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Tina's Blog - Interview Insights

22/5/2025

 
​Welcome to my blog! These blog posts are based on my interviewer and interview coaching experience. More of my job interview tips (including one minute videos) are on my Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

New Capability Framework for Civil Service interviews

7/11/2024

 
The Civil Service has introduced a new Capability Framework for its interviews. This new framework gives interviewers the opportunity to look more broadly and holistically at a candidate, and not just be confined to asking about previous experience.
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The Capability Framework has four capability dimensions, as shown above. The Leading & Empowering Dimension is not used for the Clerical Officer grade, but is included at all the other grades.

For most grades, each of those dimensions are divided into two sub-dimensions, as shown below. For example, the Dimension of Communicating & Collaborating, has the sub-dimension of Communicating & Influencing and the sub-dimension of Engaging & Collaborating.
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Each sub-dimension (eg. Delivering Excellence) has a number of performance indicators (similar to the bullet points or indicators used in competency models).

When you are preparing for these interviews you should continue to think about your previous experience and to have your best examples for each dimension/sub-dimension). In addition, now you will also need to think about your skills, strengths, knowledge, values, motivation and interests (read more about that additional preparation required in my next blog post).

Preparing for capability-based interviews (Civil Service - Capability Framework)

7/11/2024

 
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When interviewing with the new Civil Service Capability Framework, you can expect a more comprehensive evaluation than the traditional competency-based or example-based approach. While you'll still be asked to share specific examples of your experiences, interviewers will also explore other key predictors of your potential performance, such as your skills, motivation, values, and knowledge.

Their goal is to assess your capability, suitability, and readiness for the role by discussing and exploring the Capability Dimensions (as shown at the top of the diagram) with you. These four Dimensions serve as a guide for the interview, allowing you to present a full picture of your strengths and experience.

This approach gives you an opportunity to demonstrate a wider range of your abilities, as interviewers will look for different types of evidence, including skills, strengths, knowledge, values motivation, interests (as shown at the bottom of the diagram) as well as your examples (behaviours).

​Be prepared to showcase how your unique background aligns with the requirements and values of the role by considering each of the following in addition to your examples:

Skills: The practical abilities you have, like using Microsoft Word (hard skills) and working well with others or planning (soft skills)

Strengths: The areas where you excel and feel confident.

Knowledge: Topics or fields where you have deep expertise, gained from education or experience.

Values: The beliefs and principles that matter to you and guide your work and interactions.

Motivation: What inspires you to do your best, either from within (like feeling proud after completing a project) or from outside (like receiving praise).

Interests: The parts of the job or role you genuinely enjoy.​

Using "I" instead of "we" in job interview answers

12/12/2023

 
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I agree that using the word "I" in every sentence is not the way we normally talk about our work. If you kept going around say “I did this” and “I did that” you’d have no friends left at work!

But at interview, we want to know what YOU did. It’s not just a cosmetic swapping of the word “I” for the word “We”. Remember your interviewers weren’t there with you when you were completing the work. We won’t know exactly which parts of the work you completed yourself unless you make it really clear, by using sentences with “I” in them.
I am mentioning this a lot at the moment in both interview coaching and in reviewing examples on application forms. I often hear or read large sections of an answer when the person is conveying information about what went on, but not making it at all clear what the person themselves did.

​Of course, at interview, I can clarify with you what your role was and what you did. But my asking that and you answering that takes time - time that you put to better use by telling us more about what you did.

Why are you interested in this role?

9/11/2023

 
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When I'm interviewing, I'm usually listening for two things in the answer to this question of "Why are you interested in this role?".
  • First thing I listen for is how your previous work experience is relevant to the role and how you see this move fitting into your career progression.
  • The second thing I'm hoping to hear is a little bit of passion or genuine interest in the role.
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And if you are an external candidate, I find interviewers also like to hear what interests you about working in that organisation in particular.

How many examples to prepare

8/11/2023

 
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I recommend that you prepare two examples per competency. I sometimes see that advice included in competition booklets and agree with it.

Why more than one? Because in the interviews I chair, it is rare for us to ask only one question per competency. And the candidates who do the best at interview, use different examples.
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Or an interviewer might ask for another example other than the one you have included on the form or the one you have prepared. 

