You’ve come to the right place. There are many opportunities available to you in the Public Service, where ideas work. And we’re especially glad you’ve chosen the Forest Service to be part of your future.
The Ministry of Forests and Range has 3500 employees, and as such a large employer, within a corporate body of 30,000 employees, there needs to be a process for hiring. Conducting a job search is a full-time job in itself and these guidelines will help you through the process. The Forest Service is always looking for highly skilled, qualified applicants. There is a place for you here – an exciting, supportive environment in which to build your career. You are welcome.
You
can start preparing even before you apply. Keep a journal of your
accomplishments, and how they demonstrate your competencies.
A Government Interview Panel is a team of people who evaluate your application. They generally use the Behavioural Event Interviewing (BEI) method to assess your levels of competency. The competencies required for the job are usually included in the job description under staffing criteria. Be sure to click on the job description link in the posting.
The Ministry welcomes your phone call seeking more information to help ensure that the competition offers the work you desire. Click here for more: Explore the Opportunity
http://www.bcpublicservice.ca/down/pdfs/competency_overview_document.pdf
You must be eligible for employment in Canada and possess the required qualifications for the job.
If
an application form isn’t required, make sure your resume includes the
following:
Read all job ads and related correspondence closely. Make sure you demonstrate how you meet the staffing criteria so you will be assessed further.
Initial short-listing is usually based on education and years of experience. There may also be a written submission requested with your application.
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/staffing_steps/staffing_action/eligibility/overview.htm
PSA application form link:
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/staffing_steps/assess_methods/assess_apps/Screen_SList_Instruments.htm#BCJob
For help developing your resume and evaluating out-of-province
credentials:
http://www.bcit.ca/ices/
In addition to an interview, there is a range of assessment methods that can be used including:
If you are invited to a technical or knowledge test, you may want to ask for additional information from the competition contact to assist your preparation. This is perfectly acceptable. Systematically review the job description to get complete understanding of the job requirements. If possible review the Ministry web pages – especially the ones that may be applicable to your job.
If
you need extra information about the assessment methods, call your
competition contact.
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/staffing_steps/assess_methods/assess_apps/assess.htm
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/practice_guidelines/assessing_applicants.htm
Feel free to contact people as you prepare for the competition. Call the competition contact, position supervisor or Panel members to research information about the job. Besides securing important information, you are showing the employer your sincere interest in the position.
If possible, and cleared by your posting contact, call the position incumbent. They can give you valuable information about the job and the workgroup you will be joining. If you can, gently ask why they are leaving the position.
Speak to people from other districts/offices who are in similar positions to ask about their experiences. And you may want to contact those who have recently competed for a similar position as well, but remember that each competition is different.
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/staffing_steps/job_requirements/overview.htm
Ask who is going to be on the Panel, research who they are and what relation they will have with you should you be successful. You may wish to contact them, but before you do, determine what questions you are going to ask. Here are a few for your consideration:
You may want to divide the questions between those you will call, so
as not to take too much of anyone’s time.
The interview is all about you and communicating the knowledge,
abilities and attributes you will bring to the position.
Behavioral Event Interviewing requires candidates to relay an experience
that demonstrates the required competencies.
Prepare an inventory of the work that you have done and the things
that you have accomplished in your career, school and personal life.
Take credit for and speak about your accomplishments and experiences.
Note that you may receive the questions one week in advance or just prior to the interview.
Invest time in developing good examples of competencies.
Choose (from the journal you’ve been keeping) personal experiences and projects that fit the accountabilities of the job description. Examples can be from your work or personal experience, including volunteer.
Use the STAR technique (below) to frame your responses to interview questions.
Situation or Task — Briefly describe at a high level the situation or problem. Be specific and provide sufficient detail but make it concise.
Action: Describe your role and the actions you took. Emphasize your role even if it was a team experience. Provide details! This should be the longest part of your answer.
Develop your stories by considering the following questions in light of how the experience was for you:
Results: Describe what happened and the outcomes. What did you learn? How have you applied that learning in another situation?
Here are some other tools that offer you a different way to think about this type of interview, and a template that may help you prepare as well. Competency-based interviews assess candidates based on personal experiences or "events". These sorts of interviews ensure that the candidate selected will have a better chance of succeeding in the role – because they have a history of demonstrating the competencies that we know are characteristic of those who do well in this position.
Remember FACTS:
Feelings (What were your feelings at the time of the event or work example?)
Actions (What led up to the incident or situation? What did you do?)
Context (Who was involved?)
Thoughts (What were your thoughts at the time of the event or work example?)
Situations (What was the outcome of the event or work example?)
Work Overview Template
- Useful to help you think about an example of the work you do!
To begin, think about a "memorable incident" or event that occurred while on the job sometime within the last two years. We are interested in YOUR involvement, so try to choose an event that you had a significant role in.
