Emily
Gohl from Recruit4health explains how to prepare yourself for your interview
Proper
Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Good preparation is
a key part to having a successful interview beginning with knowing the names
and job titles of the people interviewing you.
One of the most
important things you can do is prepare answers to questions you may potentially
get asked... also rehearse them out loud. This will make you feel more
confident and prepared when you walk into the interview room.
It is always a good
idea to plan the route to your interview to make sure you give a good
impression of being punctual. Find out directions as well as information on
parking if you are driving or the nearest railway station or bus stop. If due
to unforeseen circumstances you know you are going to be late contact the
company to inform them of your expected arrival time and let the agency know
you have done this. When you arrive ensure you apologise immediately and
explain your reasons.
Interview
Questions
Interview questions
may vary but in essence they are all trying to establish the following:
- Your skills and
experience to do the job
- Your enthusiasm and
interest for the job
- Whether you will
fit in
If you can answer
these questions, using real-life examples to illustrate your points, then you
should be able to answer most of the questions that arise including the
following frequently asked questions.
1. Tell me about yourself?
This question or
something similar usually starts every interview. Your answer should be
well-rehearsed, confidently delivered and last between 3-5 minutes.
This is
your opportunity to sell yourself and your answer doesn't have any
boundaries.
Remember they want to hear you speak and gauge just how confident
you are. It is your chance to sell yourself!
You need to:
- Focus on the areas
of most relevance to the job in question i.e.: key skills
- Include some
impressive achievements e.g. improvements made that could be relevant to the
job you are interviewing for
- Convey your
enthusiasm for the job
- Avoid going into
too much detail on personal or irrelevant information e.g. your children,
un-related jobs
2.
What are your key skills/strengths?
This is one of the
most difficult questions to answer and we would recommend planning and
rehearsing an answer to this prior to your interview so that you know exactly
what to say.
Focus on what you know they are looking for, even if it has been a smaller part
of what you have been doing to date.
The job advert or person specification
form will give you the information you need about their requirements.
3. What are your weaknesses?
Again, this is a
very difficult question and you need to plan and rehearse this prior to an
interview.
Do not say that you do not have any weaknesses and do not give any cliché
answers such as: “I get bored easily”
Choose a weakness
that:
- Doesn't matter for
the job e.g. languages for a UK firm.
- Is a positive e.g.
"I like to make things happen and get frustrated if too long is spent
sitting around discussing it without action"
- Used to be a
weakness but which you have improved upon e.g. presentations. This demonstrates
self awareness
4. Why did you
leave your last job?
Your answer should
be positive and upbeat even if the circumstances were difficult. If you were
made redundant, depersonalise it by talking about company restructuring rather
than your individual circumstance. Never criticise a previous employer no
matter how tempting.
5. Why do you
want this job?
Your answer should
reinforce why you are such a good fit for the job and then convey your
enthusiasm for the role e.g.
- good match between
your skills and their requirements
- interested in the
product/market/sector
- company's excellent
reputation, exciting challenge etc.
- Do
not say (even if it's true) that you just need a job, or you want it because
it's local.
6.
What are your career goals?
They are checking
if you are likely to stay and if so, for how long. Reassure the employer that
the role you are applying for fits your career plan and your longer term
commitment to the company.
7. What are your salary expectations?
Salary negotiations
are best handled at the job offer stage so try to avoid this at interview if
you can. If forced to name a price, give a realistic but wide salary range and
say that you feel that salary won't be an issue if you decide to work together.
8. What do you
know about our organisation?
Do as much research
as you can. It is highly likely that you will get asked this question and
remember that “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” It will
also impress the interviewer if you refer back to research/knowledge on the
company in some of your other answers.
You need to know
the following:
- Company structure,
finances, products and services, key staff
- Customers and
competitors
- Market trends and
challenges
To find out that
information, check the company website, any industry related media, or
companies house.
Competency
Based Questions
In a Competency
Based Interview or Behavioural Job Interview, the company has decided what
skills are needed in the person they hire and will ask questions to find out if
the candidate has those skills.
Behavioural
interview questions will be more focused and specific than traditional
interview questions and you'll need to respond with specific examples of how
you handled situations in the workplace.
Review examples of the questions you
may be asked during a behavioral job interview and think about how you would
answer them.
Use the job description to get a clear idea on what key
competencies they require in a candidate, that way you'll be prepared ahead of
time, rather than having to think of a response on the spot during the
interview.
Ensure you get to
the point quickly, do not waffle.
The STAR technique will help you add
structure to your answer and ensure you cover all vital points so that you give
a top quality answer.
