Interview Techniques

for Barristersa Bar Council CPD seminar

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Padraig Love, Public Appointments Service &

Conor Dempsey, Director, Slattery Communications

• Padraig Love, Public Appointments Service

and

• Conor Dempsey, Director, Slattery Communications

Presentations By:

Applying for roles with the Public Appointments Service

Pádraig LoveHead of Corporate Services

18th April 2012

PAS Clients

Some Legal Posts Recently Handled

• Chief State Solicitor• Assistant Chief State Solicitor• Bureau Legal Officer, CAB• Advisory Counsel in the AG’s• Head of Legal Affairs in Garda Síochána• Head of Directing Division, DPP• Chief Prosecution Solicitor, DPP• Assistant Parliamentary Counsel• Law Agent in Galway and Kerry County Councils• Military Judge• ALSO advertise posts on www.publicjobs.ie for universities and International Bodies including EPSO “Lawyer Linguists”

Overview of typical competition

• Job outline and description agreed with client

• Essential and desirable criteria set

• Vacancy is advertised through www.publicjobs.ie and other media, e.g. Newspapers, journals etc;

• Applicants are asked to either submit a structured application form or a CV with a covering letter;

• Application forms are shortlisted and successful candidates are invited to the next stage of the assessment process which may include:

• Interview against pre-defined competencies• Personality Questionnaire• Presentation on a relevant topic• Final Interview

Overview of typical competition

• Typically there is a very high calibre of candidates for roles and therefore all stages, in particular shortlisting, are highly competitive

• Shortlisting may be carried out against the required competencies drawn up by reference to the essential and desirable criteria

• For management posts, the level and extent of experience in leadership and management will be a factor

• Applications are reviewed by the full panel of assessors

• Those shortlisted are invited to the next stage

• The competition normally generates an order of merit

• Background checks are done prior to appointment

Advice on the application process

• Never enter a selection process lightly

• Reflect on the requirements for the job, the essential criteria and the skills/competencies identified as important and objectively consider whether or not you meet all the requirements;

• Think about your career and key achievements over the last year/ three years/ five years which are relevant to the role youare applying for;

• Document these examples for use either in a structured application form, your supporting letter or during the interview;

• Consider how best to present your work to convince the Board that you have the required level of managerial experience, i.e. responsibility for resources, staff etc.

Advice on the application process, contd.

• Think about the new tasks and responsibilities involved in the new post;

• Consider the “step up” for you personally and how you can communicate your ability to do this;

• Reflect on the context in which the job you are applying for exists and the strategic issues impacting on it. Source additional information if required to help inform you;

• Think about what the interviewer will want to know and the questions they might have about you.

Completing the Application form

• Remember that your Application form must bring you through the shortlisting process and is a first impression for board members;

• You need to convey key information about your experience concisely

• You may be asked to provide an example under each of the required competencies that demonstrates your skills/ experiences;

• Describe the context/ situation, the key stakeholders, your particular role, the outcome and key learning;

• There may be a word limit which you must abide by; a concise description but one understandable by non-legal assessors;

• If no examples are required, tailor your CV to emphasisethe experience/skills most relevant to the role.

Problem areas identified in applications

• Generic approach to each post – big problem

• Insufficient information/Too much information

• Application forms with large numbers of errors;

• Getting dates wrong so that there are large gaps on the application form or inconsistencies;

• Using tiny fonts to fill in required text boxes: impossible to read and very annoying for interviewers;

• Using the same example for most/all competencies;

• Only using examples that are several years old;

• Using large amounts of jargon or technical language;

• Completing the application form at the very last minute and then encountering difficulties submitting it.

The Interview

• Successful candidates are invited to interview which may comprise a preliminary and main interview;

• Interviews are typically semi-structured; the required competencies will be explored and candidates are likely to be questioned on their vision for the role, the key challenges within it etc.

• There are typically 3-5 interviewers on the Board and theChair will give you an overview of the process and the roles of the different board members;

• Notes will be taken during the interview.

Key Advice during the Interview

Listen to the questions that you are asked

• If you’re not clear what is being asked, look for clarification;

• Gather your thoughts before answering; don’t worry about a short pause but make the best use of your time;

• Don’t rely on your experience/ application form to do the selling for you;

• If you don’t know an answer, it is better to be honest than try to bluff unconvincingly;

• Expect a challenging interview – the Board will have the flexibility to ask the questions they feel are important and follow up on any element of your answers that they wish;

Mistakes made during interviews

• Candidates “jumping in” with an answer rather than answering the question asked;

• Some candidates demonstrate clear skills in their current role but do not give evidence of the ability to work in the role they are applying for or have a clear rationale for whythey are applying for the role;

• As at the application stage, candidates must convince the board that they have the required skills and experience to perform effectively in the role, particularly if the role isdifferent to their previous experience.

