Our Top Interview Tips

Research about York Community Consulting and what we do here! Knowledge about our organisation really helps show your enthusiasm for the role.

A good starting point is to consider:

• What are our organisation's core aims and purpose?
• Who are the clients for the semester you are applying to?
• What makes those clients interesting or relevant?
• What does YCC aim to achieve for them?

We understand that you are unlikely to have any consultant-specific experience, but you should consider previous instances where you've demonstrated relevant soft and hard skills that are transferable to the role.

You may have developed these skills through your degree, insight days, societies, or other part-time work. Soft skills such as leadership, collaboration, and integrity are all highly applicable skills. Consider when you have used these skills and how you will apply them to your work at YCC.

Bonus tip: Engage with your interviewer by thinking of 3 or so questions that you may ask them during your interview about the role you are applying for.

Before your interview, you may wish to practice common interview questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) structure to help guide your responses and prepare scenarios from previous experience. Use this structure to demonstrate to the interviewer a time you did "X", explain the background, walk them through your actions, and how you helped to make an impact. If possible, quantify your actions and outcomes.

Common interview questions may include:

• Tell me about a time when you dealt with (a difficulty, challenge, etc.) and how you resolved it?
• Why did you apply for this role?
• Give me an example of when you have demonstrated (leadership, integrity, collaboration, etc.)

During your interview, it is advised that you wear professional attire. This helps not only to maintain professionalism but also to put you in the right mindset. We understand that not all applicants will own such attire at this stage, and as such, within reason, what you wear will not impact your overall score. It's more about your character and answers!

Smile and be confident; this may take some practice before the interview. In your interview, try not to ramble on too much with your answers, use slang or rude language, or fidget with items around you. Try to keep a calm, positive, and prepared demeanour.

As an organisation, we recognise the importance of accessibility and inclusivity at all stages of the application process. If you believe you would benefit from accommodations (due to conditions, such as anxiety, dyslexia, etc.), please email the York Community Consulting team at recruitment@yorkcommunityconsulting.co.uk.

We do not require any medical documentation to access such accommodations, however we encourage applicants to be aware that this is a trust-based system and kindly ask that it is not taken advantage of.