Public servants change jobs frequently. You don’t need to wait until you’re between jobs to start interviewing for your next position.

To make sure you’re moving upwards, we’ve brought together advice from UK government careers experts in the Apolitical community. If you don’t find the question you’re looking for, ask it on the Apolitical Q&A board, and an expert might answer it.

For more detail, and real-life successful examples, watch this short talk by Mahesh Nanda, Head of External Engagement, Global Trade and Investment at the Department for International Trade, who spoke at a workshop on Mastering interviews in the UK Civil Service.

4 non-negotiable ingredients of a successful interview

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare

There is no substitute for hard work. The difference between a passable interview and an excellent interview is nearly always appropriate preparation.

Before you head into an interview you need to:

  • Know what you’re going to say.
  • Practice what you’re going to say.
  • Figure out how you are going to answer the questions.

Scrutinise the job description closely**.** Interviewers will make it obvious what topics, buzzwords and behaviours they are listening for.

2. Expand on your written application

The written application is about getting yourself invited to the party. The interview is your real performance.

In your written application, you typically have to squeeze your evidence into 250 words. Many details are necessarily left out. Your interview is a chance to add colour, context and details to the information you’ve already provided. Interviewers can’t read your mind, so unless you say you’ve done something, they can’t give you credit for it.

3. Practice — especially if you’re shy

If you’re interviewing in person (it’s been a while), then set aside time to do a mock interview with a friend. Pick someone who’s experienced in hiring processes in government.

If you’re interviewing online — record yourself. Log in to the platform you’ll be using on the day, get the setting_ _just right, and deliver your answers. Play the recording back and, assuming the sound and lighting are all fine, ask yourself:

  • Am I making sense?
  • Have I missed anything out?
  • Does the story I am telling follow the situation-task-action-result (STAR) format?
  • What can I change?

If you can, send the recording to someone who can give you feedback.

4. Explicitly tailor your answers to the questions

Leave no space for ambiguity. If they ask for a specific behaviour or skill, use the wording they gave you when you spell out how it is relevant to your experience. When you’re preparing, write out the questions by hand and underline keywords. There’s nothing stopping you from doing the same in the interview itself.

Interviewers should also tell you what behaviours they’re looking for — even if they don’t explicitly ask for them (this varies from department to department). Become familiar with which behaviours are typically connected to the type of role you are interviewing for. Make it as easy as possible for the interviewers to tick every requirement for the role.

These 4 ingredients are just the starting point. There are so many more details to cover ahead of a successful interview. If you have a big opportunity coming up, read our FAQ for interviews.

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