Civil Service interview IPS Passport Officer Grade 3

AlistairFin

Hi all, this is my first post on here so I apologise if I've posted in the wrong section.

I've recently received confirmation of a first interview for a job at the Passport Office in Liverpool. I was wondering if anyone had previously been through the recruitment stage for the passport office or the Home Office and could give me any advice as to the structure of the interview or what to expect.

I really want this job, having just graduated with a degree in Politics it's perfect for me.

Thanks

Yorkie1

I am not familiar with this job but I would expect the initial candidate pack for the application to outline the competencies involved in the job, and how they would be tested.

That has to be the first thing to look back at. Also look on the website to see if there are any recent developments in the Agency which they might expect a candidate to have researched.

wantsajob

Civil service is very big on Competency Based Interviews, which they call CBIs. Look back at your application form and the job description at the competencies. You will be asked questions broadly based on these. In my experience, they also like to see you have an understanding of what the organisation does, and how it works. Good luck!

Kathy535

Questions will usually be along the lines of 'tell me about a time when you ... (worked with others to achieve something difficult, had to work with someone you didn't like or didn't agree with, dealt with a difficult customer, provided excellent customer service etc). These questions will be based on the competences in the application form. To get good marks you need to tell the interviewers the following:
- What the situation was
- What you did and how you did it
- What the result was
If you have time, you can also add what you learned from it.
Most of the time answering the question should be spent on providing evidence on what you did and how you did it. So, don't say 'i'm a real team player and everyone likes me because I'm great'. Instead say something like 'I make sure that I consider how other people are getting on. Because I talk to my colleagues I understand their likes and dislikes and know when to offer help. An example is when I .....'

The interviewers may ask supplementary questions (what did you do next, how did that make you feel, how did you know your customer service was excellent? Etc)

I would suggest thinking about stuff you've done in the past which demonstrates the competences for the job and then practicing the answers, setting out concisely the situation and what you did. Also have an example or two up your sleeve in case they tell you that the first one didn't quite tick the boxes.

In terms of logistics, there will usually be two or three interviewers who will take it in turns to ask questions, one will usually be writing your answers down. They are likely to start with a generic question like 'tell us what you are doing now'. For some reason that one always throws me!

Good luck

Edited to add - I've never had a job in the Home Office or passport agency, but as Yorkie1 and Wantsajob say, most of the interview process is the same across the civil service.