It can be easy to lose focus and waste valuable time giving information which is not relevant to the behaviours or attitudes the FRS is looking for
If this happens, you have lost a valuable opportunity to show how suited you are for the role, which may cost you your new career. Even if you do achieve a ‘pass’ score in your Interview, many candidates have found that unless they are near the top of the list, it may not result in a trainee position with the FRS if you don’t get selected before the next round of recruitment commences. Making sure your Interview scores as highly as possible is crucial if you want to avoid having to re-apply in later recruitment campaigns.
When you are asked a behavioural question, try not to answer like this:
‘In that situation I would probably want to make sure I had…’ (This is hypothetical and doesn’t show what you actually have done)
Or like this:
‘I think it’s really important to…(this is opinion based, and again doesn’t show evidence of what you have actually done in the past)
But like this:
‘When I was….I did this…I did it this way because…the result of my action was….’
The answer above will provide evidence that the interviewers can really use to assess how effectively you work and behave. It describes what you did, why you did it, what the outcome was. It provides excellent evidence of what you have done in the past, which is a good indicator of how you are likely to perform in the future.
It is useful, in addition to explaining what you did, to also add detail why you did it that way. This can add authenticity to your answer and help the interviewers get a better sense of your motivations and underlying attitudes.
This 72 page, instantly downloadable home study guide covers everything you need to know about passing your interview. It’s full of practical exercises and detailed examples to gradually build up your skills.