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civil service summer diversity internship 2014

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Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone on this thread could give any advice about the phone interview? I just have been told that I have passed the application stage and would really appreciate some advice! Will they ask you why you put down a particular department? I am sort of undecided which one I would actually want to work in... Basically any advice would be appreciated!!

No, they don't ask if you want a particular department. There's no shame in not having a particular department that you want to work for - the Fast Stream involves you moving around (and they want SDIPers to become Fast Stremers) so being open isn't a bad thing. If you DO have particular interests mention them though. I know one intern who was really interested in Syria, so she mentioned this in her interview and got to work on the Syria team in DFID! See my other reply for interview advice by the way, and feel free to email me on the address I give in that response.

Reply 401

Taurus05

Original post by rm436

Hey

They all start/finish at different times. They are generally 6-9 weeks long but are often easily extended. Mine was 6 but I chose to stay two extra weeks because I loved it. It was totally optional though. I know people who extended much longer (months). My internship started I think June 30th and ended at the end of August. Most people's started around that date - some a week or two earlier and some a week or two later. They are flexible though.

Thanks so much for answering!

Reply 402

Livtwist

So, I had my final interview 2 days ago.

I don't want to jinx it, but I think it went surprisingly well! There was a point where the signal just disappeared and I had to give the interviewer my housemate's phone number to call back on which was pretty awkward, but other than that it was fine.
It really isn't as scary or intense as I thought it would be. The interview was pretty straightforward as the interviewer is reading from a script, which means that the interview is clearly signposted. Also, they're not allowed to throw any curve balls at you, so if you've prepared you will be more than fine.
I did get asked a lot of "follow-up" questions about the examples I had given and at one point, the interviewer stated that what I had stated wasn't exactly saying what she wanted to hear,before pointing me in the right direction. The interview is simply a box-ticking exercise and they are just trying to get you to say the right thing!

My advice to all that have interviews is:

1) Try not to be too nervous! Enjoy your interview - it's a really nice conversation!
2) Prepare examples but be prepared to be flexible. I ended up preparing hours of examples, only to use two of them in the interview. Instead I found that I was able to immediately match situations/experiences from memory to the competencies I was being assessed on. Flexibility is key!
3) Listen to the question they are asking you and make sure you answer EXACTLY that question.
4) If you need time to think about the question, that's okay! It's better to say something along the lines of 'Let me reflect on that for a moment' than spurting out something that doesn't make sense and/or is irrelevant. But remember, only take a brief moment!

Good luck!! My fingers are crossed for us all! xx

Reply 403

deedee111

It seems no one has heard back yet. I had my interview about a month ago and my interviewer told me on the phone that the Civil Service did not know (at the time) how many SDIP interns they would be taking on this year. So my theory for the slow response is that it's taking them ages to even determine what numbers they need, never mind selecting individuals for the prog. Plus it seems from the above post that they have probably only just finished interviewing. So the mid-April results, which was communicated to me on the phone, seems unlikely.

Anyhow, best of luck everyone!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 404

Arvg92

Hey guys, I have just been accepted onto fast stream for HMRC in east kilbride but i am stuck as to whether or not to take it! I have an offer for an amazing au pair job in vienna, but i think this internship might be a good opportunity. I would have to relocate for the internship and i here its not that great an area. Any feedback from last year would be awesome!

Reply 405

Gotjack

Hi there 2014 intake,

Would any of you be able to offer insight into what the closing ceremony entails and how important it is to attend?

I am able to attend, but it is going to put a lot of timing pressure on what I plan to do post internship.

Kind regards,
J

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 406

Gotjack

For anyone reading back over this. It wasn't an issue missing the closing ceremony! (for valid reasons)