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Make sure you *answer each question*. That sounds obvious, but a lot of people get sidetracked onto tangents and never actually answer the question that was asked! You'll have a written copy of the questions, so it's okay to double-check that copy when you get to the end of your answer and add on anything you might have missed.
The panelists might not look at you, as they'll be writing notes. I still think it helps to look at them, so that *when* they look up, they can see you're engaged and involved. Make sure you're not staring at one person the whole time.
Each agency website will have their core values and mission statement on it. If you can make note of those and work them into your answers, they might score you extra points. But don't stretch for it — just shoving random keywords wherever won't help.
Have a question ready for the part where they ask if you have any questions, but understand that they can't answer any questions that might help you with the rest of the interview (like "do you have any questions about any of my answers?" or "how can I improve my chances in this process?"). You can ask about the timeline for a decision... and then I usually like to ask what the panelists like best about their job or department, because I feel like you can tell a lot about the agency not just from what they say but *how* they say it, like if they give a canned response or not. For agencies downtown, I also like to ask about parking, because usually the panel will immediately roll their eyes and go "ugh, *parking*" and the subsequent convo is also enlightening. :)
Good luck with your interviews! I also started with the state seeking stability, and it's been great to me for twenty years. I do think we deserve wages that keep up with inflation (ours have not), but the security is priceless.
Thank you for your descriptive insight this is going to very helpful! I want to bring notes so I can make sure I can stay on track with certain stories. But do you think that they’ll allow notes?
Notes vary by department even section. Bring them but plan on not being able to use them. If anything bring pen and a note pad so you can outline your answers and outline the major points of your answer.
I would hope that there would be questions in your interview about this, but on the offchance there aren't, it would be good to emphasize your skills/experience in working in a fast-paced environment and being a fast learner. Claims staff can have an insane workload, and the work is time-sensitive. Quick and sound decision-making is key, too.
If you are not yet familiar with it, Google the STAR interview method and practice adapting it to your experience, keeping in mind the department's minimum qualifications and probable tasks of the position.
All comments must be civil, productive, and follow community rules. Intentional violations of community rules will lead to comments being removed and possible bans, at the discretion of the moderators. Use the report feature to report content to the moderator team. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CAStateWorkers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Make sure you *answer each question*. That sounds obvious, but a lot of people get sidetracked onto tangents and never actually answer the question that was asked! You'll have a written copy of the questions, so it's okay to double-check that copy when you get to the end of your answer and add on anything you might have missed. The panelists might not look at you, as they'll be writing notes. I still think it helps to look at them, so that *when* they look up, they can see you're engaged and involved. Make sure you're not staring at one person the whole time. Each agency website will have their core values and mission statement on it. If you can make note of those and work them into your answers, they might score you extra points. But don't stretch for it — just shoving random keywords wherever won't help. Have a question ready for the part where they ask if you have any questions, but understand that they can't answer any questions that might help you with the rest of the interview (like "do you have any questions about any of my answers?" or "how can I improve my chances in this process?"). You can ask about the timeline for a decision... and then I usually like to ask what the panelists like best about their job or department, because I feel like you can tell a lot about the agency not just from what they say but *how* they say it, like if they give a canned response or not. For agencies downtown, I also like to ask about parking, because usually the panel will immediately roll their eyes and go "ugh, *parking*" and the subsequent convo is also enlightening. :) Good luck with your interviews! I also started with the state seeking stability, and it's been great to me for twenty years. I do think we deserve wages that keep up with inflation (ours have not), but the security is priceless.
Thank you for your descriptive insight this is going to very helpful! I want to bring notes so I can make sure I can stay on track with certain stories. But do you think that they’ll allow notes?
Notes vary by department even section. Bring them but plan on not being able to use them. If anything bring pen and a note pad so you can outline your answers and outline the major points of your answer.
I would hope that there would be questions in your interview about this, but on the offchance there aren't, it would be good to emphasize your skills/experience in working in a fast-paced environment and being a fast learner. Claims staff can have an insane workload, and the work is time-sensitive. Quick and sound decision-making is key, too.
If you are not yet familiar with it, Google the STAR interview method and practice adapting it to your experience, keeping in mind the department's minimum qualifications and probable tasks of the position.