Job interview preparation (Survey Interviewer-Central Statistics Office)

Skinnagin

A job interview with the CSO for a Survey Interviewer position is coming up shortly. Could anyone provide tips on preparing for the interview?

Is there any help available from the DSP for preparing for an interview? 

The interviewee is longterm unemployed and has not been in an interview setting for many years. 

Has anyone worked or still does work for the CSO and been through the interview process?

If so, could you give details on what to expect in the interview and the types of questions to expect.

Thanks in advance.

wench

Looking at their recruitment page here, it seems they follow a competency based approach. These are pretty standard in the civil service, and tend to follow quite a strict format to ensure equality. They don't go in for open ended questions like "Tell us about yourself", or try to catch you out.

https://www.cso.ie/en/aboutus/careers/recruitment/surveyinterviewer/

They normally begin with a quick walkthrough of previous education and employment history, and then move on to the main event.

The applicant will have filled out examples of the desired competencies, teamwork, customer service, etc, and these will be gone through in more detail. It's a good idea to have a backup example if they ask for more.

From the application form above, the paragraph at the start of each competency, combined with the appendix on the last page shows you what they want to hear from you. It set up a bit like an exam, with marks available for each one, so try to show strength in each to make the most of the marks available.

The interviewers will try to help you along, and may ask "tell us more about X", if you haven't given enough detail yet. While you don't want to waffle all day, being too abrupt is no good either - they can only mark you on what you say.

If there isn't any interview prep available, sitting down across from a friend, and talking through their examples would be a good start.

BingCrosbee

I’m a Surveyor/Interviewer with the CSO. Just be nice and friendly and normal. You are interviewing people in the job so be nice, friendly and yourself. The interviewers are only normal people. That’s about it. Best of luck.

Skinnagin

For someone who has been successful in a CSO interview for a survey interviewer role and been placed on a panel, does anyone know what this means in practice?

Is it likely/unlikely to be recruited from the panel and would some interviewees have been recruited immediately and others placed on the panel?

Any insight would be appreciated.