Are you applying for a policy-related job? Feeling anxious about whether you’ll have the right answers to the interview questions? Worried your mind will go blank at a crucial moment?
In my pre-motherhood years, I attended lots of interviews for policy roles. I always worried that I wouldn’t be able to think of the right example at the right moment and so I got into the habit, after each interview, of writing down all the questions I was asked so that I could use them to prepare for future interviews.
I recently had reason to dig out my list of questions and I realised that I’ve been sitting on a really valuable resource that could be useful for lots of other people. So I’ve decided to share my list of questions here so that you can benefit from it too. I think if you can answer all these questions then you’ve got a good chance of landing that dream policy job!
- Why do you want to work at…?
- Why this job?
- What relevant experience/skills would you bring to this job?
- What skills would you need to develop further to do this job?
- Why do you want to leave your current job?
- What is good and bad about your current job?
- Where do you want to be in 5 yrs time?
- Tell us three examples of how you have incorporated equal opportunities into policy development
- Tell us about key policy issues affecting … at the moment
- What are the key challenges in relation to … at the moment
- Tell us about the direction … (subject area/industry e.g. healthcare regulation) is moving in at the moment
- What’s the most difficult management situation that you’ve dealt with?
- Tell us about a time where you have influenced government policy
- Tell us about your experience of influencing policy
- What is policy work?
- When have you been involved in developing a new policy?
- Tell us about the importance of networks to policy-making and how you would develop networks
- Tell us about a time when you’ve managed a team to deliver a piece of work.
- What’s the hardest advice you’ve given a senior colleague?
- When have you worked in a team to solve a problem?
- When have you been in a complex meeting where your contribution made a significant difference?
- When have you taken a decision without perfect information?
- When have you challenged a process?
- When have you analysed complex information?
- When have you overcome opposition within the team?
- How would you go about building relationships with internal and external stakeholders?
- What is (organisation you’re applying to)’s role in this field?
- Who are our main partners in this work?
- How do you manage time and balance competing priorities?
- Are you good at saying no?
- What’s your management style?
- Give us an example of when you’ve dealt with a difficult person or difficult people
- Do you have any questions for us? (can be v important – don’t forget)