Using the template provided, summarize a BRIEF overview of the work event you will be using to describe a competency:
Click here to download the template.
Keep in mind the Panel may be looking for someone who can demonstrate the competency every day and may not require an example of a high profile project or singular event that received a lot of attention.
If you have a great example of a particular competency that isn’t work related, you can still use it. Time permitting; it is okay to use multiple examples from outside of the work environment.
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The interviewer will prompt you to recount the sequence of actions and thoughts in more detail. Some of the probes will look like this:
It's important to note that if you are NOT prompted for more detail, you can provide it yourself. Remember, the key to a successful interview is in the answers you deliver. The interviewer is NOT interested in:
Practise talking about yourself and telling your experiences in mock interviews, with a colleague or family member. Get feedback on how you can strengthen your answers. |
Everyone tends to be nervous during an interview, even Panel members. Remember that it’s not a test, but a chance to explore the possibilities the job holds for you, while your potential employer explores your suitability for the job.
Pause to think about your answer before you respond. You may want to jot down notes to yourself on the paper provided by the Panel to remind you of specific points.
The interview is a chance to have a conversation with the Panel so that they can discover who you are and what you will bring to the job. Be yourself – let the Panel hear your enthusiasm.
Introduce yourself to each Panel member. Shake their hand and make eye contact.
If the Panel has not indicated who is responsible for time management in the interview, then ask. If the Panel is, follow their cues and move on to the next question when they ask. If you are responsible for time management, divide the interview time by the number of questions. Watch the clock to ensure you have time to answer every question.
When you answer the questions, assume that the Panel knows nothing about the example you are describing or the circumstances, even if one of the Panel members was involved or if you know the Panel members quite well. They need to hear all the details from your perspective.
Speak in the first person: “I did …”
Listen closely to the question and be prepared to adapt your story to answer the question. Remain flexible.
Panel members will ask probing questions to clarify your answer or to gain further information. Use the conversational nature of the interview to further develop your answer and provide even more information to the Panel.
When the Panel asks additional questions for clarification or asks you to consider a different angle, they are trying to get additional information. Focus on their exact question.
Give
the Panel time to record your response. Pause between thoughts and
check in with the Panel to see if they need you to repeat anything.
Pausing also gives the Panel the opportunity to jump in with probing
questions to clarify what you have said and to redirect you if you are
on the wrong track. It also gives you a chance to breathe and to
think.
You can ask for clarification, such as “Am I on the right track?” or “What else would you like to know about the situation I’ve described?”
Ensure your answers will leave time for a conversation with the Panel members. Don’t do all of the talking.
A Few Don’ts
Don’t get caught up describing the technical aspects or minutiae of a job. The Panel wants to hear how you applied your skills and knowledge to the situation.
Don’t talk about the competency. Instead, tell the Panel how you demonstrated the competency in the situation you are describing to answer the question.
Don’t read from any prepared notes. If you have notes, use them only to jog your memory.
The Panel will have a pre-determined plan for marking and assessing candidates. The same plan will be used to assess all candidates in the competition. Each person has the same opportunity to tell their stories.
Reference checking is an integral part of every competition and your references will be checked.
Checking references is one of the most useful tools the employer has to gain information about your past performance. Generally reference checks are conducted one-on-one either on the telephone or in person.
Prepare a list of possible references who can speak to specific competencies you described in your stories as well as a list of other references that includes past supervisors and a current or recent supervisor.
Ideally, you will notify your references in advance and provide them with information about the position.
Determine if they are willing to act as a reference.
Remind them about those accomplishments you want to highlight. Make sure they remember the “story” you’re going to tell. Inform them if something else was discussed in the interview that may help them respond appropriately to the Panel member’s questions.
Provide references with information about the position for which you’ve applied so they can put their response in context.
Getting feedback is part of the interview cycle. Accept any offers of feedback and ask for it if it is not offered. Ask for feedback immediately while the experience is fresh in your mind and theirs.
Treat feedback as a learning opportunity to find out what you did well and, more importantly, to learn how you can improve your competition performance in the future.
Tell the Panel member what you are hoping to get out of the feedback session.
Ask for what you did well, and more importantly, how you can modify your interview style to improve your performance in future.
For feedback on technical questions, ask what resources you should review to prepare you for future technical assessments. Do not focus on the correct answer to a particular question except to ensure you understand.
Use feedback to refine how you prepare for an interview and how you tell your stories in the interview itself.
Be open to constructive feedback on what you did not do well. This allows the greatest chance for improvement and future success.
http://www.hrtoolkit.gov.bc.ca/staffing/staffing_steps/review/feedback.htm
The Ministry always needs good people and competitions for various positions run all the time. The BC Public Service as a whole will offer a million jobs over the next decade. There is a place for you here — an exciting, supportive environment in which to build your career. You are welcome