Bringing a notepad into a job interview

7/11/2023

 
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Yes. It's ok to bring a blank notepad and pen into an interview. I rarely see candidates do this, but have never had a problem when one did. I noticed they did so to write a word or two to remind themselves of the focus of the question and we had no issue with them doing so.

Note: Since writing this blog, I have been told that some candidates were asked not to use a blank notepad by their interview chair. So, you might want to clarify with the chair of your interview if the use of a blank notepad is permitted or not.

However, if we saw that you had notes on that notepad, you could expect to be asked to close the notepad. We're conscious of being fair to all candidates and wouldn't want one having notes when others in that competition hadn't.

Using an answer from your application at the job interview

6/11/2023

 
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Yes. It's ok to use an example from your application form at a job interview. Try not to parrot your answer though! Talk about it like you haven't learned it off by heart and sound interested in what you are saying.

However, always have a backup example for every competency. That answer on the form might not answer every question asked about that competency. And an interviewer might ask for a different example than the one on the form, so it's best to be prepared for that.

A mistake you have made?

5/11/2023

 
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I think that interviewers are looking for a few things in the answer to the question about a mistake you have made:
  1. Are you willing to admit you made a mistake?
  2. What did you learn from making that mistake?
  3. What steps do you took to make sure it doesn't happen again?
We all makes mistakes and your interviewers want to know how you handle mistakes when they happen. Emphasise what you learned from that mistake and how you ensure that doesn't happen again.
Try to pick an example that is not a critical area for the role you are interviewing for. See if you can come up with a learning that is relevant to the new role. For example, you might be not being good at delegating when you were first appointed as a manager. You could build your example around these points:
  • you tried to do everything yourself in your first team lead role but that
  • you learned to delegate and now
  • you always ensure work is delegated fairly, that you know your job is to get things done, not to do it all yourself.

Other mistakes you could speak about include miscommunications, misunderstandings, missed deadlines or errors made. Avoid saying you don't make mistakes or that you can't recall any, no one is that perfect!

Timing your answers for a job interview

4/11/2023

 
length of answer
Yes, I think that's a very good idea to time yourself on how long your answers are (before the interview), particularly if you are interviewing in the public sector. If you take the amount of time you have for your interview and then allow time for the opening and closing of the interview and then divide the total number of competencies into the remaining time - you may be surprised at how little time an interviewer has per competency. And in that time, they are rarely asking only one question. And for each question, they want to ask follow on questions. So, 5 minute answers are simply too long.
So yes, time yourself. Have a concise version of your answer - allowing that some answers are longer and some are shorter.

Some candidates type out their answers, so time yourself speaking one out loud, note the word count and edit your other answers to a similar length. Some people write long and then edit it back and that seems to work well for them. If your answers are too long, you will find that many public sector interviewers will cut across you to move you on in the interest of managing the time.
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Questions at the end of the interview

3/11/2023

 
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Some questions that are often asked at the end of the interview are:
  • Is this a new role?
  • How many people are on the team?
  • What are the learning and development opportunities in this role?
  • ​What would a typical day in this role look like?
  • What do you like best about working here?
  • How would you describe the culture here?
  • What training would be put in place for the successful candidate?​​
  • ​Ask about something you know is changing (such as legislation or a significant change programme) and how that would impact on this role?
  • What are the opportunities for career progression?
  • ​When will I know the outcome of the interview process?
If you are interviewing for one of the general grades, the vast majority of candidates ask no questions and that's ok. Similarly, most internal candidates ask no questions, however, I am always surprised when an external candidate does not ask a question.

"Red flags" at a job interview

2/11/2023

 
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Yes, there are a few things that immediately come to mind as red flags for interviewers. I have observed all of the following at interviews and these points have come up in discussions with my fellow interviewers afterwards:

  • Speaking negatively or in a disparaging way about a previous manager or employer
  • Breaching the confidentiality of a previous employer
  • Being disrespectful of other nationalities in your answers.​
Some other common "red flags" are:
  • ​Rambling in all your answers
  • Not answering the question asked (repeatedly)
  • Taking an excessive amount of time to give the context to all the examples
  • Contradicting yourself or what you wrote on your application
  • Not seeming to know anything about the role and/or organisation
  • Exaggerating your answers (and that being shown up through your answers to follow-on questions).