Thank you

Getting & Preparing for a Job Interview

18th April 2012

Conor Dempsey

Slattery Communications

CV Preparation

Personal details

Name, address & contact details

Education and professional qualifications

Professional experience

Languages

Personal Information

References

Avoid gimmicks

Cover Letter

Tailor your letter & CV to each application

Short, pithy, incisive....perhaps provocative

Recruitment Consultants

Merc

Dalriada

KPMG

Yeaton & Associates

HRM

Preparing for Interview

Research the Employer

Employer history

Products & services available

Future projections

Sales figures

Information about the employer’s customer

demographic

Other Pre-interview Preparation

Research the Industry & Competitors

Form Opinions

Whom are you meeting?

Company dress code

Rehearse x 10!!!

Get in the Zone!

The Interview

THE OPENING

Interviews are won and lost in the opening.

You have up to 1 minute and 15 seconds to state your case, backing it up with examples.

This is your only opportunity to set out your stall uninterrupted.

Do not stop speaking until the interviewer stops you.

The Interview

Friendly yet professional rapport

Positive body language, position

Tone & colour of voice

Address all people in room – eye contact

Body LanguageInterest - Disinterest

� Interest: head up, voice up, palms of hands open as arms in an upward direction

� Disinterest: head down, voice down, arms and palms down

Body LanguageDefensive

� Hands tightly folded across chest; leaning backwards in chair distancing space from speaker; ankles crossed; head down on chest

Body LanguageAnxiety / Uptight

�Wring hands or clenches fist

Body LanguageAttempts at Self Control

� Jacket buttoned up, hands held together in front in immobile stance; sometimes trying to avoid eye contact or staring into space

� Sitting with hands clenched on knees; in chair with arm supports, tightly grips both arm rests; ankles crossed

Body LanguageNegative change in attitude

� Sudden lean back in chair, touching the nose, folding arms

� Fingers to corner of the eye; head inclined downward; fingers to the lobe of one ear

Body LanguageChange in Mental Attitude

� A pronounced change in physical body movement or a new seating arrangement of arms and legs

Body LanguageNegative evaluation of Proposal or Idea

� Rubs or touches nose with knuckles of index finger

Body LanguageFrustration / Exasperation

� Rubs back of neck with palm of hand or runs fingers through hair. Hissed intake of breath through clenched teeth

Body LanguageAwakening Interest

� Head up and an open look on face, head inclined –indicating to you that ‘I am interested’

The Interview / 2Present the highs and not the lows

Communicating information about yourself is your responsibility

Try identify their needs...and get them talking!

Be prepared for questions

Have your own questions

EDITORIAL CONTROL

Editorial control is the technique of setting the agenda for the interview.

Use the interviewer’s questions to lead on to the key messages you want to deliver.

Don’t use editorial control to avoid questions but use it to link or bridge to the messages (supported by examples) which you intend to get across in the interview.

DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS

Mentally note the point you are talking about

Acknowledge the interruption

Finish your point

Deal with the interruption

Go on and start another point

Common Interview QuestionsTell me about yourself.How would your contemporaries describe you?What makes you different from the other candidates for this position?Describe the accomplishment of which you are the most proud.Why should we hire you?What strengths and attributes could you bring to this position?Why did you choose the law?How did you become involved in your extracurricular activities?What are your career goals?What would you like to be doing five/ten years from now?What interests/impresses you about this company?What do you believe are the key issues and problems in our industry today?What do you think it takes to be successful in this field?In what kind of work environment do you do your best work?With what kind of people do you like to work?What kinds of tasks and responsibilities motivate you the most?What is your ideal job?What is your greatest weakness?What has been your greatest challenge?What do you enjoy doing outside of work in your free time?If you had six months ahead with no obligations and no financialconstraints, what would you do?

Competency based questionsCan you give me an example of when you had to work under a great deal of pressure?

Can you give me an example of when you felt that you were out of your depth? How did you handle this?

Tell me about some risks you have taken in your working or professional life? How did you go about this?

When you have managed a project can you take me through how you have approached it

When have you had to go against general feelings or policies to accomplish a goal? Tell me about it.

Have Questions for the Interviewer

Closing the interview

Ask about next stage in process & timelines

Thank them for the opportunity

Post-Interview

Liaise with the recruitment consultant

Consider direct follow up

ENDS

Negotiating the Job Offer

Know your objectives

Know the company scales/norms

Know the market