Posted By gham You've stayed awake through the bit where they tell you how great the company is how big they are and brightly the sun shines out their..... Then they quiz you, use the Psychology that they have leaned the week before at an HR training course, a bit contrived, wooly, needs perfecting, but you clock onto it and give them the answer they are looking for, you know the one from the text book that you've both read. They may even throw in a couple of testers about legislation, usually Management regs or HASAWA nothing to specific I'm assuming to establish that you know what your talking about Then they ask... 'Do you have any questions for us?', wearing a smug grin expecting you to clam up. You then ask them the text book questions and they give you the text book answers but...... that's when you have the interview with the HR person who could bearly get the job description right. What should you ask the H&S professional who is interviewing you?

Posted By Neville If the push comes to the shove and you dry up for questions, always but always, ask them about how the pension scheme works. I have never failed to put them on a back foot at interview, whether it be H&S or H&R personnel. It changes the balance and makes them realise that they haven't done enough prior to interviewing you. Quite frankly, most just don't have a clue how it operates or have come ill prepared to answer the basics. Never once have I had a satisfactory answer to the question and yet it is all part and parcel of the package of employment. More so nowadays! The other one is to have some abreviations in your armoury! I remeber one chap throwing an abreviation at me, which I explaned I wasn't familiar with and passed one back his way, stating that I actually carried out more of that particular research. (DVT) He didn't have much of a clue either. (duece)

Posted By John Watson A good question imho is "will I have any real power to change and influence" Too many people I come across feel hamstrung by having to refer every thing they want to do to some seemingly higher power who co-incidentally know next to nothing about H&S

Posted By Neville Richard, Thank you for the response to my lighthearted approach to interviews. Interviews are, on balance, there to illicit information from you, the interviewee. (The idea being that you chat for approx 75% of time and the interviewers 25%). This is a way of getting to know you and freeing you up to talk about your favourite subject, You! If the interviewee gets tied up in jargon, from the interviewer, it may serve to put the interviewee ill at ease. The idea is to get a freeflow of information that will be of use to the company involved, not to put one over on the candidate. I have been on both sides of the interview room over the years and the pension scenario is not particularly delving into the aspect of, "how much do you pay?". Morelike, do I want to work for this company if they are not taking care of the essentials? You are entitled to your opinion but this subject is indeed, very subjective! I have actually done a six week recruiting course and attended many interviews. This does not make me the expert. No matter how well the interview and presentation goes for you, even when you are the best candidate, the local authorities have neputism in operation. In other words, they like their in-house candidates. I got Lancs County Council to admit to me that 43% of jobs advertised actually go 'in house'. I have been a part of the pantomime charachters also, lining up in a suit, after having taken time off work to attend the interview. Awful when they know who has got the job before you even submit your paperwork. All part of the farcicle process! You will also find that many of the interview panel will actually ask you a closed question, which makes you smile. You will find many of them inept at the job, but you have to pander to them at the interview, because you want the job and they are in control of who gets it. We'll agree to disagree Richard Regards, Neville PS. I agree with the comment on spell checker on this site!

Posted By Peter S ITK,would you care to elaborate on the LA (North or South)as I applied for a job recently and got the impression later that it may have gone internally. Cheers

Posted By Steven Doesn't that always happen in LA!!!!!! My wife went for a job at a LA for a senior position and guess what, they gave it internally and then had to advertise for the postion of the person who got "promoted". Is it me our is that a waste of time money and effort!!! Sorry its got nothing to do with the initial thread.

Posted By ITK Steven, I suspect it has something to do with employment law, in that LA's have to be seen to be whiter than white, so jobs have to be advertised externally even though they nearly always go to internal candidates.

Posted By Zyggy Turek I never thought that I would work for an LA for all the reasons given previously, but now find myself entering my 11th year! I have applied for two positions (both with internal candidates)in two LA's & was offered both - so there is hope for you! The benefits have already been discussed, pension, flexible working, etc. & yes, sometimes the pay can be low, although in my position I have no complaints. My work is very varied, from cradle to grave, but my greatest satisfaction is having the pleasure to manage a highly competent & professional team & meeting other LA colleagues who have a wealth of knowledge & experience.