# being interviewed by panels/and panels of young people



## Kidda (Apr 7, 2008)

Has anyone got any experience of this?

i have an interview on Friday for a youth work job at a charity where i'll be interviewed by a panel of people from the board and then a panel of young people from the project.

I am shitting it 

Ive never had an interview like this before, what should i expect?

*cowers under desk*


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## DotCommunist (Apr 7, 2008)

Kidda said:


> Has anyone got any experience of this?
> 
> i have an interview on Friday for a youth work job at a charity where i'll be interviewed by a panel of people from the board and then a panel of young people from the project.
> 
> ...



akward questions unfettered by adult notions of politeness


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## LilMissHissyFit (Apr 7, 2008)

DotCommunist said:


> akward questions unfettered by adult notions of politeness




heh.... I suspect in the interests of fairness the adults who work with them will have helped them formulate the questions and each will be asked to every candidate... thats how it worked when I sat on an interview panel and helped a group of young people to put together something similar.

I reckon they will probably come up with some good questions , probably more straightforward and less hidden agendas than adults often do.
 You can usually count on young people to be straight with you. Make sure you know what the project does, how you see your role if you get the job etc. They will know instinctively if you are weak on any of that.


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## janeb (Apr 8, 2008)

I've sat on interview panels with young people (16 - 18) and it's been great - we have set questions for all candidates but the YP were involved in writing the questions in the first place - what really struck me was the number of candidates who answered the YPs question but addressed the adults and didn't really make eye contact with the YP - the people we appointed were ones who really engaged with them as a equal member of the panel and took them seriously.  

I was also hugely impressed afterwards with the discussion we had within the panel, the YP brought a very balanced approach and in all cases the panel fully agreed with the appoint / don't appoint decision.

Good luck


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## Kidda (Apr 8, 2008)

im terrified 

Ive been reading and re-reading their website to try and make things go in and practicing questions on the bus into work 

im going to get some of my young people to grill me in work tomorrow and see what questions they asked when they did the same thing to the CEO before he was hired. 

i so hope i dont fluff it, i really want this job. 

i just hope ive got the skills for the interview.


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## JTG (Apr 8, 2008)

you'll be fine, 'cos it's you


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## Kidda (Apr 8, 2008)

everyone keeps saying that, but i get well nervous in interviews.

what happens if they ask a serious question and i go 

'mkhiosuu lego'


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## Epico (Apr 8, 2008)

Good luck with it kidda 

'mkhiosuu lego' - great answer to any question!


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## scott_forester (Apr 8, 2008)

say 'init' a lot. 


Good luck you're braver than I am.


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## Roadkill (Apr 9, 2008)

Kidda said:


> im going to get some of my young people to grill me in work tomorrow and see what questions they asked when they did the same thing to the CEO before he was hired.



That sounds like as good a way to prepare as any.  

Best of luck with it.  x


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## baldrick (Apr 9, 2008)

Best of british my dear 

it's entirely normal to be kacking it   don't panic.

sounds like you've got your preparation sorted though, well done.


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## Kidda (Apr 9, 2008)

one of my colleagues is the partner of .....

the person who set the project up  

she's going to call me and give me the inside info on the place.
Name dropping the founder is surely going to be a good thing isnt it?



two sleeps to go, still well nervous, but im spending the day preparing 

msndjkifefi LEGO


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## baldrick (Apr 9, 2008)

good stuff


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## innit (Apr 9, 2008)

I've been interviewed by service users a few times and always bricked it way worse than being interviewed by workers.  IMO if you've got the right attitude to the people you support, you have nothing to fear.

I'm sure you'll be great


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## LilMissHissyFit (Apr 9, 2008)

Kidda said:


> one of my colleagues is the partner of .....
> 
> the person who set the project up
> 
> ...



depends.....

if they think  he's/shes a cock it could be a minus....

You'll be fine, go in, be yourself, be straight with them, ask them some stuff if you think of things. Like janeb said, look them in the eye even if you are nervous as stink.


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## MooChild (Apr 9, 2008)

G'luck!

Hope you knock 'em dead, figuratively speaking of course


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## winterinmoscow (Apr 9, 2008)

let us know how it went!


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## Dan U (Apr 10, 2008)

just say everything is 'bare' 
and you should be fine.

tbh i reckon it will be ok, i reckon the young people might suprise you a bit and ask the best questions.

also, name dropping just makes you look a bit silly tbh, unless presented in a way that suggests you have done your research and aren't just trying to ingratiate yourself.

good luck


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## Kidda (Apr 11, 2008)

It's at 2 today

im not as nervous as i thought i would be but that may all change once im suited and booted and on my way.

fingers crossed


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## baldrick (Apr 11, 2008)

oooh, good luck!

will cross my fingers for you


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## berniedicters (Apr 11, 2008)

Kidda said:


> im terrified
> 
> Ive been reading and re-reading their website to try and make things go in and practicing questions on the bus into work
> 
> ...



If you have the skills for the job, then you have the skills for the interview. Simple as that, though perhaps the only thing you really need to do is to try and work on ways in which you can be as relaxed and natural as possible in the interview itself : that way, you can give the best account of yourself as you really are. I certainly wouldn't practice too hard, or there is a risk you will come across as a bit "rehearsed" and inauthentic.

