Application Process & Interviews at Inland Revenue

1. General application with cover letter, cv and transcript. 2. Teams interview. 3. In person interview with several policy brief assessment questions.

I found it really personable and you weren't penalised for smaller mistakes (e.g. not answering straight away or having to backtrack).

It was organised and inclusive. the interviewers were very welcoming and respectful. the questions were very organised allowing time to answer.

The interview process was broken down into 3 steps. First was the typical application process (where you submit a CV, cover letter etc). The next stage was an online interview with 3 members from the team. If you progressed passed this stage you were asked to come to an in person interview. This involved a formal interview, a written and oral policy question assessment and a coffee catch-up with graduates from previous years. The final interview process gave me a strong indication as to the types of problems I may be working on, and allowed me to ask individuals who had been in my shoes in previous years what their experiences at this place where like.

The interview process was an enjoyable experience. Small panel of team leaders who were very friendly and would support any unsettled candidates.

Hard to remember.. but it was your typical behavioural questions (how do you handle conflict/when a situation went wrong, and what did you learn?) and technical (what govt intervention would you recommend to solve x problem?).

I asked about professional development inside IR, because my love to progress in my professional development.

STAR personality questions, broad problem solving questions, topical questions about tax (one provided ahead of time, and one on the day).

The questions asked in the interview were based on role capabilities. These were scenario based, so need to apply your experience in previous roles/jobs to show how you have the certain capability.

I think keeping somewhat of an eye on the tax news and IR's website (e.g. recent policy blogs) is good to answer any technical questions and get a feel for tax. But the most important part is learning how to convey who you are and what you can bring to the job in a concise way. For example, what is your workstyle, how do you manage your time, how are you working with others.

I advise others to Join IR as a coolest and inclusive workplace. the Knowledge and learning are one of the best aspects of working in IRD. I am sure that learning and development will not be available in other places but IRD alone.

Be authentic - make sure you are willing to approach issues and questions from multiple different angles. Make the most of the coffee catch-up, this is an opportunity for you to get a sense of if the place is right for you.

Go through the competency wheel and understand what each is. Be able to apply them to situations/experience you have had in the past. Try be yourself and show your point of difference over other candidates.

Be yourself, rely on your skills in problem solving and policy rather than tax itself.