JobSite - Be My Interviewer

I am to have a telephone interview based on competence and technical knowledge with Bank of Scotland.

What specific questions should I prepare for? Do you have any advice regarding my approach for this interview?

kehinde oke - February 25, 2008 9:31 PM

Hi, I wonder if I can get some with my forthcoming telephone interview, I am told to prepare on:
1. team work
2. self motivation
3. business delivery

Tayo - February 26, 2008 9:12 AM

Regarding the 'Telephone Interviews' (25th Feb Kehinde Oke)
Competencies are simply behaviours that you exhibit. Employers ask competency based questions based on the premise that "what you have done in the past, you are likely to do in the future". Don't try and bluff a competency based interview question because if the interviewer drills down you will come unstuck!

Common competencies will be based around:
Planning and organisation
Communication Skills (oral and written)
Time Management
Team Work
Drive for Results or Goal Orientation
There are other more unusual competencies like "Change Orientation" that can sometimes crop up

A competency based question is attempting to identify your behaviours to assess if you will be a cultural fit for the company, be a hard and committed worker etc.

They are often asked in a certain way, an example being:
"Tell me about a time when you have had to go that extra mile to achieve a goal" (the interviewer then will start drilling down with you into what the goal was, why you wished to achieve this and the outcome)
As long as you are honest, you should be fine, BUT think through some examples prior to an interview as nerves can sometimes overcome you!

Yvette Cleland - February 26, 2008 3:52 PM

I am to have a telephone interview with London Underground as a Train Operator which focuses on SAFETY,CUSTOMER FOCUS , PERFOMANCE,DRIVE and RESULTS DELIVERY. Can you please advice on this please?

ade - February 27, 2008 4:52 PM

For anyone who needs advice on competency questions - the company I work for use these as a basis for all their interviews. One technique I find really useful is called SOARA.
When preparing for particular competencies, think about the SITUATION, what your OBJECTIVES were, what ACTION you took, what the RESULTS were and finally what was the AFTERMATH, for instance, what could you have done different, how do you know it worked.
This way you tend to give the interviewer as much information as you can without them having to drill down by asking more questions which can make you even more nervous!

Emma Wilson - March 1, 2008 10:18 AM

Please help me, I have an interview tomorrow and the one question that always gets me is "How would you prove to somebody that you're trustworthy", I never know what to say.

linda - March 5, 2008 5:27 PM

Linda - It depends what job you are going for, if you are handling money, I would say that I would always ask for help if I needed it, rather than making a mistake that has to be questioned later, and always follow procedures. I would just say what an honest character you are and back it up with examples from your past

Jenny - March 5, 2008 5:44 PM

I am to have a telephone interview for a customer assistant with TFL (underground station).
What specific questions should I prepare for?
Do you have any advice about any tricky questions that might be asked? Many thanks.

Nnour-eddine Benfodil - March 31, 2008 10:43 PM