So I am going for my interview on Wednesday for this position with a nearby county. It’s really important for a lot of reasons. Fianances being obvious, but also they provide significantly subsidized day care at the place I used to work, which is one of the only care places we feel good about. Also, it’s a job I think I’d really like for once, and be good at, too.
So I need help coming up with hypothetical questions that they might ask at the interview. If you have any, shoot.
Tip 1: Here’s my award winning tip for interviews. At the end of your interview, when you are asked if you have any questions. Here’s a question you should always ask, and it gets you remembered…
Interviewer: “So, do you have any questions you’d like to ask us?”
you: “Yes, now that we’ve talked about my qualifications, are there any you have concerns about that I can address?”
Tip 2: Don’t be intimidated by silence. Don’t feel you have to say something if there’s a lull in the conversation.
Good Luck!
E3
I would agree with the suggestions made by Enright3 and add the following:[ol]
[li]Do your homework! Learn as much as you can about the company/organization you are interviewing. Ask appropriate questions regarding thier structure, etc.[/li][li]Do not ask about benefits or pay at the first interview unless specifically asked. If asked, indicate (and here you need to be truthful) what your “going in” position is.[/li][li]Make sure you interview the person who will be your supervisor[/li][li]Talk to other staff and ask their opinion about the place - not about other co-workers[/li][/ol]
Last but not least, obtain the names of all the people who interviewed you (plus the receptionist) and within 24-hours write each of them a personal note (type-written) of thanks for the interview and emphasize items that were discussed with each of them. This last is so overlooked by most people that I guarantee you it will leave an impression. Just make sure through your writing that it is a good impression and do not email or simply leave a phone message.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Just stopped in to wish you luck! 
I would do a search of all the resources in the community and familiarize youraelf with the names and roles of each, since knowledge of these is part of the qualifications they are seeking.
I would also go through your past work experience and pick out examples of relevant functions—i.e. emergency services, crisis work, serving a diverse/disadvantaged population.
Be prepared to answer some questions like, “Name a time when you showed intiative in your work” or “Tell us about a difficult situation you faced and how you resolved it.” Definitely be able to focus on the results that your skills and knowledge have achieved in your work.
Also found this when I did a serch on ‘victim witness san mateo’, but I can’t tell if it’s relevant to your community, not knowing the counties and all. Still, you might need this info.
That’s all I can think of right now, but if I think of more, I’ll post and and otherwise, good luck!
Dress appropriately. You can’t go wrong by being dressed up.
Research the company. Print stuff from their website. Let them see you carrying papers with their logo on it. Learn the organization as best you can and ask a question that shows that you’ve learned something about it.
If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. But do it in a way that doesn’t make you look like an idiot. Something like “I’m afraid that I have not encountered that in my previous experience.”
These are all great suggestions, but what I’m really looking for is questions they might ask that I haven’t already thought of.
I have been an advocate before, and I compiled resource lists for this county for a low-fee clinic I used to work at, so basically I’m going to go through my 20+ pages and cull out a few favorite groups from each category (legal, counseling, food, legal assistance, etc) to take with me.
I’m printing out my several copies of my resume to take with me for the panel interviewers (they have my county application, but that doesn’t have everything on it because the damn online form limits your entries). I’ve gone through the job desc. and matched each requirement with previous jobs in my notes.
I always wear suits to interviews. Period. It’s just respect. Of course, post pregnancy mummy tummy being what it is, I have only 3 to choose from right now. I am also working on reducing the ZIT OF UNHOLY DEATH.
So, any questions you think I might expect on the interview?
i went to that Government jobs site, but I can’t get it to list any positions.
What gives?
I didn’t add a keyword, but I have no clue as to what kind of keyword to use to see as many items as possible.
Not all states post their jobs to there. So depending on what state you’re in, you may not see anything at all. Try seeing if there is anything in your state, and if not, go to your state’s home page and search about for employment links from there. Also, individual towns/city pages have employment opportunities usually listed elsewhere.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck!
The question I got that I wasn’t really ready for was, “So, why do you want to work here?” I was unprepared for it simply because it was so basic. My first thought was to go with the obvious - “Because I need a job!” - but luckily my real brain kicked in.
So, you’ve done your homework, you’re prepared to show examples from your previous employment about how you rose to the challenge, now think about interview-acceptable reasons why you want to work there so’s if you get it, it won’t trip you up.