S = SITUATION. Here
you would briefly describe the situation you are going to base your answer on.
Set the scene.
T = TASK. Describe
what it was that you had to do. This section of your answer should flow quite
nicely when describing the situation.
A = ACTION. This is
the most important part of your answer. You need to talk about what YOU did to
successfully complete the task. Remember to show how you added value here, what
you achieved etc as this will show the employer what you could potentially do
for them.
R
= RESULT. Finally, what was the result of the task and your actions? Try and
make it a positive result or if it wasn’t, try and put a positive spin at the
end i.e: what you would do next time to achieve a better result.
Example question
could be:
Tell me about a
difficult scenario at work and how you dealt with it
Here they are
testing how you cope under pressure as well as your problem-solving and
communication skills.
Good examples are where you:
- helped resolve or
improve a difficult situation
- were resilient in
adverse conditions
- showed emotional
intelligence and cool-headedness
- Avoid
any examples which still feel sensitive, because in a high-pressure interview
situation, old emotions can easily resurface and throw you off balance. Always
remain positive.
- Other
questions could include:
- Give
an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem.
- Give
an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
- Give
an example of a goal you didn't meet and how you handled it.
- Describe
a stressful situation at work and how you handled it.
- Tell
me about how you worked effectively under pressure.
- How
do you handle a challenge?
- Have
you been in a situation where you didn't have enough work to do?
- Have
you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?
- Describe
a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled implementing it.
- Did
you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?
- Did
you ever postpone making a decision? Why?
- Have
you ever dealt with company policy you weren't in agreement with? How?
- Have
you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
- When
you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize?
- How
did you handle meeting a tight deadline?
- Give
an example of how you set goals and achieve them.
- What
do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle
it.
- Have
you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about?
How did you do it?
- Give
an example of how you worked on team.
- Have
you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
- What
do you do if you disagree with a co-worker?
- Share
an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers.
- Do
you listen? Give an example of when you did or when you didn't listen.
- Have
you handled a difficult situation with a supervisor? How?
- Have
you handled a difficult situation with another department? How?
- What
do you do if you disagree with your boss?
Questions to
ask at the end of your interview
Asking the employer
questions at the end of your interview confirms to them your interest in
working for their organisation and obviously is a good way for you to find out
more information.
It is always best
to go to your interview with around 5 questions prepared. Do be aware though
that some of your questions could get covered earlier on in the interview.
Some questions you
could think of asking could be:
1.
What
types of training opportunities can you offer?
This is one of the classic questions as it can highlight that you are keen to
advance your skills and add further value to a company.
2. Is
there a chance for promotion in the future?
This is another classic question, and in a similar vein. It can emphasise a
determination to make progress and to do so over the long term.
3. How
would you describe the work culture here?
Here you are signalling that you want to be able to operate at your optimum and
understand that for this you require a positive environment. In turn, this can
indicate you are a good self-manager who is aware of how to get the best out of
yourself.
4. In
what way is performance measured and reviewed?
This question can flag up that you appreciate the importance of delivering real
results. You can be seen to be someone who understands the value of commitment,
reliability and returns.
5. Do
you have any doubts about whether I am suited to this position?
This is a rather more brazen way of emphasising some of your strengths. It
suggests you are open to constructive criticism and willing to learn from the
experience of others. In addition, it gives you a real chance to address any
weaknesses the interviewee may think you have. Finally, it allows you to finish
on a high, re-stating why you think you are the right person.
Dress for
success
The first
impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. The
first judgement an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look. It
is always important to dress professionally, even if the work environment is
casual or requires a uniform.
Men's Interview
Attire
- Suit
(solid colour - navy or dark grey)
- Long
sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
- Belt
- Tie
- Dark
socks, conservative leather shoes
- Little
or no jewellery
- Neat,
professional hairstyle
- Limit
the aftershave
- Neatly
trimmed nails
Women's
Interview Attire
- Suit
(navy, black or dark grey)
- The
suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
- Coordinated
blouse
- Conservative
shoes
- Limited
jewellery (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
- Professional
hairstyle
- Light
make-up and perfume
- Neatly
manicured clean nails
CHECKLIST - Have
you?
- Researched
the Company
- Sorted
out what to wear
- Travel
Arrangements
- Prepared
some broad questions to ask the interviewer (try to avoid the salary question
unless prompted)
- Rehearsed
interview scenarios
- Confirmed
Date/Time/Location of Interview
- Printed
a copy of your CV and any relevant project work
- Got
a decent notebook and pen in case you would like to make notes
