DWP AO Interview - Competencies

MatthewMoney

Hello, I have an interview tomorrow for the DWP as an AO.

I hope someone could post the exact questions that will be asked with regard to the competencies.

Engaging Effectively with Customers - Level 1

Building Constructive Working Relationships - Level 1

Improving Performance - Level 1

Making the best use of Resources - Level 1

Thanks for reading, hope you can help

rachnbri

There won't be exact questions as such. You'll be asked to describe a situation relating to each competancy. Do you have the full descriptions for each competancy or just the headings?

MatthewMoney

I do have the descriptions, and a couple of them seem straight forward(ish), but others are quite complex.

If I knew what the questions were going to be I could prepare my answers.

I have read some of the other threads here, and know about the STAR technique etc. But I was hoping someone who has had one of these interviews could remember the actual questions.

Thanks

tink_the_stink

Just remember to say I not we or us & try give extra examples of your competancy

Good luck!

MatthewMoney

Thanks for the replies :-)

Any more tips on general types of questions for each heading would be appreciated.

I really need this job.

Thanks.

mvengemvenge

MatthewMoney wrote: »

Thanks for the replies :-)

Any more tips on general types of questions for each heading would be appreciated.

I really need this job.

Thanks.

To put it in simple terms, for each competency, you have to say 1) What the issue was 2) What YOU did (don't say WE) 3)What the outcome was. Without lying, you can blow your own trumpet a bit about what you did.

For example: A lady came into my office to complain that she hadn't received X. She was very annoyed. I rang around various numbers, discovered what the delay was and got it cleared. I was able to hand X over to her and she thanked me for my service and left very happy. That is a VERY simplistic version of a competency. You need something like that, which you can embelish with detail, for each competency.

MatthewMoney

thanks, i think i have managed to write out examples for 3 of the 4 - It is just the teamwork one that i am stuck on.

Any example questions/answers would be appreciated.

Thanks :rolleyes:

mvengemvenge

MatthewMoney wrote: »

thanks, i think i have managed to write out examples for 3 of the 4 - It is just the teamwork one that i am stuck on.

Any example questions/answers would be appreciated.

Thanks :rolleyes:

Well, you see, the whole point is that YOU supply the question, because they will ask you something about each example you give them, so they might say "What did you do to calm her down", stuff like that.

MatthewMoney

Thanks, but I need a scenario to apply it to.

I have worked in teams, but i can't think of an example of a time when i had to work in a team to achieve a certain goal (if that's what they are going to ask)

Thanks

mvengemvenge

MatthewMoney wrote: »

Thanks, but I need a scenario to apply it to.

I have worked in teams, but i can't think of an example of a time when i had to work in a team to achieve a certain goal (if that's what they are going to ask)

Thanks

Well, that's where embellishment comes in

MatthewMoney

I should go to sleep.

If anyone can give me example situations and replies for the
Building Constructive Working Relationships - Level 1 competency i'd appreciate it.

Thanks, and goodnight :cool: