There are so many components that go into an ideal interview. Here’s a round-up of queries from public servants, as well as responses from government hiring experts.

If there’s something missing, ask it in the Career Development Community, we’ll get an expert answer to you ASAP.

How do you stay motivated to apply for jobs and attend interviews?

Resilience. You will not be successful on many, if not most, of your interviews. Even expert interviewees will have had countless unsuccessful interviews. So many factors are beyond your control — whether they had “someone in mind for the role”, particularly talented other candidates, an inexperienced interviewer, a lack of chemistry or you just caught them at a bad time — good interviews aren’t always rewarded with posts.

Some might take rejection as proof that they’re not fit for a better role. They might even view withholding from making applications as a form of psychological self-defence. But the experts are clear that, if you keep learning from interviews, and keep trying, you will get to where you are aiming for.

How to cope with interview nerves?

Nerves are perfectly natural. If managed, they can provide an adrenaline lift that raises your level of performance. But to avoid letting them compromise your performance, some suggestions include:

  • If it’s online, get comfortable in your digital environment. Make sure all the small things are taken care of, such as logging into the platform, so they don’t fluster you at the last minute.
  • Make sure any potential distractions are taken care of. For example, ask a family member to listen out for the doorbell if it rings.
  • Use techniques that help you manage your anxiety levels. This varies from person to person, but can include deep breathing, power poses, short walks or mindfulness exercises.

See more tips to manage interview anxiety.

How long should I spend on each answer?

Adapt the length of your answers to the duration of the interview. Check the schedule to discern how much time you will be able to allot to each question. Try to fit in as much relevant information as you can within this time frame — interviewers aren’t mind-readers, and can’t fill in the gaps for you. Use your application form as a launchpad for your responses.

Can I bring notes to my interview?

That’s absolutely fine. But be sure not to add too much information. It’s better to stick to bullet points, which you can use as a guide. For virtual interviews, some people suggest putting post-it notes around your screen. Others find it awfully distracting. Find what works for you.

If you have a pen and paper, it’s also fine to write down questions as they come in. This can help you stick to the precise wording they are listening for.

How will I know what a given department prefers in an interviewee?

Ask them. Each team has a different style of interview, and they likely also have different priorities in a candidate. It is the responsibility of a vacancy holder to provide clarity on the details of the interview, so call them up and ask them to share what they can. If you don’t ask, you’ll never find out.

When I am talking about my experience, how should I structure my wording?

Use “I”, not “we”. Don’t be afraid to take ownership of your achievements. Several interviewers note down “we” if they find a candidate isn’t talking about what they did.

Make sure your answer flows within the STAR format, but don’t give more than about 20% of your time for situation and task — interviewers really want to know what you did.

How do you evidence for a position higher than your current role, but you know you’d be able to fulfil the relevant duties?

  • If you haven’t got the experience, get the experience — ask your line manager for new opportunities. They owe you dedicated career advice.
  • If you don’t have the experience, identify similar behaviours from your current role. You may already be working above your level.
  • Look at gaining qualifications.
  • Volunteer in cross-departmental network groups, deputising roles and running meetings.
  • Don’t wait for responsibilities to arrive, take ownership.

Strengths-based questions — what are interviewers looking for?

These questions are tough and ambiguous! Every panel is different. It helps to start off with a foundational definition: A strength is something you excel at, something you frequently do, and something that motivates you.

Your best option is to look at the strengths that are mapped to the job vacancy. Then look into the strengths dictionary to see how strengths are mapped onto responsibilities.

If certain strengths weren’t asked for directly, consider how they might be asked within behaviours.

For strengths, it is especially important to keep it recent and give evidence. Panellists won’t ask you for extra detail on strengths questions, but they will need evidence from within the past year to mark it in your favour. Remember, a strength needs to be something you frequently do.

Does it help to memorise examples?

Most people advise against this. Interviewers can spot inauthenticity, and that can harm the chemistry that goes into a successful interview. Additionally, if you stumble and forget your lines, this is much more jarring than correcting yourself whilst speaking naturally.

Instead, it is vital that you learn your examples but speak naturally. You don’t need to be polished, but you should be comfortable. If you're interviewing remotely, this means you need to be comfortable in front of a camera, which is something you should practise for.

Should I have my camera on for remote interviews?

Yes, wherever possible. Most communication is non-verbal, so seeing you will help to build a rapport. Relying on interviewers missing non-verbal cues isn’t a sustainable strategy.

What if something goes wrong during the interview?

Don’t panic. If the problem is technical, then interviewers have a procedure in place to adjust to the situation. For example, if you have a power cut, they ought to reschedule.

If you draw a blank, stumble, or say the wrong thing — the best thing you can do is to tell your interviewer. They’re human too. They won’t begrudge you “sorry, my mind went completely blank on that last point, I’ll get back to you, in the meantime…”

What separates good from great?

If you want an answer for this, apply to become an independent panel member. If you sit on several panels for a diverse set of roles and confer with different interviewers, you’ll start to get the knack for what works, and what lands well. You’ll also get a sharp understanding of what interviewers are listening out for, so you’ll know exactly what notes to hit in your next interview.

Finally, good interviews are ones you prepare well for. Great interviews are ones where you can feel a click of chemistry between you and the interviewer. You’ll get the feeling that you really want to work at that place. Remember, you’re also interviewing them.

Where can I learn more about acing interviews?

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