INTERVIEW FAQQ. Any tips on questions I will be asked at my interview?A. Questions *may* include:- "Why do you want to become a police officer?"
- "Why do you want to join XXXX?"
- "What have you done to find out about XXXX?"
- "Do you know of any current operations in XXXX?"
- "What have you done to prepare for the role?"
- "How are you going to find out about your team?"
- "What is the role of a police officer?"
- "Have you ever dealt with.....racism sexism etc...and what did you do?"
- "What do you know about the XXXX community and XXXX in general?"
- "What do you understand by the term equal opportunities?"
- "What are the issues surrounding diversity of culture in the local community?"
- "If one of your colleagues was gay and came onto you on the beat how would you react?"
- "What skills and abilities can you bring to the role of a PC?"
- "What do you think about teamwork?"
- "When have you had to work as a team?"
- "When have you had to work within rules and regulations?"
- "What would you do if a member of your team was not pulling their weight?"
- "You hear a sexist/racist comment what would you do?"
- "What are the main issues affecting the Police?"
- "Tell me about a time you diffused a confrontation?"
- "Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years time?"
- "What does equal opportunities mean to you?"
- "Have you ever been faced with a confrontational situation? What happened?"
- "What are your weaknesses? What have you done to get over these?"
- "How do you keep yourself motivated?"
- "Have you ever done a project from beginning to end?"
- "If you were given a order which you thought was incorrect would you do it?"
- "Have you ever disagreed with something a superior has said?"
- "Have you ever made a bad decision? Example?"
- "Have you ever worked to a deadline? Example?"
- "It's 4am in the morning and it's cold and wet - you're on the beat. What do you do to keep motivated?"
- "What is social awareness in your area (example of local issues)?"
- "You're on a late shift in the city centre and someone pinches your bum, what do you do?"
- "What would you do if you were in the canteen and two officers, senior officers, began to make homophobic comments?"
- "What would you do if you were in the canteen and two officers, senior officers, began to make racist comments?"
Other questions will focus on relevant skills you have that are transferable to the role of a police officer like problem solving & dealing with people - they'll want specific examples of these skills.
For questions where you are asked to speak from personal experience (e.g. "Tell me about a time you diffused a confrontation?") it can be a good idea to also give an alternative reponse to what you actually did, i.e. I did "XYZ" but I think if it happened again I would do "ABC".
Also, you must know what you're talking about when you answer your
questions because you will get probed on the answers you give.
Do not be afraid to ask for the question to be repeated, even after you've started answering it, as it's easy to drift off the point and forget the original question!
Prior to the interview take the time to read through your application form (you did remember to photocopy it, didn't you!?) to remind yourself of your answers there as some questions will likely be based around what you have written.
Finally, be yourself, don't be allowed to change your mind to an answer that you have given, although you should acknowledge their point. Just answer honestly. If you don't know something, just say "I don't know".
Q. What research should I do before my interview?Read up on the competencies of a Police Constable at
www.policecouldyou.co.uk, make sure you base all your answers around these skills for maximum marks.
Also check out your force's website, there should be lots of info there that you should read covering things like current operations, local strategic plans, etc.
Read quality national newspapers for more background on the Police and (if you can get them) local newspapers for the area you are applying too, to learn more about local issues.
Talk to serving officers to get an idea of the job and you could try getting in touch with the police station to have a look around.
As stated previously, prior to the interview take the time to read through your application form (you did remember to photocopy it, didn't you!?) to remind yourself of your answers there as some questions will likely be based around what you have written.
Finally, if you are not a gifted public speaker, it is will worth practising speaking in front of a mirror!
Q. How many people are on the "panel" that interview you?A. Apparently it varies, most places there are three people on the panel, but others (the Met for instance) only have two.
Q. Any tips on questions to ask the interviewers?A. There is some difference of opinion here...
According to some people who have attended intoblue courses; "there is no need to ask questions... the interview effectively ends once they have finished their questions and anything else after that doesnt matter/count."
However, others have suggested questions like; "I've heard that you get a choice of beat area, is this true?" or "How many Officers are there on any team?" questions that are subtley presuming that you will get the post.
Another suggestion is; "Thank you very much for your time, where do we go from here? / What happens next?" If anything, it opens up for conversation, and it may roll onto more questions that suddenly pop into your mind.
Personally I think it is a good idea to ask at least one question at the end of the interview to show you have been paying attention!
Q. How long is the interview?A. Accounts vary. Some have said that the interview itself is pretty short (half an hour or so) whilst others have lasted nearly an hour, but I suppose it really depends on how much you have to say!
Q. Any tips for dealing with nerves at the interview?A. The following was suggested:
Something that worked for me was to use a breathing technique: Take a deep breath in through your mouth. Hold it before gently releasing through your nose. Imagine a feather is resting on your nose and you don't want your breath to disturb it. That should give you an idea of how slowly and gently to breath out.
Do this until you are just focused on your breathing and not on any thing else. Give it a try. In the actual interview try to use your body language to show confidence, as this may help to relax you. Sit up in your chair, plant your feet, and don't fidget.
And just try to relax!
Q. What is the pass rate for the interview?My understanding is that they mark you according to the 5 core skills required to be a police officer. They should give you a list of the core skills and some examples of each along with the letter inviting you to the interview. If not, look at the
www.policecouldyou.co.uk website, it's all on there too. When answering the interview questions, try to provide examples where you can show that you have these core skills and you will receive points every time you do.
I've read that the pass mark for the interview is 80, but please don't take that as gospel!
Q. What are these "IntoBlue courses" I keep reading about?A. IntoBlue offer training courses aimed to helping you get through the interview and assessment process. You can find them at IntoBlue for more details and course bookings.
Q. How many attempts do you get at the interview, is it 3 like the fitness test?Unfortunately you only get one attempt at the interview and then you have to wait 6-12 months before you can reapply if you are unsuccessful.
Q. Can I take notes into my interview?A. I don't know for sure but I don't think it would allowed. I think to take notes into an interview shows lack of preparation.
