Interview for job I'm already doing as a temp!

Tustastic

All the very best of luck with your interview preparation Katgoddess. I too applied for a permanent job with a LA this summer after temping there for a few months. Glad to say I was successful, using the good strategies already listed by others on this thread i.e. taking it seriously, preparing carefully and making sure I was well presented. I also made it clear to the people I was working with, who would be interviewing me, that while I would be disappointed if I wasn't the best candidate on the day, that I would take the disappointment on the chin and do my best to help prepare for the new person coming in. I showed this in a practical way by setting up various checklists that would help someone who was totally new to the role to quickly know what to do about various routine issues. Remember, interviewers have human feelings too:) Plus, if I hadn't got the job, I would have been wanting them to give me a good reference:)
Got the outfit sorted yet?

Katgoddess

I have brought a suit from DP. I have my plan b blouse hung up and ironed, but I want to try and see if I can find a nice cotton one.

Does anyone know where the post on equal opportunities is, that was mentioned? I've searched everywhere for it!

Any more tips would be nice as well.

Tustastic

I agree with poppy9's suggestion that you prepare a commonsense answer to any question about equal opportunities. I'm sure you do this all the time - taking the trouble to understand someone who has a speech impediment, or a strong accent that is unfamiliar to you, taking the trouble to pronounce and spell unusual first or family names properly, making sure that you deal courteously and efficiently with all customers, colleagues etc, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, spirituality,disability etc etc. All LAs have an equal opportunities policy and you can usually find it on their intranet and/or web site.
Great that you are preparing your interview outfit. If wearing high heels, make sure they are in good nick and broken in. You don't want to limp in with blisters or minus a heel.:)

jobbingmusician

Tustastic wrote:

If wearing high heels, make sure they are in good nick and broken in. You don't want to limp in with blisters or minus a heel.:)

If you are already working there, you have a good opportunity to TAKE your interview shoes in with you. Hide them under your desk, then you only have to limp from your desk to the interview, if they are beautiful but uncomfortable.

Katgoddess

Well I didn't embarrass myself too much. I was the only person in the room wearing a poppy as well.

The questions were mainly related to the person specification. As in, prove you can do this etc.

There was a why do you think you should have the job question.

An equal opps question.

And something I think my manager threw in - what problems have you encountered so far.

The questions I asked were, which centre would I be assigned to, training, how would I get feedback on job performance i.e. appraisal, what happens with my duties when I go on holiday.

I didn't finish the typing test. :eek: It wasn't a timed wpm one. It was a write a letter inviting people to X and create a mail merge with these names and addresses. Which I did fine with.

The excel test I didn't finish. It was a create a spreadsheet with this data, do totals and format it.

The temp who's job I swapped with for the day said that nobody else had finished it either. The other temp who also applied for the job and was shortlisted has now dropped out. So seeing as there are 3 vacancies that improves my odds a bit.

I hope I get it, but it won't break my heart if I don't. My plan was to temp for a year unless something came up which it did. So I'll just go back to being a temp. It's been a good experience anyway. :cool:

Thanks for all your help everyone!

annie-c

Well done you - it sounds as though you gave a great performance... can't wait to hear the outcome!

jobbingmusician

If you think about setting a typing test, the best tests are going to be the ones which NO-ONE can finish. THen you can compare the performance of candidates and see who got furthest, most accurate etc.

If you set a test which people might finish, you are more likely to have a tiebreak situation.

I'll be really surprised if you don't get it, from what you have said! But you've got a great attitude, so whatever - hope it works out well for you!

Katgoddess

I got the job !!!!

I was working in the other office this morning and I got a phone call from my usual office on my mobile, which I thought was strange.

Why weren't they calling me on the work phone and how do they know my number?! I thought. It was my manager being all professional and using the number on my application form.

She told me I had the job and would be working at the G children's centre. :eek: (Not my one, the furthest from where I live and in a really awful area.) Then she told me ,not really, I'd be working for her. (Phew) I forgave her eventually. :rotfl:

I am going to be working as a temp until my official start date so there will be some continuity in my office.

I am going to be a council worker!!! Do they have a proper name like government workers are called Civil Servants??

Anyone want to know anything about Surestart and Children's Centres, I'm your girl.

Thank you everyone for your help and support.

:happylove :kisses3: :snow_grin :dance: _party_ :wave:

hjb123

Congratulations you must be sooo pleased.

Have a glass or two of vino to celebrate!

gelato_cat

Wow, that was quick! Congratulations!

Suze

Katgoddess wrote:

I got the job !!!!