Interview tips

[Number_35]

I usually got a job offer if I had researched the company beforehand.

I didn't get one job I really wanted. I was tempted to name-drop (the interviewer had been best man for a good friend of mine quite a few years before) but didn't. I wanted to be hired on merit, not on connections, but was very disappointed not to get the job. The road not taken ...

 

[GON]

. Not sure what the hell a slacker government job wants, but you best figure that out now.

I happened to stumble across a new federal employee orientation yesterday, and had to wait for the orientation to finish before I could see the person I came to see. So I sat in the back row and listen to the orientation.

My take-away. Just showing up to work without hassle (being on-time), being a team player, and caring about your work are simple things, but apparently challenges for new hires to perform in the GS system.

I would not talk about things like you take care of family members.

Good luck, smile, be positive, and be an active listener! And a supplement to Astro's recommendation on pen and paper. Have peen and paper and take notes, even if worthless notes. And make sure the interviewers see your pen and paper, you will have beaten 95% of your competition just showing you know to have a pen and paper.

And finally, if you want to hit a grand slam- simply send a thank you note by USPS immediately following the interview. Make sure the letter is postmarked the same day as the interview. For a GS position, likely they won't give you their address- but if you can crack that nut- huge win for you.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I thank everyone for the replies so far. My "handlers" are helping me prepare, as well. Everyone from my friend in Chicago to my friends on here... are all supportive.

So, just because I'm going to clench this by being my natural self, brings us to exactly where we are.. been controlling a situation with my car since Saturday or Sunday (time blurs together) and as of very early this morning/late last night that is on track to getting resolved (the "For Sale" forum thread.. that is NOT my main focus today.) As such, I updated the situation, shared memorable moment from the last week or so (again, this is all going somewhere and it may be a Chicago opportunity.. okay) and I unloaded with a measured measure of information and levity. Now that is out of my system and I am going to see Sound Of Freedom right now then return the Taurus, then post 1p.m.-ish.. is crunch time and mental preparation.

And I won't wear this in my interview.

Meanwhile, my other hat shows taste and maturity. And gets complements. So.. that one.

Thanks again all and I will read when I come back.

@Pablo I look hideous with the Toilet Bowl Ring with no hat.. I'd not hire me looking like Peter Boyle. You'd normally have good attire on at an interview..

This one.

 

[Pablo]

Don't wear a hat at all. Am I missing something?

 

[Capt W]

All I know is...

1. "Yes and no" answers. Talk long, talk wrong.

2. Be friendly but not overly so. (This may be the hardest part of it for me.)

3. Be composed and natural.

4. Direct all questions back to the relevancy of the position being interviewed for.....

I really want to get this right, so. For today, this is my my primary focus. Any tips?

You didn't really leave a lot to go on with regard to the type of job, pay grade applying for (worker bee versus manager makes a big difference here), or agency.

As a previous hiring manager and selecting official for many different GS occupational series and GG positions, I'll offer this:

1. Wrong. Feel free to share your relevant expertise and what you'll bring to the team. Conciseness - not brevity - is key!

2 and 3. Be yourself...whatever that looks like. If you're a gregarious person, let that show. If reserved, that's OK, too. Anything else is fake...and nobody likes fake (and experienced interviewers will see right through it).

4. OK, but pretty robotic. If you have genuine, legitimate questions about the overall organization or anything else work-related, ask away. It displays curiosity and interest in the organization.

Be yourself...be yourself...and be yourself. Rehearsed robots are a dime a dozen.

 

[Leo99]

1. Dress well - I always wear a suit and tie

2. You want your answers to be somewhere in the middle. Simply answering "Yes" and "No" will seem like you have a lack of interest. Answer Yes or No, and then give a brief explanation. No stories, they want to hear about your work experience.

3. Set up your computer and join the meeting early. Nothing like going to join the meeting and the program you are using decides you need to update to the latest version before allowing you to join.

4. Have plenty of light in front of you so it doesn't look like you are sitting in a dark room and they can see your face clearly.

5. Don't be afraid to say you don't have experience in a specific area if you are asked a question you don't know. Simply say you do not yet have experience with that topic but are eager to learn more about it.

This is very good advice.

I interview people for technical STEM positions at my company. Please talk. I'm not a big fan of interviewing people so don't make me do all the heavy lifting. But also be a good listener when it's time to listen. I'm big on respect. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to interview me." We have about 5 people interview each candidate and then we convene to discuss what we liked and disliked about each candidate and rank them. Our number one criteria is culture fit. We don't care how experienced or great you can do the job if none of us want to work with you. Ask good questions like, what are the best things about working here?

We try to not ask yes/no questions and ask questions like, tell me about a time when you or your team missed an important deadline. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a peer, how did you handle it? Tell me about a time when you acted above and beyond. What have you done to earn the respect of your colleagues? What are your short and long-term goals? I'll ask subtle probing questions to see if the candidate has looked at our webpage and knows what we do. It's a big turn off if they didn't do any homework on what my company does. We also don't want anyone that claims no weaknesses. We know they're lying and will be hard to work with.

 

[ecotourist]

I've interviewed dozens of people. Research the company. You will get bonus points for asking a couple of sensible questions. Shows you're taking the interview seriously. You're assessing the job/company too and that's good. A good fit is a good fit for both parties.

An interview is to gather information. The interviewer probably wants to collect a bit of information, clarify a few things, and get to know you a bit. Sometimes you can just tell that someone would be a poor fit.

You may be nervous (that's expected and allowed for) but try to be as natural as possible. So all yes/no answers won't cut it. Fairly short, on topic answers are what we're looking for. A sentence or two is about right. Rambling irrelevant answers aren't a good thing.

Think about what they're going to want to know. Why are you leaving your current job? Gaps in your work history? Lots of hopping around (eg 12 jobs in 8 years)? Why?

I've generally have not been able to tell if I was going to get a job. Some interviews go well, some not so well. "Going well" doesn't matter.

 

[mk378]

Don't wear a hat at all.

Yes wearing a hat indoors is considered impolite in many circumstances including this one.

Dress at least a little better than you would be expected to on the job, based on your research.

 

[Aredeeem]

Back in the early 80’s I was working for a trucking outfit that was the exclusive cartage agent for a large overnight delivery service. There was an opening for supervisor in the delivery service itself. No more humping freight, a real job with benefits and a vested pension after 7 years. I crammed/agonized for the interview and after 2 hours of not saying the wrong thing the director of personnel said, you’ve got the job, come in tomorrow after your 4 to midnight shift today, we’ll set you up. When I returned to the warehouse at 4pm I learned that he had suffered a fatal heart attack just hours after our interview. I hate to say it, but my first thought was, did he have any final words? Long story short I wound up with the job and am still collecting the 7 year vested pension to this day. True story.

 

[Aredeeem]

Yes crazy but true. I worked for Burlington Air Freight, which became BAX Global. They were owned by Pittston Corporation the mining Company which also owns Brinks. It’s a small pension, about $400 a month, but what the heck. And it reminds me of that crazy interview so many years ago.

 

[97prizm]

Good morning all! Hoping we could run down some "interview tips." I have a BIG interview tomorrow morning, and I hope I get moved to the next round. I will say, it is for a government job and its over Webmeeting or some kind of virtual.. still, though, they could advance me or not, and I want what they are offering.

So, some tips to share? I'm starting to think about it a LOT so that I ACE my interview (it may be a "panel" interview, I do not know.) No clue what they will ask me about, anything.

All I know is...

1. "Yes and no" answers. Talk long, talk wrong.

2. Be friendly but not overly so. (This may be the hardest part of it for me.)

3. Be composed and natural.

4. Direct all questions back to the relevancy of the position being interviewed for.....

I really want to get this right, so. For today, this is my my primary focus. Any tips?

From many people that own businesses that I've met Never give a salary expectation on the first interview. I've been told that this is the way many weed out potential candidates/ non candidates.

 

[UG_Passat]

Review the job announcement carefully, as the interview questions are derived from that.

You don't have to know everything, but you have to show willingness to learn new things.

 

[The Critic]

Try to find out "if" your future employer is a good fit, for you. If so, let them know. They are doing the same with you.

This. Interviews should be a two-way conversation - it is an opportunity for both parties to learn about each other and to figure out if it is a mutually good fit.

But so is vacation, etc. If you have 4 weeks or more at your current job, nobody can realistically expect you to take 2 weeks. I have a buddy who took a really high paying job, and he's got 2 weeks vacation. He must have forgotten to discuss that. Like free floor mats when you buy a car lol

Generally speaking, no - many of the larger Fortune 500's set non-monetary compensation items at an Enterprise level, so those are not negotiable.

 

[John105]

Generally speaking, no - many of the larger Fortune 500's set non-monetary compensation items at an Enterprise level, so those are not negotiable.

You may be 100%, as my dealings were with small cos (well small today 5-6 bil). Doesn’t hurt to ask because maybe a person has commitments or even a vacation booked already.

My wife was able to negotiate with a regional bank, and also a large one with a stagecoach

 

[97prizm]

This! I worked as an assistant food service manager for three months at a very large and expensive retirement home before throwing in the towel. I'm very independent and get stuff done. A few of the high school servers complained to my boss that I "wasn't super friendly and was very direct." I wasn't hired to be friends with high school students just their boss. Apparently babysitting which wasn't on the job application was a requirement.

This. Interviews should be a two-way conversation - it is an opportunity for both parties to learn about each other and to figure out if it is a mutually good fit.


Generally speaking, no - many of the larger Fortune 500's set non-monetary compensation items at an Enterprise level, so those are not negotiable.

 

[Astro14]

From many people that own businesses that I've met Never give a salary expectation on the first interview. I've been told that this is the way many weed out potential candidates/ non candidates.

The salary isn’t a worry in this case, because it’s a government job, so the GS pay scale position is part of the job description.

 

[The Critic]

From many people that own businesses that I've met Never give a salary expectation on the first interview. I've been told that this is the way many weed out potential candidates/ non candidates.

@Astro14 's statement is correct - it isn't applicable in this situation. However, in most situations, it is important for both parties to "pre-qualify" the opportunity; compensation is generally one of the top 3 items items to be discussed. There are ways to ask this question politely and in an open-ended manner. If one is interviewing for networking, that's one thing - but it is best to not waste both parties' time if compensation is an obvious deal breaker.

 

[JustinH]

Engineer for 15 years, been on several panel interviews.

Bring a leather bound notebook and take notes during and before the interview.

I prefer to write a few pages of talking points that I want to hit during the interview, especially questions for the team.

 

[Dave Hess]

Good luck with job interview.

 

[UG_Passat]

The salary isn’t a worry in this case, because it’s a government job, so the GS pay scale position is part of the job description.

However though, unless it's specifically for a GS-12/13 or higher position, many announcements can start as low such as a GS-5 with full potential of GS-12 (or whatever the announcement states), so the range is huge. And it's not guaranteed that you'll start at the full performance level.