Jobs with the health trusts

bettybelle

For example, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and so on..

Does anyone have any pointers to what the interview is like for an admin based job? I was wondering if it was competency based like civil service interviews or something different...

pc10

if it is band 2/3 it will be pretty straightforward

usually 3 on the panel.

you will probably get asked how you ensure confidentiality within the office

how you would handle a phone call from an angry client

different types of filing eg alphabetical, chronological etc

different types of communciation - phone, letter, face to face, email etc

how do you prioritise work

what are the qualities of a good team

anything topical in the news about NHS - usually something eg waiting lists/bed cuts/budget cuts etc

depending on the job eg if the job description mentions waiting lists, you should know something about eg the standard waiting list times, how appointments are allocated - basic stuff to show you have researched the job

if its face to face type of job - what would you do if your phone was ringing but you were already talking to a client?

tell me about a typical day

tell me how you prepared for this interview (a visit to the dept the job is based in is always useful)

tell me how you will be remembered from your previous job / tell me about something you changed at work that was of great benefit to you or others/ how you showed initiatve

what computer systems/packages have you used - mention as fully as possible all internal systems you have ever used and expand about MS office ie state word/excel etc etc

what is the benefit of working in a team

Its based on a points system - each member of the panel scores you based on the points they have allocated to each answer.

Give as full and complete answers as you can.

You could ask at the end for them to describe a typical day in the office.

pm me if you want any further info and I will try to help!

tight_arze

Sorry to hijack this thread but I was considering applying for a job in the trust that is band 4, do you know what sort of questions are asked at this level?

Thanks

bettybelle

pc10 thank you so much for the detailed reply! You've given me loads of food for thought, I will have plenty to work on :beer:

pc10

bettybelle - good luck!

tight_arze - band 4 interviews can vary greatly - some could be as basic as band 2/3 with many of the same type of questions asked.

Others can ask very technical questions based on actually doing the job.

Best advice is to thoroughly go through the job description and work out a question to test your knowledge about that point

eg if job description said : investigate financial errors within the directorate, you could be asked 'tell me how would you go about investigating financial errors within the dept?'

and you would be expected to be aware of the set procedure in place for such investigations, know who you might speak to about the errors within the dept, what IT system you might use, what type of report you might produce etc etc - just as if you actually were already doing the job!

If you have the personnel spec, it may give you info about how particular essential and desirable criteria will be assessed, whether by application form or interview. Those to be assessed at interview - you will get a question about that topic to assess you on it.

Don't forget to be precise in filling in your application form - make sure you give enough info to get you shortlisted. If the ad states you need 2 years NHS admin experience, make sure you detail it so there is no doubt that you fit the criteria - if its not 100% clear to the panel, you most likely wont get the benefit of the doubt and may not be shortlisted.

If the ad states you need to have 2 years experience working in an accounts dept - dont just write that you have worked for 5 years in Smith & Co (even if it is a well known local firm of accountants) you must write the type of business that you worked in - the panel wont assume anything.

Hope this helps and bet of luck!

wettham

I had a band 2 interview last week. There were 5 questions, First question was After reading the personal specification (which I didn't) how do you feel you meet the listed criteria? There was one about how would you ensure the highest level of confidentiality is kept (as mentioned above) and there was one about working within a team, how you would deal with certain issues arising etc, giving examples. There was also one about personal qualities and how you are suited to the job. And they also ask you if you want to ask them a question. Best of luck.

Paula202

Hi there, I work in Belfast Trust and I think the interviews have changed a bit, I think they are competency based, where you could be asked: "give us an example of a time when you had to deal with conflict", you need to explain the situation, what you did and what the outcome was. As Wettham said you really need to use the job description and think of possible questions/scenarios you could be asked about. Good luck:beer: