience on both sides of the table and using six effective techniques:
1. Preparation is essential - learn how to prepare, boost your confidence and most importantly adopt a whole new philosophy before that critical interview.
2. Identify your strengths, and how they match the job description. Focus on what you want them to know about you - and plan how you will tell them.
3. Build rapport right from the first question, without wasting a precious second.
4. Recognise question types - platforms, pitfalls and the rest - and practice your response.
5. Use interview jitsu - where your weaknesses become strengths.
6. And leave them on a high, creating an unforgettable impression.
My time is limited so I want to work with people I know I can help. Are you one of them? To find out, email me at Roger.Evans@Londonconservatives.com .
Sunday 18 November 2012
Monday 5 November 2012
Common Interview Questions for Public Appointments
Public appointments are all made with the assistance of professional assessment, including application forms and panel interviews. For more senior roles headhunters will also be used.
At the interview the questions are usually competence based - that is, they are seeking concrete evidence of the qualities demanded by the job description and the person specification. I have conducted many of these interviews and also come through them successfully and there are some questions that often asked. These can provide you with platforms or pitfalls depending on your research and preparation. Common questions include:
Why do you want this job?
Obvious question which will always be asked in one way or another. This provides a great opportunity to demonstrate the research you have done. Best to talk about the job description and how your skills and experience fit the requirements.
What do you think your strengths are?
Another good opportunity to push your good points. They need to be relevant to the role and preferably backed up with evidence to demonstrate how you have used these strengths and why they apply in this role.
What is the greatest challenge facing our organisation and how would you deal with it?
This question requires wider research, beyond the role of a board member. They will expect senior people to have a knowledge of the organisation and the issues it currently faces. Another good opportunity to demonstrate your preparation and to have a discussion that goes beyond the immediacies of the job.
As part of a team, which role do you fulfil?
Are you an ideas person, a networker, a completer, a potential chairman? You need to be aware of what you can contribute to a team. This is particularly important with public sector board appointments where the interviewers will be looking to select a group of individuals who can all contribute something - ideally the full board will be stronger than the sum of its members.
How do you deal with conflict?
Another important question when assembling a board - they don't want people at each others throats. You need to have a specific example of resolving a conflict to refer to. This should involve creating a 'win win' resolution taking account of both sides' points of view rather than just crushing the opposition.
Do you have any weaknesses?
Another quite common question which provides a pitfall for the unprepared. Think carefully about occasions where things have gone wrong, you have learned from them and changed your approach to ensure the mistake is not repeated. The assessors are looking for your self awareness and maturity. Just saying 'I'm a perfectionist and some people struggle to deal with this' no longer cuts the mustard.
Tell us about a time when you had to communicate a difficult message to a wide audience.
Board members have to attend public meetings and deal with media scrutiny. You need to provide an example of your communication skills, preferably in a high profile and challenging situation.
Do you have experience of managing a budget?
Balancing the books is an important board responsibility. You don't need to be a full blown accountant but you do need to demonstrate some experience of taking responsibility for spending decisions. In the current climate some understanding of cost cutting techniques is very valuable, so take this opportunity to refer to it.
At the interview the questions are usually competence based - that is, they are seeking concrete evidence of the qualities demanded by the job description and the person specification. I have conducted many of these interviews and also come through them successfully and there are some questions that often asked. These can provide you with platforms or pitfalls depending on your research and preparation. Common questions include:
Why do you want this job?
Obvious question which will always be asked in one way or another. This provides a great opportunity to demonstrate the research you have done. Best to talk about the job description and how your skills and experience fit the requirements.
What do you think your strengths are?
Another good opportunity to push your good points. They need to be relevant to the role and preferably backed up with evidence to demonstrate how you have used these strengths and why they apply in this role.
What is the greatest challenge facing our organisation and how would you deal with it?
This question requires wider research, beyond the role of a board member. They will expect senior people to have a knowledge of the organisation and the issues it currently faces. Another good opportunity to demonstrate your preparation and to have a discussion that goes beyond the immediacies of the job.
As part of a team, which role do you fulfil?
