What to take to interview

[HorseTales]

I've got an interview for an admin/data entry job with a govt dept. I've not had an interview for many, many years!

What should I take? I've got copies of CV, cover letter and required ID.
Do people take notes in to help with answers? Do you take pen and paper to make your own notes?

The information I received doesn't state whether it is a competency based interview - should I check beforehand?

Thanks

[CareersDragon]

I'd definitely find out as much about the interview beforehand as I could.

Take a list of questions you want to ask them, in case you forget in the stress of the moment. Read through the info you have & think about what else you'd like to know...

Good luck!

[HorseTales]

Thanks Dragon.
I've emailed them - it's a mix of competency and traditional so need to read the skills spec carefully.

[tribpot]

You can't take notes in to help with answers (I mean, I doubt anyone will tell you you can't but it's Not Done). You can make notes during the interview itself if you have time (you'll be doing the majority of the talking but it might be helpful if you get asked a complex question so you can make a quick note of the points to address in your reply).

They are likely to ask for examples of where you've demonstrated the essential competencies in the job description, so I would ask a question about an example of how you've ensured accuracy of data entry, particularly if working in a high pressure environment where it needs to be done quickly. How 'how would you' but 'how did you'. Hypothetical questions lead to hypothetical answers, i.e. 'I would be awesome at it'. However, don't be surprised if you do get some of these hypothetical ones, if your interviewer is taking the easy route!

I guess you might also get a question about how you prioritise your workload, if you've several tasks to do concurrently. It depends a bit on how the role is structured. You can ask about what a typical day might look like to try and get a sense of this.

Good luck!

[TheBogQueen]

It's well worth looking up competency based questions on google and practising some- the more you practice the easier it will be to highlight your skills.