It is important to recognize that government agencies are looking for eligible candidates. It is in their best interests to hire the best people for the job and they will not try to consciously confuse you.

At the interview stage it is your interpersonal and communication skills that will help you land a job. Interviewers are looking for someone who is competent, likeable and fits in with the organization's culture, goals, beliefs and values.

For many positions within the Public Service Commission, you will encounter panel interviews. These consist of multiple people from different functional areas conducting the interview with you at one time. Panel interviews most often consist of the interested manager, a representative from human resources and a representative from the union. It is important to remember who you are addressing while conducting your interview.

What Interviewers Tend to Look For

Handling Pre-Interview Stress

Feeling nervous before an interview is perfectly normal. All politicians, entertainers and media personalities feel nervous prior to performances as well. The best way to handle the stress is to be well prepared. Once again, interviewers are not trying to trick you. They want you to succeed; it makes their job easier. Some things you should do before the interview include:

• Good night's sleep (goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway).
• Practice interview with friends, using the behavioural questions below.
• Wear professional clothing (suits or business dress).

You should bring all of the documents that are requested from you (transcripts, copy of your resume, portfolio) to the interview along with a pad of paper, a pen, a list of references and a list of questions you may have. Interviewers are often impressed if you have intelligent and researched questions about the job.

How to Influence the Hiring Decision

Understand the Organization - Local Focus Interviews

It is important to have at least a rudimentary understanding of the organization to which you are applying. This information is available on most websites, or at employment offices where you are applying. Some information you should know would include:

• Rough size of the organization or group with which you will work.
• Name of the managers or politicians in charge of departments. (example: Ralph Goodale - Minister of Finance 2005.)
• Areas of service (example: Peel Region covers Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.)
• Some major units within the department.
• Community specific issues that affect the department. For example, terrorist threats to the foreign service, language and cultural issues in different regions, etc.
• The challenge that all government services are facing (asked to do more with less, budget constraints, intense scrutiny, etc.)

Before any interview, make a habit of reading the local newspaper of the community you are applying to for several weeks, so that you are aware of the local issues and concerns of the area.

Understand the Job

You have to understand the job to which you are applying. Gather as much information about the job as you can, including typical tasks, places you could be stationed, career paths, etc. To prove that you understand the job, make sure that you include the less glamorous duties that it might entail (filing reports, answering phones, dealing with the public, etc.).

Understand Yourself

When you are involved with an interview, it is extremely important to be very familiar with your resume and past situations in your life. You will more than likely encounter questions about your past acts, goals and emotions. The list below includes a number of questions you should be familiar with prior to any interview.

• How have you prepared for this position and what are your qualifications?
• What are your greatests strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you get along with other co-workers?
• Why are you pursuing a career with this department?
• What motivates you to perform well?
• What are your three greatest accomplishments in life?
• How would you work under pressure?

First Impressions

Many judgments are made about a person within the first 30 seconds of an encounter (fairly or unfairly). It is your job to impress the interviewer (s). First impressions are extremely important. Three basic steps you can take to ensure that you succeed in a great first impression are:

Look Professional	Interviewers want to see an applicant who respects them enough to wear the appropriate attire.
Be Confident and Friendly	Greet the interviewer (s) with a smile, a firm handshake, a relaxed manner and a friendly "Hello".
Break the Ice	Engage in small talk. It can be about anything, (weather, traffic, etc). It doesn't have to be profound. It's meant to put both parties at ease.

Communication and Interpersonal Effectiveness

The interview process is a situation that tests your communication skills. You should be aware of the following:

Eye Contact	Maintain eye contact with the person you are addressing. This means looking at the person who is speaking to you. In interviews with more than one interviewer spend an equal amount of time on each person.
Body Language	Be aware of your position in your seat and your breathing pattern. Attempt to relax by taking steady breaths. Make sure you sit up straight in an interview. This will exhibit self-confidence and professionalism.
Gestures and Speech	Be aware of any gestures you use. Nod and maintain eye contact to indicate that you understand interview questions. Smile when appropriate, and be vocally expressive by alternating your tone where necessary. Be natural and avoid filler words such as umm and like.

During the Interview

Make an effort to read the interviewers. Ask yourself whether they appear to be straining to follow you, if you are talking too fast (breathe more deeply), or too softly (speak louder). If they are writing frantically, that is usually a good sign, but make occasional pauses so that they can keep up. If you do not understand a question, ask them to repeat or clarify it. If you do not know the answer to one of their questions, admit it. Do not lie during the interview.

Prepare Stories Prior to the Interview

Interviewers may have some questions regarding your resume, or your past experiences. Make sure you are familiar with the content in your resume, and any tasks that you mention in it.

Many government agencies will use a behavioural based interview method. This means that they will ask you questions about yourself and will ask you to describe events that have actually occurred in your past (usually the last two years). Some examples of questions you should be prepared to answer include:

Give an example in your life when you:

were involved in a stressful situation and how you dealt with it. were extremely angry and how you dealt with it. had to take the role of a leader, and how was the situation resolved. had to work as part of a team and explain what happened. had to resolve a conflict with other parties. How did you handle it ? were up against an important deadline and had to finish the work. How did you handle it ? had a conflict with a supervisor. How did you handle it ? encountered a situation of discrimination. How did you deal with it?

