Forestry Commission Interview, some help appreciated

[TallMikeM]

I have an interview with the FC for an apprentice forest craftsperson role and part of the interview are a series of practical assessments. Does anyone know what form these take? I'd like to be as prepared as I can for them. Obviously I don't want to know "the answer" so to speak, but if someone knows what kind of assessments they'll be, I can prepare myself before hand. I.e, will they be along the lines of shark infested custard (like when I was being tested for the army), or will I be expected to put up some fencing, build a bridge etc.

 

[sasquatch]

Sounds cool, best of luck with that. No advice I'm afraid, just words of encouragement...

 

[Perrari]

Hi Mike
Never been for an interview with the Forestry Commission, so cannot advice you on specifics. But as regards to interviews, - be yourself, be keen, be eager to learn & convince them you have lots to offer. If you are asked to carry out any practical tasks then just do them to the best of your ability. If they ask you to do something you think you cannot do a good job of, then be honest, but explain that you are willing to learn & will learn quickly.

At the end of the day it is an apprencice job, so they should not expect you to be an 'expert', but will be looking to see if you have the potential to be one ! The Forestry Commission probably have lots of training opportunities for their employees.

I wish you every luck with your interview, and hope you are successful. Let us know how you get on.

Eifion

 

[TallMikeM]

thanks for the encouragement and don't worry, if I get the job EVERYONE's gonna hear about it

 

[Perrari]

Glad to hear ! Go for it !

 

[georann]

As above really. Theyre not really going to expect you to be an expert, just show that you have the mindset and enthusiasm to try. Perhaps a small amount of lateral thinking and problem solving. But most of all be confident (but not overly), listen to what they have to say (often interviews are good ways of learning about them rather than them about you), and relax!

Best of luck
ATB
Dan

 

[WoodMan]

When I worked for the NT we would include practical tests in interviews for Wardens posts. To be honest, it was more of a way of seeing a candidate from a different angle and a chance to chat to them in a less formal environment. Main interviews would be conducted by the Head Warden and sometimes a rep from NT HR dept whilst the practical element would be done by the Wardens that the successful candidate would be working with. Not only is this good opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their abilities but it is also good for the Wardens as they feel that they are having an input into the selection process.
A typical task would be to look over a chainsaw that has several issues such as slack chain, chain on backwards, loose nuts etc and then comment on these. Not only would the interviewer get an idea about how much the candidate knows about a saw but he would be able to gauge how familiar and comfortable he is with handling it.

Most important thing is to be yourself. Do some research on the FC, it's history, the area, local issues etc, all this stuff is easy these days with the benefit of the inter web and that means that there is less excuse for not doing it.

Think of questions that you wish to ask. First thing that I would ask a potential apprentice is what do forests mean to you? Why do you want to work in one?

Good luck.

 

[Fat Rog]

I agree with all that's been said above, they are looking for an apprentice who can learn rather than someone who already knows it all. Just be yourself and if they ask you a question that you don't know the answer to don't be afraid to say you don't know - they will be able to tell if you're BSing them.

Best of luck with the interview (though I'm sure you don't need it )

 

[TallMikeM]

When I worked for the NT we would include practical tests in interviews for Wardens posts. To be honest, it was more of a way of seeing a candidate from a different angle and a chance to chat to them in a less formal environment. Main interviews would be conducted by the Head Warden and sometimes a rep from NT HR dept whilst the practical element would be done by the Wardens that the successful candidate would be working with. Not only is this good opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their abilities but it is also good for the Wardens as they feel that they are having an input into the selection process.
A typical task would be to look over a chainsaw that has several issues such as slack chain, chain on backwards, loose nuts etc and then comment on these. Not only would the interviewer get an idea about how much the candidate knows about a saw but he would be able to gauge how familiar and comfortable he is with handling it.

Most important thing is to be yourself. Do some research on the FC, it's history, the area, local issues etc, all this stuff is easy these days with the benefit of the inter web and that means that there is less excuse for not doing it.

Think of questions that you wish to ask. First thing that I would ask a potential apprentice is what do forests mean to you? Why do you want to work in one?

Good luck.

thanks for that woodman, that makes a lot of sense.

 

[thebushcrafter99]

sounds good have you had the interview yet how did it go what were the practical tasks????