Rapport in job interviews?

1/11/2023

 
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I think the opportunity for developing rapport or hitting it off with an interviewer depends on the style of interview. There are still many interviews that are with the manager or owner and rapport is important then. But there are good reasons for the style of interview that looks for more than hitting it off with the interviewer.

Research tells us that best practice in interviews is a structured interview, with clear scoring criteria and scoring scales and the same questions being asked of candidates. Just liking someone isn't a reliable enough way of selecting candidates. 
Panel interviews have the advantage of looking for a candidate that can display all of the competencies required, the fully rounded candidate - who is not just good at one area (like getting on with people) but can work in (or lead) teams, solve problems, deliver results, communicate well, and has the relevant specialist knowledge. 

If the hiring manager isn't involved, does rapport still matter? I think it does. Even though the interviewee wouldn't be reporting to us, we still want to get a sense of how well you get on with others and with us. Getting a number of viewpoints on one candidate brings balance to the decision making and gives a chance to a candidate who has relevant experience but just didn't click with that one interviewer in the style of interview you mention in the question.

Some of those more structured interviews include the hiring manager, some do not. Where the hiring manager is involved, some thought can be given to how the person being interviewed would fit into the existing team. One of the most frequent comments I hear back from hiring managers after interviews is how much they appreciate the different viewpoints and the balance that is brought to the process.

The lists and tick boxes mentioned in the question, the competencies and their definitions, help candidates in framing their answers and interviewers in judging those answers. It's a shared set of criteria. Structured interviews help us minimise bias. We are human beings however and it helps if we like you!

Need some time to think of your answer to a job interview question?

8/3/2022

 
Job interview tips
So, you're at an interview and you are asked a question and you just need a chance to think about your answer or which example to use. What can you do?⠀
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Instead of sitting there silent, my advice is to let your interviewers know what's going on. Do you need to have the question repeated or clarified? Then ask them to do so. Do you need a chance to think? Then you can simply say so, by saying something along the lines of "I need to think about that for a second". Then your interviewers won't keep talking to fill the silence (which doesn't help your thinking) and they know to stay silent. And they won't hold it against you! It's perfectly acceptable behaviour and we would prefer you to think about your answer rather than launching into something irrelevant.⠀
Another simple thing you can do, is to take a sip of water. It gives you a chance to think and, at the same time, it lets your interviewers know that you are busy and that they don't need to jump in. You could also repeat or paraphrase the question, which gives you another little bit of time to think. ⠀
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Obviously, you can't do that for every question throughout the interview, but it works well to do so occasionally.⠀

Communicate your interest in the role at a job interview

11/11/2021

 
Job interview tips
As an interviewer (and former hiring manager) I find that a candidate's interest in the role and in the organisation is key. One way to demonstrate your interest is through the enthusiasm and energy you display at a job interview.  

Think about how you can do this, whether your interview is in-person or online. Here's some ideas for you:
  • Project your voice, do you perhaps need to talk louder
  • Make sure your voice isn't monotone
  • Nod your head, maintain good eye contact
  • Look interested in the interviewer(s) and sound interested in what you are saying
  • Try not to slouch, sit up straight.​​
​A second way that you can demonstrate that interest is to prepare your answers for questions like:⠀⠀
  • "Why are you interested in this role?"⠀
  • "Why are you interested in working for this organisation?"⠀
  • "What do you know about this organisation?"⠀
  • "What attracted you to this role?"⠀
  • "Why do you want this role?"⠀
  • "Have you any questions?"⠀​
Interviewers use these types of questions to assess your interest in the role.  Make sure you prepare your answers to questions like these, so you are prepared for them at interview.

How does your experience match the requirements of the role?

