Application Process & Interviews at City of Gold Coast

They take too long to contact you after applying for a job. Interview was easy just 5 general questions.

first round required answering multiple questions about the job second round was a panel interview

Descriptive and straight forward.

Due to all the formalities, the hiring process is quite long.

The interview was with a panel, standard questions,

The recruitment process was slow but for the most part there was good communication.

The interview was in person with a panel of three. The questions posed were direct and each panel member was personable and engaged in formal and informal conversation. The interview was conducted within a reasonable time following my application.

Provide virtual interview for applicants who are not from or live in gold coast. One panel interview with six line leaders from different department, you don't have to do multiple interviews!

The interview process was unique as the interviewees were applying for multiple roles at once with the council. Ultimately, after reviewing the offer for an interview, there were 5 of us interviewing at the same to a variety of (in my case) engineering departments. I spoke to many of the 'Line leaders' at the interview.

There were no assessments for this hiring process, which made the process a lot more streamlined than other graduate programs. The interview process was fantastic - a meeting was scheduled soon after closing and having a face-to-face meeting was refreshing as it gave me a chance to understand the team and who I would be working for. It made sure that I was a good fit for them, and that they would be a good fit for me personality wise. Within a week of the interview I was given a verbal offer, so the quick process was excellent.

I can't remember.

some technical, behavioural, and cultural questions

What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you deal with work conflicts? What areas of CoGC are you interested in?

In my interviews, I was asked behavioural questions about handling past experiences, situational questions involving hypothetical scenarios, and personal questions about my background and career goals.

I was asked to name a time I made a mistake, what I did to rectify and the outcome. I was asked to name a time I had to explain an accounting process to someone with no finance background, and what the outcome was. I was asked to name a time there was conflict between myself and co-workers and what the outcome was.

What is a mistake you have made and how did you learn from it? Questions around WHS Questions around culture etc

- Career Objective - What made me apply for the position - Experience in certain abilities and responsibilities  - Do I have any questions for them

Words to the effect of 'What do I consider is my greatest strength/weakness', 'Can I describe a time where I was innovative and what obstacles I was able to overcome', What do I think I possess that other candidates for the position do not'.

First and foremost, tell me about yourself. how do you address conflicts between you and your colleagues, can you give an example?

It is difficult to recall any questions as there we so many.

Questions about my experience and interests. Questions were less technical and more to assess how I handle situations. As my experience was in a different field to my graduate degree, there were questions around that as the transferable skills and knowledge was very important for the role. A focus on my capstone project was important as well.

Have a fluent English if international. Show more personality than showcase skills.

be yourself

Be honest and confident with your knowledge. Show your passion and engagement to the role. Take a deep breath and don't speak too fast or too slow. Give an example for every question.

For candidates applying to work at City of Gold Coast, I will recommend them to prepare for behavioural and situational questions using the STAR method. Highlight relevant skills and experiences, show genuine enthusiasm for the role, and practice clear communication.

Focus more on making your best achievements known and being yourself rather than giving the "perfect" interview question response. Do not google "interview question responses" and instead I recommend the podcast "Interview Boss" to prepare!

I would recommend that they prepare questions around culture etc

Come prepared with your past experiences and be ready to show how those skills are transferable to the role you are interviewing for. Come ready with questions to ask the interviewer. Be yourself!

I suggest having a general interest in local government, environmental and planning law, corporate governance and contracts and an open mindset. If you have that as a foundation, just be yourself, be an honest representation of who you are and what you want out of the graduate program and be extra willing to have fun throughout the whole process!

show them the best yourself! focus on your strength and be passion.

Just be yourself !

Know what you want to talk about and what is relevant for the role. Even if your experience is not directly related, think about how it is transferred or useful to the position and bring it up. Having a discussion about these things gives a good insight into who you are and what you can provide that other graduates aren't. As this graduate program is role specific (interviewing for a single role within a team vs a huge cohort in the overall topic) you want to stand out. As they are only choosing one graduate, they want one that provides other skills that isn't necessarily provided by your degree, as all graduates will have those.