Do's and Don'ts
Preparing for an interview is crucially important. It can be easy to get over excited when you have just been asked to attend interview. Be careful as this feeling could easily turn sour if you fail to prepare. We have put together a list of tips to assist you.
Understanding your CV-
When attending an interview you must be able to demonstrate your competencies by relating these competencies to behavioural examples from past employment situations. It is very common for an interviewer to read through your CV asking for a description of your current and previous positions so it is vital that you know your CV inside out. Understand what you have written and be able to discuss it in detail.
Be aware of your strengths-
It is also very common for an interviewer to ask for a list of your main strengths. You need to be able to do this with confidence so do your preparation and make a list of around ten strengths. It is advisable to try to visualise why they are your strengths and be ready to expand on your answers and relate them to past employment situations. On the same note be aware of your weaknesses. An employer is just as likely to ask you for a list of weaknesses, however try to be able to turn them into positives. For example; ‘I have had issues with time management in the past but I have learned to write a to-do list every morning and evening to keep me on track’.
Research–
It is essential for you to show a keen interest in the organisation and the position you are applying for whilst at interview. Do this and you will create a great impression! Most companies want their future employees to have passion for their job. The easiest way to demonstrate this is by finding out as much information as you can about who the company is and what they do. We advise that you practice a few questions that you would like to ask after the interview, this way you will ensure you leave the interview having given the correct impression. If you have applied for many jobs it can be easy to give research a miss. Please don’t! Do your research and you could save yourself from an embarrassing situation at interview.
Understand the position you have applied for–
Everyone wants to be the perfect candidate and if you have applied for a position the chances are that you consider yourself fully capable of doing the job. However, please look over any information that you have relating to the position and understand this information fully. We advise that you are able to identify the necessary skills required within the position and match these skills to your own experiences.
Dress to impress -
When you are getting ready to attend an interview please be sure to select your clothing carefully. We advise that you steer clear of overly bright colours, strong perfume and excessive make-up. If you have any tattoos it is best to keep them covered and remove any visible body piercings if you can. It doesn’t matter if the position you are applying for does not require you to wear a shirt and tie, we advise that you should always dress smartly. This way you will be sure to create the correct first impression. Poor personal hygiene can seriously ruin your hopes at interview. This may seem amusing, however please make sure you are wearing clean clothes and have taken a shower prior to leaving home.
Know your directions–
Arriving 20 minutes late for an interview will not do you any favours. The last thing you want to be doing is running around at the last minute trying to find a map or spending ten minutes driving in the completely wrong direction. Utilise Google maps, bus/train timetables and traffic reports to plan how you are going to get to the interview well in advance.
Be on time-
If the unthinkable happens and you get lost or you are stuck in a traffic jam, always call to explain where you are and give an indication as to what time you think you will arrive. If you do the opposite and arrive very early you can easily read a book or go for a coffee. It is better to be an hour early than an hour late!
The first impression-
When arriving at an interview please be sure to give a quality handshake and smile. Be aware of your posture and body language when you sit down. We advise that you sit up straight in order to show the correct level of professionalism.
Techniques
Be confident-
In an interview you are effectively playing the role of a salesperson trying to sell a leading product in a highly competitive market. You should be able to demonstrate to the interviewer the clear benefits of employing you within the company. Remember you are a salesperson and no salesperson has ever been victorious under selling their product! You will be asked questions so be ready to answer them!
Don’t get distracted-
When questioned during interview always be sure to concentrate on the interviewer and the specific questions they are asking. If you are nervous it can be easy to lose focus and be distracted. If you are wearing jewellery or anything that can be fiddled with try to make a conscious effort to keep your hands away!
It is best to be honest-
If you are in an interview situation and you come across potential areas of concern, try to present whatever you are going to say in a positive way. If you have an issue with a past employer please be constructive and professional with your comments. Honesty is always the best policy but if you present your case in the wrong way this may do more harm than good!
If you are questioned about your ability to undertake a specific task and you know for sure that you don’t possess the necessary skills, we advise that you admit this as opposed to talking round it and trying to pretend that you can. If you can show that you are keen to learn and are honest with what you can and cannot do, this will demonstrate to the interviewer where training may be necessary.
Speak well–
When talking at an interview please try to remember that there is nothing wrong with pausing for a moment prior to answering a question. If the interviewer is talking under no circumstance cut them off! Always let them finish what they are saying and when it is your turn remember to be clear and concise with your answer. If you are nervous you may have a tendency to talk too fast, if this is the case be aware and try to slow down.
Asking questions–
We advise that you prepare three or four quality questions to ask at interview. If you ask these questions at the end of the interview, this will cement your interest in the company and the position you have applied for. Please do not, no matter how tempting it may be ask questions related to the salary as this could give a bad impression. When you apply for the role you should be aware of the salary range and be prepared to discuss salary after you have been offered the position.
Mind your manners–
This may seem straightforward to most people however just to be on the safe side always be conscious of your politeness to ensure you conduct yourself properly Always say please and thank you and if you know that you want the job, there is no harm in telling the interviewer how you feel. This will illustrate your desire and motivation to join the company!
Types of Interview
Before you attend an interview try to be aware of the type of interview you are going to be attending. This will make your preparation far easier!
Behavioural
This type of interview highlights your experience and your ability to be able to relate this experience to the position applied for. When preparing for this interview think of examples where you obtained great results and overcame challenges in the workplace. You may be asked: Could you describe a situation when you added value to a team? Can you give me an example of a time when you dealt with conflict at work?
Situational
If you are asked situational questions at interview these can quite often be centred around the key responsibilities highlighted on the job description. You may be asked a theoretical question which assesses your ability to react if put in a certain situation within the position you are applying for. This type of interview is quite similar to a behavioural interview except you are asked to think what you would do in the future as opposed to what you did in the past.
Unstructured
An unstructured interview will rarely be used as a first interview as this type of interview tends to focus on personality to perhaps determine suitability to fit with a team. An unstructured interview is normally the final stage. It will normally take the form of a conversation where your previous work history will be discussed. You will expected to keep the conversation flowing and be able to ask appropriate questions throughout.
Group Assessment Centres
Group assessment interviews are very common when there are many suitable candidates for a given position. It is a very good way to compare and contrast candidates of similar abilities when they are asked the same questions in front of a group.
As a candidate ensure you ask plenty questions as this will show that you are interested in the chosen topic. It is advisable to give other candidates a chance so try not to ask too many! Another tip is to bring a notepad. This way you can write down areas of discussion as things can get quite complicated when everyone talks at once. This will also show that you appear organised and well prepared.
When involved in a discussion ensure that you have spoken to and made eye contact with the majority of the group at least once. This will demonstrate to the interviewers that you can easily get along with all types of people. The other candidates in the group may be offered the same job as you, so you should try to visualise whether you can see yourself working with these people. If you cannot, then maybe the job is not for you!.
Panel Interview
This interview is designed to put you under considerable pressure. You must be confident and make eye contact with the whole panel. As a guideline try to look at each member of the panel at least once or twice when answering each question. This will demonstrate confidence and an ability to present professionally. You will normally be interviewed by several people within the company, perhaps a Sales Manager, an HR Manager and a Finance Manager. Each person will want to ask questions that relate directly to them so be prepared to tackle questions from all angles.
Sound challenging?
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