Are you an ideas person, a networker, a completer, a potential chairman? You need to be aware of what you can contribute to a team. This is particularly important with public sector board appointments where the interviewers will be looking to select a group of individuals who can all contribute something - ideally the full board will be stronger than the sum of its members.
How do you deal with conflict?
Another important question when assembling a board - they don't want people at each others throats. You need to have a specific example of resolving a conflict to refer to. This should involve creating a 'win win' resolution taking account of both sides' points of view rather than just crushing the opposition.
Do you have any weaknesses?
Another quite common question which provides a pitfall for the unprepared. Think carefully about occasions where things have gone wrong, you have learned from them and changed your approach to ensure the mistake is not repeated. The assessors are looking for your self awareness and maturity. Just saying 'I'm a perfectionist and some people struggle to deal with this' no longer cuts the mustard.
Tell us about a time when you had to communicate a difficult message to a wide audience.
Board members have to attend public meetings and deal with media scrutiny. You need to provide an example of your communication skills, preferably in a high profile and challenging situation.
Do you have experience of managing a budget?
Balancing the books is an important board responsibility. You don't need to be a full blown accountant but you do need to demonstrate some experience of taking responsibility for spending decisions. In the current climate some understanding of cost cutting techniques is very valuable, so take this opportunity to refer to it.
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Public Appointments
An essential resource for candidates seeking a public appointment is the Cabinet Office website http://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ where all the advertised non executive roles across government are advertised on one page.
High profile jobs can be found here and they are suitable for experienced candidates with appropriate specialist knowledge who don't mind the publicity. This week they include:
Chair of the Charity Commission
Member of the Monetary Policy Committee
Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Chair of the Covent Garden Market Authority
Lower profile posts are also advertised. These are less influential but suitable for newcomers to non executive public roles. This week they include:
NHS Trust Non Executive Directors - North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust
Independent Members, Parole Board for England & Wales
High profile jobs can be found here and they are suitable for experienced candidates with appropriate specialist knowledge who don't mind the publicity. This week they include:
Chair of the Charity Commission
Member of the Monetary Policy Committee
Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Chair of the Covent Garden Market Authority
Lower profile posts are also advertised. These are less influential but suitable for newcomers to non executive public roles. This week they include:
NHS Trust Non Executive Directors - North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust
Independent Members, Parole Board for England & Wales
Saturday 2 June 2012
Competence Based Interviews
For public sector appointments - both full time and non executive - interviews are almost always competence based. This means that the questions are designed around the job description and the person specification. They are intended to seek evidence that the interviewee has the qualities that are required.
The good news is that a reading of the person specification in particular should enable you to predict the sort of questions that will be asked and to prepare for them. I adopted this approach with Nadia Sharif, a candidate who applied for a public sector non executive role. I think she was pleased with the result - in her own words:
Roger Evans is an excellent recruitment mentor and coach. He is well acquainted with government procedure, has served on numerous panels and knows the key qualities and skills that employers are seeking. His techniques are based on a mixture of methods adapted to suit the mentored including feedback on application, interview discussions and mock interview. He listens with patience, creates an environment to build confidence and gives positive feedback on your answers. His motto is even if you are not successful at this attempt, you should make a positive and lasting impact on prospective employers who may consider you for another role in future. This has certainly worked for me.
And I can't emphasise her final point enough - news of a good performance gets around, even if you don't get selected first time.
The good news is that a reading of the person specification in particular should enable you to predict the sort of questions that will be asked and to prepare for them. I adopted this approach with Nadia Sharif, a candidate who applied for a public sector non executive role. I think she was pleased with the result - in her own words:
Roger Evans is an excellent recruitment mentor and coach. He is well acquainted with government procedure, has served on numerous panels and knows the key qualities and skills that employers are seeking. His techniques are based on a mixture of methods adapted to suit the mentored including feedback on application, interview discussions and mock interview. He listens with patience, creates an environment to build confidence and gives positive feedback on your answers. His motto is even if you are not successful at this attempt, you should make a positive and lasting impact on prospective employers who may consider you for another role in future. This has certainly worked for me.
And I can't emphasise her final point enough - news of a good performance gets around, even if you don't get selected first time.
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