Interview for PA job - what to expect?

m33r4

I have an all day interview process tomorrow for a PA (full time) job at a high school. I am currently working as a PA in the NHS but going for the other job because it is full time (extra money needed) and also has more job security.

I have been fortunate to be selected for interview consisting of individual exercises/tasks + group exercises/tasks all morning and if selected then interview with a panel that same afternoon. It's been years since I have had an interview so would welcome some advice please.

Questions:

1. what can I expect these exercises/tasks to consist of?
2. what typical sort of questions will be asked of me at interview?
3. how can I get rid of/reduce nerves?

Also if anyone has any advice to prepare for this interview it would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Kynthia

Someone told me that schools often ask a question like this:
The Head is calling from his office demanding a file urgently as he's on the phone to someone, a child has come into the office with a nose bleed and a parent has arrived very unhappy wanting to see someone immediately to make a complaint. What do you do? Always tend to the child first. Tell the Head you can't help right now, sit the parents down and tell them you will help them in a moment but tend to the child, comfort them and get someone to find the nurse.
However I have no experience of this myself so it's up to you how to answer.

LittleVoice

m33r4 wrote: »

I have an all day interview process tomorrow for a PA (full time) job at a high school. I am currently working as a PA in the NHS but going for the other job because it is full time (extra money needed) and also has more job security.

I have been fortunate to be selected for interview consisting of individual exercises/tasks + group exercises/tasks all morning and if selected then interview with a panel that same afternoon. It's been years since I have had an interview so would welcome some advice please.

Questions:

1. what can I expect these exercises/tasks to consist of?
2. what typical sort of questions will be asked of me at interview?
3. how can I get rid of/reduce nerves?

Also if anyone has any advice to prepare for this interview it would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks.

One question may well be "why have you applied for this job?". Though your original motivation in seeking a new job stems from the reasons you have given here, you need to think of how you will answer an interviewer posing that question.

Savvy_Sue

Similar to that scenario, I'd expect an In Tray exercise, with maybe 12 things listed with a comment about each - head needs tickets booked for trip on Friday, deputy has query over insurance for class trip tomorrow, attendance registers to be checked etc. There is not always a 'right' answer, so just do your best with that.

I'd also expect questions on child protection and / or equal ops and / or confidentiality. You should be OK with those if you work in the NHS ...

BobQ

Read the school website and see what it does who the key people are.

Exercises - Think what a PA has to do. How would you check they were op to the job?

Any kind of test that asks you to do 10 things when there is only time to do 5 (skim read the jobs, decide which are the important ones, which can wait etc).

Imagine a letter from a parent. Can you draft a a reply for the head? Is it polite, firm, truthful, helpful?

How to find information quickly and provide it in a concise summary?

Questions might be along similar lines of How would you tackle this problem? An irate parent storms into the school demanding to see the teacher who gate a poor grade (what would you do?)
A child arrives in your office in tears....(what would you do?) Information Assurance questions? (answer is always to follow the schools policy) IT questions? (eg Can you use spreadsheets?) Use of the internet to find out information for the head? Role playing might feature?

Oh and don't stay up all night trying to work out what can go wrong!

m33r4

Thanks for the all the advice.

I felt I did really well which I was told I did. I came 2nd to another lady who comes from an education background.

Better luck next time.

LittleVoice

Thanks for letting us know.

Indeed, better luck next time.