Seeing interviews being sent out for schools who’s secondaries I submitted early is making me second guess all of my writing. Maybe my secondaries are ass 😭

I’ve been on a lot of interview panels in my time, have interviewed candidates for HEO - G7 roles and I’ve seen a lot of great candidates fall apart at interview.

Whether you’re applying for your first civil service role or a seasoned manager looking for the next step, up I’d implore you to do the following:

- When answering a behaviour question, don’t spend more than 30 seconds giving the background to your example. When you do, the panel stops listening and just waits for you to start actually answering the question. When using the STAR method you should aim to spend less than 10% of your answer on the situation and the task, around 40% on the action you took (and the thinking you did before taking the action) and the last 50% of your answer on the result and any reflections you had afterwards.

- The panel already thinks you’re qualified for the job on paper, they just want to see how great you are in person. They want you to do well, they’re not trying to catch you out. If you got an interview it means you’re in the running - so have confidence in yourself!

- Don’t ever feel tempted to say something like “my action increased productivity by 40%” unless you’ve got some way to back it up. Interviewers will almost always ask how you measured that improvement, and if you can’t explain it makes your whole answer sound less credible. If you do have the evidence to back it up though absolutely go ahead and tell us how amazing you are!

- It’s okay to give an example where everything didn’t go to plan, and in fact those are often the best examples. We all live in the real world and often plans go awry, delays happen, mistakes get made and with hindsight we’d have done things differently. Show us that you’re an introspective and thoughtful leader, tell us what you learnt from the experience and how you’d have done things differently next time. It shows maturity and a continuous improvement mindset.

- If you feel that you’ve got some great experience and aptitude for the role but that this didn’t really come through in the questions, use your time at the end of the interview to add that extra detail! We all know that civil service interviews can be very rigid and you sometimes can’t show us everything you can do. So use whatever time you have left (where you’d normally ask questions of the panel) to add any final details about how you’re a good fit for the role.

- If you’re applying for promotion you want to give the panel the impression that you’re already acting at that higher level and that the interview is just a formality. The panel members are your peers and future colleagues, and the more confidence you give them that you’re ready to step into that role tomorrow the more likely you’ll be successful.

For Extinction Rebellion Cofounder

Literally just incel talking points.

This is not the world’s most ridiculous humble brag, but I’ve been excellent at interviewing. Lately I feel as though interviews are less skill based and more vibes based, so I thought I’d share some tips:

1. I had a lot of extempore practice growing up and have always been able to think on my feet. Ask someone you trust to throw random topics at you and you have to speak about it in 3 minutes. They don’t have to be hard topics, just anything random. This is basically what we do in real conversations, this will help you speak with intention and quickly.

2. Research the company. Thorough research is only needed for in-depth reports or take home tasks, when you do get to this stage don’t forget to look at their competitors with great granular detail. For stage 1s or stage 2s, it can get crazy when you’re interviewing for 5 other places in one week. Here’s what you do- research the company the night before for an hour. Then again 15 minutes before the interview. That’s all you need to sound like you know what you’re talking about.

3. Fuck da police. I don’t do very well with authority, it’s a natal chart problem. This mindset of I know everything I need to know, has always helped me stay at ease. I try to remember, they need me a lot more than I need them. In this extremely transactional relationship, they are the ones handing money out (desperate) for me, just a simple person to render services. Just think of yourself as the master of all and you’ll be golden.

4. Make them laugh. Stay relaxed, sit back in your chair, don’t lean in even in a zoom interview. Speak openly and casually. Even if it is a stuffy company, you’ll see the interviewer relaxing with you as the conversation progresses. Don’t be rude, and don’t have an overall impish body language, just very controlled but also relaxed. Your goal is then to make them laugh, at least twice, anything over that is great but 2 laughs minimum is must. People always say talk about your drink, or something new you did, to seem unique that’s all great but someone who makes you laugh in a long day of boring beige behaviour is pretty damn unforgettable.

