Brian’s Blog

  BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR 4: Conversations before an interview. Interviewers need clear applications, interviewees who can summarise their examples or provide detail, if required- and show their ability to deal with complex issues, such as under-performance. Interviewers have to be fair, analytical and consistent in their interview strategy.   Help is at hand  Welcome …

Competency Interviews in the Public Service: Conversations before the Interview Read More »

BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR 3 Things interviewers may think during the interview but may not express. Pity the  poor interviewer. While you may have just one interview to worry about the may have to manage many more. Imagine hearing the same old clichés and buzzwords all the time and seeing possible future colleagues so careless …

Competency Interviewing – The Interviewers Strike Back Read More »

Every application form tells a story. If you did your homework – your application form tells the world that  you are a professional communicator with a future. If you slung the form together in a hurry  the impression is that you will approach the job in the same way; and interviewers won’t want that. What …

Acing the Competency Interview – before you get there. Read More »

  Behind the Closed Door … is a new series of short videos about competency interviews. Interviewers are not impressed by poor preparation, plagiarism or exaggerated claims of greatness. Make sure you are not going to get a review like this for your next job interview by engaging with the Interview Zone  

I was asked to become involved in a recording of the Goethe Choir’s performance of a Ukranian Hymn. Everyone who participated were moved by the music and its text. Images of sacred icons held in Glenstal were inserted into the video because of their special place in Ukranian culture and worship – but also as …

A Prayer for Peace in Ukraine Read More »

Gra   Granny Was Right: “Self-praise is no praise” In competency-based interviews blowing your own trumpet is not the secret to success -evidence of past performance is. It is astonishing how many of the authors of books, posts or blogs insist on going in there and “putting your best foot forward, by telling them how …

Self-Praise is no Praise in Competency-Based Interviews Read More »

“Plagiarise, Plagiarise – but always call it research” (Professor Tom Lehrer, Harvard) There is a temptation to cut corners in a competency-based interviews – but plagiarism must be the most inadvisable strategy of them all. Your interview will be terminated if plagiarism is detected – but still people do it anyway – showing that they …

Plagiarism in Competency-Based Interviews: Not a good idea Read More »

The hardest part of the Competency-based Interview process is the form. A bad form can lose you an invitation to be interviewed. In less than 10 minutes you can learn how to structure and write up your form. More resources here: https://www.brianmcivor.com/welcome-to-the-interviewing-zone/

A life-changing gift suggestion for the season. I am offering all-areas access to my online courses in Interviewing Skills and Career Change. https://lnkd.in/djGnkKdE Some you know may be considering a change of job or a change of direction. Kick start them with two proven learning products that have helped thousands over the last 20 years. …

The Gift that keeps on giving….. Read More »

They’re upping the ante on competency interviews….. No more is it the story but the context that matters. “Competency interviews are a breeze” they said ” just have one good example under competency, use the STAR format, and, bingo, the job is yours”. That might have been true one time but interviewees are now finding …

You need more than a good story to succeed at Competency-Based Interviews. Read More »