18/8/2021

 
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Be clear about how your experience matches the role you are going for. What is the organisation looking for? Is there a job role description and/or a set of competencies describing what is required? Spend some time reading this and absorbing that information. Is there anything else you can do such as reading about the organisation or contacting someone who works there? Then think about what you have to offer (skills, knowledge, experience, competencies, achievements) and how do these match what is required in the role? This is so important for your interview preparation.⠀
Try to tune into the requirements of the role by doing more than simply reading the job description or candidate information booklet. If you are applying to an organisation that you have not previously worked for, research what the organisation does, what kind of roles they have and, in particular, see what more you can find out about the role you are applying for.

Is there someone in your network who has worked there or someone who knows someone who is working there? What can you find out about the organisations values and mission? What services or products do they offer? 
All of this research will help you demonstrate your interest in that organisation when at interview and will also help you position your previous experience and achievements in that context. It will also help you prepare relevant questions you can ask at interview.

If you invest some time in preparing how your skills and experience matches the requirements of the role, it will help you in several ways. It helps you when writing a summary or personal statement (on the application form) or when writing your cover letter (if submitting a CV). It also informs how you will answer questions at interview. Especially questions such as "Tell me about yourself", "How does your experience match the requirements of the role?" or if you are asked to "Summarise your experience". 

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It also should underpin all of your other answers when at interview, because you need to be able to clearly articulate how your previous work experience matches the requirements of the role and to be able to do so throughout the interview. So use this to select the examples that you plan to use to demonstrate the required competencies. You can also use this summary of how you match the requirements of the role towards the end of the interview.

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Your choice of verbs can strengthen or weaken your job interview answers

21/7/2021

 
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The verbs you choose to describe your actions (in your competency answers) are so important. Keep an eye on the verbs they use in the job description and use those or mirror those. If there are competency definitions, keep an eye on the verbs being used in those definitions. 

Make sure your choice of verb reflects the appropriate level of seniority for the role you are interviewing for. You can search for lists of Strong Verbs or Action Verbs for CVs online to help.
For example, do you lead on a project or area of work? Other verbs you could use are chaired, controlled, headed, orchestrated, organised, planned or co-ordinated. Verbs matter - on your paperwork (CV or application form) and at a job interview. Be sure that you are doing yourself and the work that you have done justice in the verbs you use to describe what you did. Choose the verb that most accurately reflects both your contribution and the seniority of your role.

Know when to stop talking at your job interview

23/6/2021

 
Job interview tips
I notice at interviews that sometimes a candidate doesn't really seem to know how to finish out their answer or when to stop talking! You can help yourself by knowing how you will end each of your competency answers, so that at interview you will feel comfortable with your finishing sentence and know when to stop.

Know how you will finish your answers for job interview questions. Finish the answer and stop talking. Be comfortable with any silence that happens at that point. If your interviewers want more detail from you, they will ask a question - otherwise they will move you onto the next question.


Have your examples ready for competency-based job interviews

26/5/2021

 
Job Interview Advise
Here's some input about preparing your competency examples for your job interview. Your competency example lets you demonstrate the depth of your experience in the details of that example. Using different examples for each competency will let you demonstrate the breadth of your experience throughout the interview.

Select your competency examples carefully. Remind yourself of the details of that example. It's good practice to prepare a detailed second example for each competency. This will help you ensure that no matter how the question is phrased, that one of your examples will match what the interviewer is looking for.

Selecting your competency examples for your job interview

6/4/2021

 
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Being successful at a competency interview is all about your choice of examples. If you are completing a public sector application form, then getting through the shortlisting is also based on your choice of examples. You need to select your best examples for each competency. Which ones are your most relevant – relevant to the competency but also (ideally) relevant to the job area you are applying for? Which show off where you have used initiative? Which demonstrate the right level of seniority for the post you are going for? Which show the traits you want to impress with? Which show significant obstacles you have overcome? These are the examples which will score well. 
The same advise applies whether you are selecting your examples for use at interview or for use when completing your application form (required for most public sector interviews). Where possible, lead with your most recent work examples. Only use a non-work example when you have no other example that you can draw on to illustrate your competence.

After selecting your examples, you then need to remind yourself of the detail of those work tasks or projects and what you accomplished. The level of detail you provide is very important. ​Keep the focus on the aspects of the work that demonstrate the competency.

