Interview Preparation Guide !
We are keen to provide you with all the support you need to perform at your best during your upcoming interview with our client and have outlined below a number of tools and techniques that you may find useful. Remember that there are two key elements to successful interviewing – preparation and enthusiasm.
Before the Interview
Preparation is essential as it will help you to be more confident and create a better first impression.
Here are some tips on interview preparation:
* Ensure your consultant has provided you with a detailed understanding of the position description, the team environment and the organization
* Conduct additional research regarding the organization through reading annual reports and researching on the internet
* Make sure you know exactly where you’re going, who you're going to see -have the interviewer's name, correct pronunciation and title
* Dress conservatively and pay attention to your grooming
* Spend time reviewing your resume/experience and its relevance to the position description. Identify the specific examples in your background that are directly relevant to the position description and demonstrate your ability to do the job - write these down to help you remember them
* Refresh your memory regarding details of present and past employers and your work history in their companies - pay particular attention to how you will describe your most important achievements
* Be prepared to convey to the interviewer why this role appeals to you, why they should consider you for this role and what makes you a bit different from other candidates
* Prepare the questions YOU will ask during the interview. Remember that an interview is a two-way process. The employer will try to determine through questioning if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must determine whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek and has the culture in which you will be comfortable working. Here are some examples of questions you might ask:
* What would a normal day in this role look like?
* Why is the position open?
* How would you describe your organization's culture?
* What sort of people have done well in this team/organization?
* What does the person in this job need to do to be considered successful?
* How well do you think I match the requirements of the role?
Competency Based Interviews
Competency based interviews are the most prevalent style of interviewing. Also known as behavioural interviewing, this style requires you to draw on past experience and describe specific examples of incidents that demonstrate your competence in a particular area. Ask your consultant to explain this further and help you with some particular examples if you are unsure.
Remember that you are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to hire somebody – not because they want to trip you up or embarrass you. Through the interaction that takes place during the interview, they will be searching out your strong and weak points, evaluating you on your qualifications, skills and intellectual qualities and they will probably probe deeply to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity.
Your Style and Behaviour
During your interview, the employer will be evaluating your total performance, not just your answers. Listed below are some factors and mannerisms that will usually produce a positive reaction from a prospective employer.
1. Interested, balanced approach
2. Ability to express thoughts clearly
3. Career planning and objectives
4. Confidence
5. Informative replies
6. Tact, maturity, courtesy
7. Maintenance of eye contact
8. Firm handshake
9. Intelligent questions about the job
10.Preparation and knowledge of the company/industry
11.Enthusiasm for the role and the organization
12.Positive, ‘can-do’ attitude
General Tips
Do:
• Plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early - late arrival for a job interview is never excusable
• Do what you normally do to calm yourself - have a glass of water, go to the toilet, relax your breathing
• Greet the interviewer by their name
• Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair, look alert and interested at all times. Smile!
• Maintain eye contact
• Be a good listener as well as a good talker
• Be yourself and let your personality show while still maintaining professionalism
•Follow the interviewer’s leads but try to get them to describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview so that you can relate your background and skills to the position
•Make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner. It is up to you to sell yourself to an interviewer and to make them realize the need for you in their organization
•Always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on an opportunity. It is better to be in the position where you can choose from a number of jobs rather than only one
Don’t:
• Answer questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Explain whenever possible. Tell those things about yourself which relate to the position
• Lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as much to the point as possible
• Ever make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies
• ‘Over-answer’ questions or talk too much - most answers during the interview should be about one-to-two minutes long
• Use coarse or inappropriate language
• Let your discouragement show. If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don’t show discouragement or alarm. Occasionally an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction
• Enquire about salary, bonuses, or holidays at the first interview unless you are positive the employer is interested in hiring you and raises the issue first. However, you should know your market value and be prepared to specify your required salary or range
Closing the Interview
1. If you are interested in the position, make sure you tell the interviewer that and ask what the next steps in the process will be
2. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration of you.
You have done all you can if you have answered the two questions uppermost in their mind:
• Why are you interested in the job and the company?
• What can you offer and can you do the job?
After the Interview
Immediately after the interview, call the consultant who referred you to the position and describe how the meeting went. They will want to talk with you before the interviewer calls and will appreciate the courtesy of your feedback. If you are interested in progressing further it will assist if your feelings towards the position are known, together with your perception of what the client’s reaction is likely to be.
Don't forget to let your consultant know if you later change your mind about this opportunity or decide to accept a position with another company.
