suebrennan

Does anyone have any experience of or inside knowledge on public sector interviews in Queensland? Any advice or tips would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Sue

Hels Bells

I worked for the Federal Government for 12 years.

Is it a State or Federal job you are going for?

suebrennan

State Police and any hints or tips would be really welcome.

Thanks for your reply

Sue

The Bloke

If you have read the position desrciption and guide for applicants, they give you tips on how to appoach the interview and the interview process? Are you going for operational policing or admin? I have been trying for the last 7 months or so.

Hels Bells

I dare say it will be a panel interview of probably 3 people. They will have set questions that everyone will get asked based on the selection criteria. So just make sure you know your application really well. Use what you put in it as your answers or think of some other scenarios they might use for those criteria. I actually like these kinds of interviews better because they are well structured.

Hope that helps

Pollyana

If they use a similar format to Qld State Govt interviews, then you will get 15 minutes or so to look over the questions first, and they let you refer to your written reply to the Criteria as well, so take a copy of it woth you.

JackTheLad

The members (usually 3 as Hels says) of the interview panel usually have a list of key words that they want to hear from you. So during your 15 minutes of preparation, think of what they might expect, avoid going off tangent. But of course interviewers vary a bit. Of the 3 interviewing you, one might be similar grade or just one grade above you, but that person has little say in hiring you even if he/she thinks you're very good. It's the other two you need to impress.

Another thing to bear in mind is that very often there are internal applicants for the same position. If that is the case, don't get your hopes too high.

Good luck.

Mrs JTL

Hels Bells

Gawd, that would be nice!! Never had that option in any of the Govt jobs I have ever applied for!!

Pollyana

Fairly standard up here - really surprised me at first but it does seem to be the norm. They tell you to arrive 15 minutes before the interview and leave you in a quiet room to prepare your answers! You can write the stuff down, and refer to it throughout the interview.

As for the panel, as mentioned by Mrs JTL, thats quite common too - there are usually two panel members who know exactly what sort of person they want, and they lead all the discussions, during the interview and afterwards. The third person has some input, but its not unusual for them to just pick a third person at random from a completely unrelated area job-wise, and often from a much lower level than the other two.

suebrennan

[QUOTE=Pollyana]Fairly standard up here - really surprised me at first but it does seem to be the norm. They tell you to arrive 15 minutes before the interview and leave you in a quiet room to prepare your answers! You can write the stuff down, and refer to it throughout the interview.

As for the panel, as mentioned by Mrs JTL, thats quite common too - there are usually two panel members who know exactly what sort of person they want, and they lead all the discussions, during the interview and afterwards. The third person has some input, but its not unusual for them to just pick a third person at random from a completely unrelated area job-wise, and often from a much lower level than the other two.



THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH - NO CLUE WHAT TO EXPECT

Normally I actually like interviews - it is the application forms that make me run like hell. But in this case I need the job - have been temping of sorts for ten weeks and I am ready to jump off my balcony. Coupled with the fact that I am still living on UK money so---. Getting a job here preferably in my field will make or break the dream of living here permanently. And yes this might just be a practice run for future reference - internal candidates and all that.

Apart from making a meal out of finding a job Oz rocks.

Sue