Asking questions at the end of the job interview

4/1/2021

 
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If you are given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the job interview, I would encourage you to do so. Look at the information you have received about the role and try to imagine yourself starting out in that role. What questions could you ask that demonstrate your interest in the role?  Make sure your questions don’t show up your ignorance about something you should have been able find the answers to yourself. Interviewers will expect you to have done your research. Quite often, in public sector interviews for general grades (where there is no job description really, other than the definition of the competencies, such as for Executive Officer) candidates don't ask questions. The same is true for internal candidates, who mostly say they don’t have any questions to ask and that’s ok.​
Some questions you could ask are:
  • Is this a new role?
  • How many people are working on the team? 
  • What training would be put in place for the successful candidate? 
  • What would be a typical day be for someone in this role? or
  • What do you like best about working for this organisation? 
​You are always safe to ask:
  • What are the next steps in this process? or
  • When will I know the outcome of this interview?  ​

Online job interviews: Look at the camera to make eye contact

25/11/2020

 
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When you are doing a face-to-face interview, the advice is always to make eye contact with your interviewer(s). The same advice applies to virtual interviews or online interview. For interviewers like me to feel that you are making eye contact with us, you need to be looking at the camera of your phone, laptop or tablet. It is easy to be distracted by the people on the screen, yourself included! But if you are looking at yourself or looking at the interviewers on the screen, it will not look to them as though you are looking them in the eye. The way to do this is to look at the camera. 
Looking at a camera does not come naturally to us, to engage with the machine rather than with the people on the screen. But you want to come across as you would if you were meeting them in person, so remember that you make eye contact by looking at the camera. It is worth practicing, because it comes across to your interviewers quite differently whether you are looking at the camera, or not. This video on my Facebook page shows you what I mean.

Online job interviews: Check out the technology in advance

4/11/2020

 
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It's worth checking out the technology that will be used for your online or virtual interview in advance. Don't leave this until the last minute. If you can access the system and do a trial, I would encourage you to do so - or practice using a system you do have access to.

​Check that you can hear and check that you can be heard. Use a headset with a microphone if possible. Using a headset cuts down on background noise, helps you with hearing your interviewer(s) and makes sure you don't have to raise your voice to be heard. 
When interviewing online, I have had some less than wonderful situations -  such as the candidate who ended up in her back garden trying to get a better signal and we could barely hear her over the traffic sounds. Not the best for either her or the interviewers. Set yourself up for interview success by checking out the technology in advance. 

Online job interviews: Keep the camera at eye level

14/10/2020

 
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It's best to keep the camera of the device you are using for your interview at eye level. This is so that when you look at the camera, it will look like you are looking directly at the interviewer. If the camera is part of your laptop and your laptop is on your desk, the camera is not going to be at eye level. As an interviewer, I have had candidates position the camera so we were not seeing all of their face, or so that we were looking up at their face from below and nearly able to see up their noses!  
I put my laptop on top of a stand or some books when doing an online interview to make sure that the camera is at my eye level - or I have found raising it up another inch or two (3-5cm) can give me the best angle (and make sure there's no double chin!). Same advice applies to phones or tablets.

Answering the question asked a job interview

27/8/2020

 
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At an interview, you need to make sure you are answering the right question. This sounds simple, but with interview nerves or poorly phrased questions, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

This is particularly true in Public Sector interviews, with tight timings and the clock ticking. The more the interview panel have to bring you back on track, the less chance you have to score well. If you don't answer the right question they might even take your answer and move onto the next question, leaving you with a poor score.
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To help keep you on track, really listen to the question. Repeat the question to yourself, out loud if you want. Take a sip of water to buy yourself a moment to gather your thoughts. Don't just start answering if you are not sure what they are looking for.

​It's ok to ask an interviewer to repeat a question or to clarify the focus of a question. It’s really important that you answer the question you are being asked, so asking for the question to be repeated or clarified is absolutely ok and interviewers won’t mind doing this. Better to ask than to answer the wrong question. 
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    Tina Kinirons

    Tina's Blog - Interviewer Insights

    My interview tips are based on my years of interviewing experience and my years of interview coaching.

    View my profile on LinkedIn
The Chase, Arkle Road, Sandyford Business Park, Dublin 18, Ireland.
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