How do prepare for a competency based interview...

[ClinkatyClank]

on the telephone ? I have one one Friday.

Any tips to how to prepare for one ?

[boxtops]

No idea - how do they assess your competency over the phone (except for your telephone skills)?

[ClinkatyClank]

I have a stammer :( I'm not bad in person but as with all stammerers, phone is a problem.

[buildersmate]

Interviewers assess competences the same way as they would face-to-face - by asking questions around examples of work-related events. For example, tell me about a time when you felt under pressure at work. Then a series of follow-up questions around how you dealt with it.
Do you know what core competences are regarded as essential for the work? Will they tell you? (they might not).
Prepare by writing up in notes examples of common traits required in most jobs - writing notes helps you by fluent when the time comes to draw on your experience to give an answer.
One of the (few) good things about a telephone interview is that the other person can't see what crib notes you have in front of you.
If the organisation is worth anything, it won't attempt a complex and deep interview over the phone - it doesn't help either party. It is best used to sort the wheat from the chaff - the real interview comes face-to-face.
It is more often usefully used to test out the worth of what is on the CV - not to test competences.

[boxtops]

Thanks BM - that's useful to know, I've not heard of the process before.

[Maydup]

Can you give us a clue about the type of work CC? We might be able to be a little more specific with advice if we know.

[ClinkatyClank]

It's a data admin role I applied through an agency. The agency interviewed me and told me that I would have to do a telephone CB interview lasting around 10 mins. I'm bit nervous as I'm very bad in phone due to my speech. Thank god the role doesn't require phone work.

[Maydup]

Ok - so I would anticipate the questions to be more factual that personality based.

Since its a competency interview expect them to ask you about your skills in using the appropriate software, maybe your data entry speeds if appropriate and your similar previous experience. Think what you'd want to know if you were them recruiting a data admin person.

Tell them how accurate you are and how you excel at data and admin tasks. Tell them what applciations you can use and to what level. Take it slowly and breath well.

if necessary and you stammer badly, tell them you have a stammer and ask if they'd consider a competency interview by email? It might work you can never tell. They might be open minded enough to realise that you could be perfect for the job without being good on the phone.

Good luck.

[starone]

Have a look at the firm itself and find out a bit about them. They will want to know if you are interested enough to look them up. I expect they have a web site somewhere which no doubt Google will be able to find for you.

[DaisyNonna]

If they cannot be bothered to interview you in person you are better off without them.

[annie0000]

builders mate is spot on - you need to think of scenarios that you vann fit to a few different things depending on the question.

They will probably ask things like:

Tell me about a time where you completed something sucessfully against the odds
where something went wrong and how you dealt with it
where you worked well in a team
where you worked to tight deadlines etc etc etc

as the interview is only 10 minutes (these things often last up to 2 hours!!) there will probably be only 1 0r 2 questions and they wont expect war and peace.

They are trying to determine how you work - and even if it goes against the grain, remember tio use "I" a lot and emphasis the role you took and how it was you that helped to make the task a success.

They may aks you a negative question or two so prepare one where things didn't go according to plan - make sure it was for a reason outwith your control and remeber to tell them what you learned from it.

I would explain at the beginning that you have a speech impediment that is aggravated when you are nervous and on the phone but that doesn't impede you normally and that you just need a little longer to answer the questions.

Good Luck :o)

[Maydup]

No Daisy its quite a common practice especially when agencies have referred people as a degree of filtering has taken place already.