Interview Help Please
 

Hello

I am looking for help with interviews please. I was hired two years ago as a Page (A person who shelves books) for the City of Ottawa Public Library. Since that time after numerous interviews I got a temp job as a Circulation Assistant ( The person who deals with patron fines and fees and checks in/out items etc). Now they have posted a perm job and I would really like to have the job.

The way the city of Ottawa does there interviews is by having a panel of three people (Usually the manager, The Circulation Supervisor and another manager or supervisor form a nearby branch) They ask a series of questions and you are graded based on what you say. They write what you say. They have a series of bullets written on the paper in front of them that are the answers they are looking for. When I haven't been successful I ask for feedback and all I get is that I don't say enough or I didn't get enough points etc..


Some of the questions I have been asked include.

1. What qualities do you think make up a good Circulation Assistant?

2. What would you think a patron would say are good qualities for a Circulation
Assistant?

3. The Circulation Assistant has a busy job keeping with the constant flow of borrowers and checking in and out of materials. How would you cope with the demands of the position?

4. What do you do when you notice that Morale is low and productivity is down?

5. An employee is disputing a 1.00 fine and the patron threatens to call his councilor. You tactfully intervene and the patron becomes aggressive what do you do?

Any help for how to answer the questions would be appreciated.

Matt

Matt,

Since I don't even know much about what a Circulation Assistant does, I can't help you there. Since you already are a Circulation Assistant, you should be able to answer these questions. Just remember, in an interview, & I haven't been interviewed for a job in years, you must sell yourself. You must come off as the best person for the job. Look your interviewers right in the eye & answer their questions as honestly as you can, be yourself & remember to sell yourself.

And after the interview send all a thank you letter & again mention that you are the best one for the job.

Good luck! :wavey:

Lee :)

I forgot to mention that when you are asked the questions, they give you the paper to write down points for your answers. The one thing I know for certain is that it is based entirely on what you say. Even though you have a resume that states your qualifications , education, etc you have to tell them everything and treat them like to total strangers that you are talking to for the first time.

Matt