There are many other behavioural questions, but these are some of the most common examples.

How to Answer Behavioural Based Questions

Each behavioural question is a story about your past. Make sure that the story you tell is relevant, clear, and even interesting (interviewers are only human). Each story should have:

Step One - Understand the Question

This is vital. If you do not understand the question or what the interviewer is asking for, ask them to repeat it or explain it, if necessary. There is no point giving a very effective answer to the wrong question. (One interviewee talked a great deal about Ethics during an interview, when he was asked about Ethnicity - the interviewers probably thought he was an idiot, but he was probably just nervous and didn't hear the question properly).

Step Two - Brief Synopsis

Let the interviewers know what you plan to talk about with a brief outline of the situation, with little detail. This will give you some time to organize your thoughts and the interviewers will understand where you are going. This should take no longer then a couple of sentences.

Example:

"I am going to tell you about a conflict I had with my boss while I was working as a personal trainer. It involved a situation where I was told to bill a client at a rate I didn't feel was justified. We dealt with it away from the customer and resolved it in a manner that satisfied myself, the manager, and the client."

Step Three - Full Story

A retelling of the story will demonstrate to the interviewers your competencies in dealing with the situation and your communication capabilities. Interviewers want a clear story, preferably in a chronological sequence. They are most concerned with your feelings during the situation, the actions you took, and the result of your actions. Always finish the story with the results of your actions. Keep these points in mind both while you are preparing for the interview, and when you are participating in it:

• Answer the question asked.
• Pause and think - don't rush in with an answer.
• Pay attention to the pronouns used. Interviewers want to know what "YOU" did. Use the pronoun "I" for your actions and "Us" for team actions. DO NOT ALWAYS USE "WE". You will fail the interview.

Bad Example:

"We formed a team to solve the problem. We brainstormed an idea to solve the problem. We then decided on a course of action and began to implement it. We handled task "A" while others handled task "B". We all had individual assignments."

Good Example:

"I formed a team to solve a problem. We brainstormed an idea to solve the problem. I then had to decide the course of action and we began to implement. My friend John and I were responsible for task "A" while another group handled task "B". My particular assignment was to do "X".

• Ensure you effectively explain the situation, your feelings, your actions and the result.
• Take pauses to collect your thoughts if necessary. There is no need to be constantly talking.
• Relax and enjoy telling the story. You should know it well, as you actually did it.
• Give focused and fluid answers.
• Avoid run-on answers.
• Give support for claims that are made, if possible.
• Show evidence of preparation work.

Situational Questions

You should be aware that you could be asked technical or "what if" questions or questions about your past. Some agencies may ask:

• What would you do if you caught a co-worker stealing?
• Have you ever smoked marijuana?
• Have you ever stolen anything?
• Have you ever committed an illegal act?

It is important to answer these questions honestly and give them careful consideration. If you have tried smoking marijuana once when you were in high school admit it and tell the interviewer why you didn't continue to use it. For example, you found it hurt the performance of your friends or something along those lines.

"What if" questions will often challenge you, to see if you are the type of person who will immediately back down. This is not a trait that agencies tend to look for. Once you have made up your mind on an issue, stand by it. Interviewers may challenge you but this is part of the process. Just ensure that you give careful thought to the question to avoid defending a weak position. It is acceptable to credit the other opinion, but be very careful about simply folding under pressure.

On top of these questions, you may receive some technical questions when applying to specific positions

Presentation and Scenario Questions

For many positions you will be required to answer scenario and presentation questions. You may not have access to these questions before hand and will have to be able to think on the spot. During some interview processes you may be assigned to perform the tasks on your own and return the next day. Some examples of these types of questions include:

• Develop a brief presentation on the essentials of buying a house.
• What actions would you take if you were now in charge of Straw sales for a major corporation ?
• You are working late and attempting to complete an assignment. You realize you will not have enough time to finish this before it is due tomorrow morning. How would you handle this ?
• Your manager asks you to work on a weekend that you have already made plans to spend with your family. How would you respond ?

Each individual will come up with different answers to these types of scenarios. Before you begin responding, pause a moment to think about your answer. It is okay to ask questions of the interviewer for further clarification if required. For instance asking what region you would be selling straws for, asking about existing company resources, asking if there are other people to assist you late at night, etc. Asking intelligent questions about the scenarios will give the interviewers an idea about your thought process.

After you have clarified your position and are ready to answer your question, attempt to keep your responses organized and structured and organized. State what actions you would take, how you would implement the steps, how you would follow up, and if necessary how you would feel about your decision. Try and remember to address all the important people in the scenario (family, co-workers, bosses, etc.).

Completing the Interview

Just like the first impression, it is important to give a positive impression during the last few moments of an interview. If you have any questions for the interviewers, it is important to ask them at the end of the interview. It is acceptable to have prepared questions written down. As you are leaving the room, smile at the interviewer(s) individually, walk up to each one, look into their eyes, shake their hands and personally thank them for their time.