I'd reiterate what LMHF already said about not forgetting to address the young people rather than the adults with them. Actually, I'd go further - if there are young people and adults in the room, then go out of your way to include the young people in any answers you give, even if it's to a question asked by one of the adults: if it's youth work, then - apart from the professional stuff about boundaries and competence - the most important thing they need to know is whether you are actually capable of engaging with your clients (which, presumably, is exactly why there's a panel of young people there, too!).

If you're the right person for the job, and THEY'RE doing their job properly, you'll get it.

Good luck!


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## Kidda (Apr 11, 2008)

that was horrific.

the board was ok, i forgot the questions a couple of times but said all the buzz word stuff which put me back on course

the young peeps 

They were really hard to engage, to be fair the room they were in was horrifically hot (a tiny box room with the heater banged on full) and they had been sat in there all day hearing the same things. The questions were basic and pretty straight forward but they just seemed like they couldnt be bothered anymore.

I really dont think ive got it 

will find out either tonight or tomorrow. 

bollocks.


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## aqua (Apr 11, 2008)

((((((((((((((((kidda)))))))))))))))

I'm sure you did better than you think you did, we're our own worst critics at the best of times

just remember no amount of stress or worry at this point is going to influence their decision so be kind to yourself and just wait for the phone call 

xxx


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## baldrick (Apr 11, 2008)

oh dear.  

you did your best though, that's all anyone can ask.  you never know what might come along next 

and if they don't want you, you wouldn't wanna work for 'em anyway


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## JTG (Apr 11, 2008)

what they said

and keep smiling kid



xx


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## Roadkill (Apr 11, 2008)

aqua said:


> I'm sure you did better than you think you did, we're our own worst critics at the best of times
> 
> just remember no amount of stress or worry at this point is going to influence their decision so be kind to yourself and just wait for the phone call



^ This.

Fingers crossed for you.


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## winterinmoscow (Apr 11, 2008)

Roadkill said:


> ^ This.
> 
> Fingers crossed for you.



ditto


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## Kidda (Apr 12, 2008)

ive just had a call from the project which went something like 

'unfortunatly we wont be offering you the post BUT...the board were really impressed with you and would like to offer you another post'

apparently there were people with more experience as there was a specialist part to the job, but he kept saying the board were well impressed with how i answered in the interview therefore there is another youth work post within the place they'd like to offer me

i so thought my nerves had got the best of me but he said that i was fine.



Im getting the job description and having an informal chat next week.

i iz employed my yoots.


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## Roadkill (Apr 12, 2008)

That's brilliant news.  Well done!


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## winterinmoscow (Apr 12, 2008)

hurray!!! well done!!!


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## equationgirl (Apr 12, 2008)

Well done kiddda, that's fab news.

You is down wiz teh yoots, homie


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## baldrick (Apr 14, 2008)

great news, well done


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## foo (Apr 14, 2008)

great news Kidda love! 

i run the young people's recruitment panels for cambs (for youth workers, teachers, connexions workers). it's one part of my job i love   i've trained quite a few yoot now and they always suss people better than the adult panel. 

did they get the final say d'you know? or was it split?

they don't get the final say here, but they do feed into the process - the other day this guy wouldn't have got a look in (he was under qualified etc.) but he did so well with the young people, that they made a really strong argument for him and he's been offered a trainee position in the youth service. result.


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## foo (Apr 14, 2008)

agnesdavies said:


> I'd reiterate what LMHF already said about not forgetting to address the young people rather than the adults with them.



i'm in the room (a silent observer and scribe) during our recruitment panels and i'm always shocked and more than a bit pissed off when the candidate's had a question from the young people, then look at me while they give their answer!    

the kids pick up on it straight away and mark them down. as they should!


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## berniedicters (Apr 20, 2008)

Kidda said:


> ive just had a call from the project which went something like
> 
> 'unfortunatly we wont be offering you the post BUT...the board were really impressed with you and would like to offer you another post'
> 
> ...



Result!

I never had any plans to be doing the workz wit teh yoots, but the way it's panned out, that's just what I am doing. And - scary as it was to start with - it's damn good fun, and a great way of learning shit about yourself. I even seem to get on with the little bastards, especially once I've glared threateningly at them for calling me "Sir" 

Good luck, I hope it's as good for you as I've found it to be for me...


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## MooChild (Apr 20, 2008)

Coolness 

Grats Kidda


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## LilMissHissyFit (Apr 20, 2008)

Kidda said:


> ive just had a call from the project which went something like
> 
> 'unfortunatly we wont be offering you the post BUT...the board were really impressed with you and would like to offer you another post'
> 
> ...



see??? you did it! Well done


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## Kidda (Apr 21, 2008)

cheers you lot  

I was set my new job description over the weekend, which looks ace and so much better than the job i went for  

ive proposed a meeting for the end of the week to talk about it so hopefully everything will get the go ahead and it'll be cool


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## E.J. (Apr 21, 2008)

*Bostin news about your new job!*

Well done aer kid on your new job! Of course i'm very, very pleased that you've got it and especially since it's working with youth. I bet you can't wait to start helpin dem youethz!


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