How to Interview for a Government Job
Government jobs provide generally secure positions in a variety of fields. Many people pursue such jobs, which are usually competitive for their good hours, decent pay and expansive benefits. One should prepare themselves for the potential questions when going for an interview with a government agency.
What experience do you have?
Government jobs are typically very specific about the type of experience that you need to fulfill the requirement. They will want to know about pertinent experience that will help you to succeed at the potential position. In addition, they may ask why you left your previous job.
What education do you possess?
Most government jobs require a specific amount of education. They will ask you about your education and degree as well as what your focus was in school.
What types of problems did you face in your last position and how did you deal with them?
Potential employers want to know how you deal with problems. They may ask about a difficulty you faced and how you got through it.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Jobs want to see what skills you think you excel at as well as what areas might provide more of a difficulty to make sure that it meshes with their field. Tailor this answer to the exact job. For instance, if you are going to be a representative who deals with the public at the Social Security office, then you might want to talk about how you deal well with all different types of people. Try to minimize your negatives to something that will not matter in the job or which can actually be perceived as a positive. For instance, you can discuss how you always try to get things done perfectly.
Background check
One significant difference between government jobs and jobs in the private sector is that they typically ask far more about your background than a job with a company. For security reasons, they want to make sure that you will be safe around sensitive information. They may ask you questions during a polygraph test, for instance. They will likely want to know about any arrests or issues with the law. Whereas other jobs may ask you about recent jobs, many government jobs ask you to discuss every single job that you ever had and require proof from your tax files.
Government jobs typically have very long and involved applications, and this can often give you a hint as to what they will want to know during the interview. Practice with other people to prepare for the important meeting.
