CVs and Interviews

The Civil Service or HSE recruitment process a relatively similar for professional, executive and clerical roles. Largely they consist of a mix of all or some of the following stages – A detailed application form, ability tests and a competency based interview. On the surface this seems a difficult path to navigate BUT with the right knowledge and preparation it is possible.

Application Form – To be honest this would put me off applying in the first place BUT I think that is one of its functions. These forms are long and often include competency based questions. It is important to focus on the job you are applying for when outlining your duties and responsibilities. It is equally important to select and outline your competency based examples in the proper format. Correct spelling and grammar is also essential.

Ability Tests – Normally these can be completed in exam format by paper and pencil BUT some organisations are moving towards the online option. Normally most will face Numerical and Verbal Reasoning but other tests like Clerical Checking can be used for admin roles. It is important to get practice leaflets and questions before hand. Normally these will be provided but you can access them free on many sites on the net.

Competency Based Interviews – There is a proper structure to follow for competency based interviews. Competency Interviewing is story telling with a start, a middle and a happy ending. Many follow the STAR technique to answer these type of questions. Like all good story-tellers it is important to paint a complete picture of the scenario for the interviewer and make an impact with the outcome or result.

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You can also find many articles on ability tests and competency based interviews on this site.

Tags: Application Forms, Civil Service, Competency Based Interviews, HSE, Interview Coach, Interview Coaching, Interviews, Ireland

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 8:12 am and is filed under Competency Based Interviews, CV, Interview Coaching, Interview Questions, Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.