By Emmanuel Morales, Career Development Peer, ASU's Career and Professional Development Services
Considering a job with the federal government? If you’ve applied for the perfect opportunity, it’s time to start preparing for interviews. Preparing for interviews is an essential part of the hiring process! Consider the following tips as you prepare for your federal government interview.
Understand the Interview Formats
There are two main types of federal government interviews. These are the structured interview and the hiring manager interview. The hiring manager interview allows them to learn more about you and provides an opportunity for you to go in-depth into your skills. It’s also a chance for you to learn if the organization is the right fit for you. In the structured interview, all candidates are given the same questions and the same amount of time to respond. In this interview, your responses are scored based on your level of experience or skill set.
Review the Job Announcement
Federal employers recommend that you download or print out the job announcement. This announcement contains a questionnaire about the job itself. The questionnaire can assist you in interview preparation by providing the required career competencies. Certain career competencies may be sought after for each position. For a deeper look at some top career competencies, view this Career Resources Document.
Use the STAR Model
The STAR model is a technique used to guide you through answering questions in a way that illustrates your career competencies. When do you use the STAR model? It can be used when you are asked about your strengths, and to answer behavioral-based questions that prompt you to tell a story or give an example. This model includes describing the situation, the task at hand, what action you took, and lastly, the result.
Click HERE for more information about the STAR model.
Volunteer!
You can draw from volunteer as well as paid work experiences when answering interview questions. Volunteer work is important to showcase when interviewing for a federal job. Many federal agencies value volunteering, and some count it the same as paid work experience. Volunteering demonstrates passion for helping the community, shows that you enjoy working with people, and provides opportunities to develop competencies. If you don’t have any volunteer experience yet, now is the perfect time to start!
The core concepts of any other interview also apply to federal government interviews. Preparation is the key to success. Understand what they are looking for in a candidate, and be prepared to answer questions based on those expectations. For more information and tools for interview preparation visit here.