Crown Prosecution Service Paralegal Interview Questions
& Process

I submitted my application online back in November 2015, and the interview process didn't kick off until mid-January 2016. I had to nudge them a couple of times because things were pretty quiet on their end. On the day of the interview, I got there a bit early but ended up being seen late. I was interviewed by a panel of three people, and it was all about competency-based questions. I didn't get the news about not being selected until March 2016. Their email mentioned I could ask for feedback, so I did. About a week later, I got another email saying that due to how busy recruitment was, they couldn't offer any feedback. All communication happened via email.

After applying online on Tuesday, I got an interview the next Tuesday. It was pretty simple. Three CPS staff were on the panel, and we met on Microsoft Teams. First, I met a facilitator who checked my ID and filled out three forms. This was just to confirm who I am. Then, the main interview started. It had two parts: first, questions about behaviors from the job description like teamwork, working fast, and improving things, and second, questions about CPS values – honesty, professionalism, respect, and fairness. It was a step-by-step process. They asked me why I wanted the job and why I chose CPS. I had already researched them and knew their values and how I could contribute. They asked about 2-3 questions for each behavior, like asking for an example of delivering at pace and reporting findings. My advice is to prepare examples for each behavior, as they're looking at your experience and how it fits the role. The values questions were more about your reactions, like asking how you'd motivate a colleague or if you like solving problems. They said they weren't always looking for a 'right' answer but how you think. About 3 days later, I got an email offer. After accepting, I had to complete online checks on the CPS portal: references, health, pension, DBS, and ID documents. These took a couple of weeks.

The application was weird, it just asked for personal details and four questions, no work or school history. I only heard from them via email, so I initially thought I hadn't got through when I saw the invitation. The interview was in central London, and they were really accommodating as I travelled from the North. The interview itself was with two people, one from HR and one from the office. It was mostly competency-based questions, similar to the ones on the application. The interviewers were really nice and made you feel at ease - it was almost enjoyable! A week later, I got another email saying I was successful, pending references and security checks, and then I received a formal offer.