Preparing For Civil Service Interviews: Top 4 Tips

You’ve made the list of qualified candidates and landed an interview for a civil service job. If you think that the most difficult part of the application process is over, think again. Recruiters rely heavily on these interviews to determine the best candidate.

Civil service jobs offer perks that are hard to come by in the private sector—namely, great job security, a generous pension and portable benefits. Therefore, you can’t simply ‘wing it’. You need to take out the time to research the position and organization, anticipate the interview questions and prepare them beforehand.

So how do you best prepare for your civil service interview?

First, you need to realize that federal agencies typically conduct a behaviour-based interview, where the interview grades you depending on your responses to certain worded scenarios created by the interviewer. While these interviews can be stressful, preparation and practice can really pay off.

Here are some tips on nailing your civil service interview:

1. Go Through the Organization’s Website—Thoroughly!

You can gain a broad understanding of what the organization does, who it serves, what it’s up to currently and who occupies top executive positions by going through the organization’s website.

Note: Make sure to go through the hyperlinks to the organization’s statute and administrative rules.

Moreover, this information will help you come up with questions at the end of the interview—a great way to leave a great impression! Doing your homework shows you’re genuinely interested in the position and organization.

2. Read the Organization’s Press Clippings

Scour the internet for press releases about the organization. This will give you an insight into the challenges the organization is facing and how it addresses them. Press clippings can even help you see what lawmakers, interest groups and individuals are saying about the organization.

3. The Job Posting May Give You Some Clues

The government’s job posting tells you exactly what kind of person the organization is looking to hire. In fact, the in-basket exercises, personality testing and the interview questions are all based on the job description.

Moreover, the posting gives you an insight into the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) you should demonstrate during the interview. Talk about these items in terms of your past professional experience.

4. Anticipate Interview Questions

Many interview questions will likely be derived from the KSAs the organization is looking for. However, it’s always a good idea to seek the help of instructors who have experience in preparing candidates for civil service exams and interviews.

Civil Service Success is one such company that guides applicants on how to ace their civil service interviews through effective verbal communication.

They even offer scheduled classes and in-depth study guides to help candidates prepare for New York civil service exams.

Get in touch with them today for more information.