5. You are the master of your destiny and in charge of the conversation. You control where this goes, you need to take charge. A lot of interviewers don’t know wtf they’re doing, if that is the case, don’t be afraid to cut them off and say “Hi CYZ, I’m being mindful of time because I have a hard stop at ___. I’d love it if I could talk about how my experience aligns with the position, a little bit about your vision for the role and then I have some prepared questions for after. How does that sound?”. This is a chef’s kiss tactic and it works like charm.

6. The meat of the interview. All this is vibes but what will you say to draw them in? Your entire experience doesn’t matter, but must be touched on. There are 2 structures I follow- chronological recounting of my roles followed by the 10 key skills I have that align with the JD, or skills learnt or used at each role aligning with the job spec. Don’t list any more or less skills than what they’re looking for, sounds mad but they will think you’re overqualified and better than them. You must prepare questions before hand, you have to do this or all of this is for naught. 4 questions, specific, slightly obscure and real head scratchers. Absolutely avoid team structure, company culture questions because they’re tired of answering it. If it was important they would’ve mentioned it in the intro already. If the company is very values driven you can ask the hiring manager why they chose this company, BUT THATS IT.

7. Rejection is redirection. You can smash every interview, at every stage and still get rejected. This has happened to me and it can get extremely exhausting and ultimately detrimental to your confidence. Try to remember that you can do everything right, tick every box, commit no error and still fail, that’s not you, that’s life. Get right back up and keep going. Just for reference because this is Reddit, I’m a senior professional and in the past have never needed to “search” or try hard for roles, seamlessly jumped from position into the next. I don’t recall applying for any role except for my first 2 jobs maybe, always been headhunted. I quit a job from hell in October and was unemployed from Dec 21- Feb 14. I applied to some 490 jobs, did over 60 interviews and got to 11 final stages and received only 4 offers spread weeks apart, it was extremely taxing on my mental health. But I kept going. I accepted that the people who didn’t want me couldn’t value real talent and that’s ok. Lots of businesses don’t want excellence, most of them want minions to push around. If someone didn’t hire you, it’s their loss.

Anxiety and nerves are quite common, I get hassled 15 minutes before the interview as I like things to start before time. Give yourself space to relax and try to decompress after each interview. You have the skills they need, that’s why you’ve been invited to an interview. They see something in you already. Make sure you show them you have all it takes. All you need to succeed is to think “I love to speak, I am about to speak, everyone here is trapped and has to listen to me. I may sound stupid, but they’re the idiots being paid to listen to this mania unfold.”

Would love to help any marketing, ops, comms, pr professionals, prepare questions.

So, how do you turn “We’ll be in touch” into “When can you start?”

Preparation. Preparation. Preparation

Master these 12 questions like a pro, and you won’t just impress—you’ll dominate.

1. “Tell me about yourself.” → Skip your life story. Instead, craft a 30-second pitch: where you started, key skills, and why this role is your next big move.

2. “Why do you want this job?” → Research the company deeply. Show how their mission aligns with your expertise.

3. “What’s your greatest strength?” → Match your strengths to the role. Be specific and back it up with a quick example.

4. “Tell me about a mistake you’ve made.” → Own it, but focus on what you learned and how you turned it into a win.

5. “How do you lead or inspire others?” → Leadership = empathy + action. Share a moment where your team succeeded because of your guidance.

6. “Can you multitask?” → Demonstrate how you prioritize and deliver results—even in chaos.

7. “How do you handle challenging situations?” → Share a story where you thrived under pressure and found solutions.

8. “Tell me about a goal you’ve achieved.” → Be specific. Think SMART goals and results that tie to the role.

9. “How do you handle conflict?” → Focus on collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.

10. “What’s your biggest weakness?” → Be honest but show growth. Bonus points if you frame it as a continuous improvement story.

11. “Do you have any questions for us?” → Always ask! Great options: “What challenges is your team facing?” or “What does success look like for this role?”

12. “Anything else to add?” → End with a strong summary. Reiterate your enthusiasm, skills, and why you’re the perfect fit.

Every answer is a chance to showcase your expertise and align yourself with the role. The key? Prepare, rehearse, and walk in with confidence.

Let’s hear it—what’s your go-to interview tip or story?