Preparing for your interview

Interviews can be a daunting experience for many. This guidance has been developed in order to help shortlisted candidates understand the process and be confident and well prepared when arriving for an interview at Dorset Council.

Before the interview

You should confirm your attendance at interview as soon as possible. If you can’t attend or want to discuss a different time slot, you can contact the recruiting manager stated on your invitation.

You should:

• prepare as much as possible for the interview. It will provide you with confidence and ensure your experience will be a more positive one. This will assist the panel to make the right employment decision and find the right person for the job
• read the person specification because the questions are linked to this. You will be able to access this by referring to the advert details from your recruit dashboard
• familiarise yourself with the behaviours framework which you will need to be able to demonstrate through the way you work
• make sure you know where and when your interview will be held
• make sure you familiarise yourself with the route accounting for traffic allowing time to find a car parking space
• bring your "invite to interview" letter, right to work documentation and any other documents mentioned in your interview invitation
• prepare any questions you may want to ask at the interview and write these down if necessary 
• let the receptionist know when you arrive

Normally you will be interviewed by either 2 or 3 trained panellists. Whenever possible, your interview invitation will provide the names and job titles of the panel members.

Some interviews may include a work-based assessment or a short presentation or case study, details of which will be outlined in your letter of invitation.

Equal opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. Our recruitment and selection process and practices are based on the principles of providing everyone with the same opportunities. We will give the same information and the same recruitment and selection process to all.

We make reasonable adjustments for candidates who request them. Let us know when you confirm your attendance so that we can accommodate your needs.

Guaranteed interviews

We are proud to operate guaranteed interview schemes under our commitment to disability confident, veterans and care leavers. Find out more about our commitment to equality.

The interview

If you have been offered an interview, it means that you have already been successful at the first stage of the selection process and been selected from a number of applicants.

The interview panel will be aware that often candidates will be nervous, this is understandable because interviews are not something people do every day and it is important to do it well. The panel will take this into account, they are trained and experienced and will do all they can to ensure it is not a poor experience.

During your interview

You can: 

• take time to clear your mind and concentrate on your breathing in a quiet place before arriving
• ask the panel questions at the end of the interview if you are unsure about any aspect of the job
• ask them to repeat any questions that you did not understand

At the conclusion of your interview, we will let you know when to expect the outcome.

If you are the successful candidate, we will contact you by telephone and offer the position. The offer of employment will be subject to certain pre-employment clearances, depending on the position to which you are being appointed.

Thank you for taking the time to complete your application and for preparing for an interview. We would like to wish you all the very best and we look forward to meeting you.