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safetyberry  
#1 Posted : 27 August 2013 11:36:32(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safetyberry

Hi,

I have an HSE Inspector interview coming up soon.

Has anybody else been for one of these ?

There is a presentation which will be given on the day and a 30 min competency interview.

Any advice or thoughts? Many thanks
redken  
#2 Posted : 27 August 2013 12:21:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
redken

Is it a post with the Health & Safety Executive? Field operations or specialist inspector?
peter gotch  
#3 Posted : 27 August 2013 12:56:39(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

Safetyberry.

It's a VERY long time since I went for my first interview and English + Maths tests in Birmingham, followed by second interview in London months later, then job offer yet more months later.

Good luck whether it's with HSE or HSE (NI).
safetyberry  
#4 Posted : 27 August 2013 13:49:58(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safetyberry

It is a trainee inspector position with HSENI.
Clairel  
#5 Posted : 28 August 2013 12:43:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Clairel

They're after a particular type of person. You can't prep yourself for that. You either are or you're not.

safetyberry  
#6 Posted : 28 August 2013 16:18:37(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safetyberry

Claire, I understand that they are certainly likely to have specific qualities that they require for a candidate to demonstrate in order to be successful.

There is a presentation and competency based interview to prepare for. I will still prepare for those to the best of my ability.

I had hoped that some people who had experience of going for these interviews would have been able to offer some constructive advice.
Jake  
#7 Posted : 28 August 2013 16:24:11(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jake

Clairel wrote:
They're after a particular type of person. You can't prep yourself for that. You either are or you're not.



And what type of person may that be?

The answer to ^^^ may well help the OP!!!
Clairel  
#8 Posted : 28 August 2013 16:54:08(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Clairel

safetyberry - The interview process is different from my day so I can't offer you any constructive advice except to be yourself.

jake - They don't tell you before or after what type of person they are after, a range of qualities I guess. If I said what qualities that I believed the candidate should have they, they would try and pretend to have those qualities, which would be unhelpful to be to interviewer and interviewee.

They are after a certain type of person and so yes my most helpful advice is to be yourself and you're either that type of person or you're not.
redken  
#9 Posted : 29 August 2013 10:18:20(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
redken

All the best for tomorrow safetyberry, perhaps this might be worth reading today:
http://www.shp4jobs.co.u...rapport-in-an-interview/
Safetypipper  
#10 Posted : 29 August 2013 11:01:08(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Safetypipper

Thanks for that Redken. I've another two weeks to go before the interview :)

Chris L  
#11 Posted : 30 August 2013 21:46:32(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Chris L

Hi safetyberry, I have not had experience of an interview with the HSE, but I have worked with a number of them over the years through various joint working partnerships (I was a local authority enforcement officer). The advice you have got on here to be yourself is probably the best. However, if you are a pragmatic person with an analytical mind and an eye for detail then you will be on the right road. They will be looking for people who are sharp and switched on.

Have confidence during the interview and presentation as they will be looking at attitude and personality as well, but do be yourself and be positive.

Best of luck to you and when you become an inspector don't forget the little people!
Canopener  
#12 Posted : 31 August 2013 08:13:10(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Canopener

At first sight Claire's advice appears unhelpful, but she is absolutely correct. I have worked as part of an HR team for many years, and have witnessed and been involved in recruitment and interviews on numerous occasions. By its very nature, recruitment is a 'discriminatory' process, and regardless of job descriptions, job and person specifications etc, the bottom line is that they will be looking for a certain sort of person and they will know it when they see it.

As an aside that helps to demonstrate this, I was part of a recruitment/interview process a few years ago. We did the usual selection/short listing for interview process and interviewed those candidates. Despite all the 'good stuff' on paper, none of them 'floated our boat' (they weren't the person we were looking for). We did a second trawl, interviewed 2 more; again, 'no'. Prior to deciding to go out to advert again, we went through all of the other applications, and asked another candidate in, who we had passed over the previous 2 times. Bingo! He was just the sort of person we were looking for and years later, he still is!

The advice from Claire and Chris, to be yourself, is also 'spot on'. Any reasonably competent interviewer can sniff out 'bull' at a thousand yards.

Good luck.
gordon j  
#13 Posted : 12 September 2013 13:53:30(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
gordon j

CANOPENER WRITES..........At first sight Claire's advice appears unhelpful, but she is absolutely correct. I have worked as part of an HR team for many years, and have witnessed and been involved in recruitment and interviews on numerous occasions. By its very nature, recruitment is a 'discriminatory' process, and regardless of job descriptions, job and person specifications etc, the bottom line is that they will be looking for a certain sort of person and they will know it when they see it.

As an aside that helps to demonstrate this, I was part of a recruitment/interview process a few years ago. We did the usual selection/short listing for interview process and interviewed those candidates. Despite all the 'good stuff' on paper, none of them 'floated our boat' (they weren't the person we were looking for). We did a second trawl, interviewed 2 more; again, 'no'. Prior to deciding to go out to advert again, we went through all of the other applications, and asked another candidate in, who we had passed over the previous 2 times. Bingo! He was just the sort of person we were looking for and years later, he still is!

The advice from Claire and Chris, to be yourself, is also 'spot on'. Any reasonably competent interviewer can sniff out 'bull' at a thousand yards.

BANG ON THE MONEY THERE CANOPENER...better to not get the job than to be set up to fail
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