The Interview
Although the interview is probably one of the least reliable ways of assessing an individual's ability to perform in the workplace, it is still the traditional way in which most employers make their final choice about who is to be offered work. It is therefore essential that you learn some of the basic rules of winning the interview.

PREPARATION:
Preparation is the key to a successful interview so ensure that you follow these key steps before you go into your interview with a prospective employer:
Know as much as you can about the organisation - our Consultants will provide you with a profile of the company and the department or area your position is within - make sure that you read it - the company know that you have been given this information. Do some research on the company yourself - the Internet and the library both offer a wealth of information such as company profiles, annual reports and press releases. You should be aware of any special projects or ventures the company has recently been involved in or is about to embark upon.
Know as much as you can about the actual position you are being interviewed for - Our Consultants will provide you with a Job Description outlining the main duties and responsibilities of the position. Go through the job description and map out how your skills and experience match the responsibilities of the job - you are likely to be asked questions about what you have got to offer against the requirements of the job.
Anticipate the questions you are likely to be asked by your interviewers - There are a number of stock questions that you should have answers prepared for, these include:
  • Why did you choose this particular industry/career?
  • What is it about our company that attracted you?
  • What do you want to be doing five years from now?
  • How do I manage to get the very best from you?
  • What do you enjoy most about your current position?
  • What do you dislike about your current position?
  • What is your major strength?
  • What are you not so good at (weaknesses)?
  • What does teamwork mean to you?
  • What entrepreneurial activities have you been engaged in?
  • What skills can you bring to the organisation?
  • Why should we employ you?
  • What will your boss say when you hand your notice in?
It is important when preparing your responses that you do two things:
  • Back up your statements with factual examples - In response to a question about your strengths don't just give a list - give examples e.g. I feel that I am good at developing new teams because when I joined Jo Bloggs in 1998 there was no sales team, over the last 18 months I have taken on 4 new staff and sales have increased by 60%. I believe that this is due largely to the team development plan I put in place - this involved ............
  • Try to make sure that your answers are pointing to the requirements of the job - For example the job you have applied for is with a company who prides itself on customer care. In response to a question about what you least like about your current job you might say 'Whilst I appreciate that we have targets to meet, I find the focus solely upon the number of calls I have answered frustrating - I like to listen to what my customer is saying to ensure that I have answered all their concerns before I move on to the next call, at times I feel that this element of our service isn't valued as much as the number of calls I have answered'
Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer - It is essential that the interview is not a one way process - He who asks the questions is in control !!!! An applicant who has done their background research well and asks a few relevant questions will stand out and be remembered. Do not ask questions about salary at this stage - you should already have an indication from the Consultant of the salary band, and if there is room for manoeuvre this can be discussed once a job offer has been made. Areas to ask questions on include:
  • Detailed information of the position - e.g. key challenges for the first six months, reason the position is available.
  • Induction and training programme.
  • Potential career development opportunities.
  • Company and department growth plans.
THE INTERVIEW:
Taking Control of the Interview:

It is important that you try to take control of the interview this is done by careful preparation and asking questions. If you have done your preparation carefully you should have little problem in answering the questions posed. The trick to taking control of the interview is to follow up your answer with a question of your own. For example if you are asked 'What do you enjoy most about your current position?' You could say 'I find talking to potential new clients to identify their requirements really rewarding as it enables me to tailor make a package specifically for them. I wonder, could you tell me a little bit more about how your organisation deals with non-standard client requests?'

By using this technique you will be able to direct which way the questioning goes. This will allow you to play to your strengths, as opposed to exposing any weaknesses that you may have in relation to the particular position. By asking intelligent, well researched questions you will also be able to really identify the interviewers needs and be able to offer yourself as the solution, rather than launching into an unfocused sales pitch about how generally great you are at everything and anything.

Answering Tough Interview Questions:

Certain interview questions will be designed by the interviewer to catch you off guard and make you think on your feet - so how do you prepare for such questions? Expect to be asked questions which are not directly related to your current sphere of knowledge or experience. These questions are designed to test your comprehension, analysis and evaluation. You may find that you interviewer comes back with a different viewpoint. Don't panic - it doesn't mean you've got it wrong - generally these types of questions do not have a right or a wrong answer, and your interviewer is likely to be testing your ability to justify your answer and your ability to maintain your position.

Other questions may be made up of two parts. Here your interviewer is testing your ability to distinguish and adequately address both parts. You should think through your response to ensure that you have covered both parts adequately - giving a good response to the first part of the question and forgetting the second part will not give the impression of a candidate who is able to effectively handle more than issue simultaneously.

A favourite question to ask is one on current affairs. Here the interviewer is looking for a general awareness of the wider world and your ability to justify an opinion. Ensure that you read the quality press in preparation for your interview, and in particular look out for issues that may affect your interviewers company in some way. This means that a) you won't be caught out if you are asked a question on it in the interview and b) you can ask the question 'I was reading about ********* in the paper last week and I was wondering how it is likely to affect *********'

If the interviewer does ask a question that stumps you, or that you hadn't thought of, take your time before replying. A thoughtful and considered reply will impress your interviewer much more than a quick, garbled response which you then find hard to backup. If you do need time to think tell the interviewer by saying 'That is an interesting question, Let me take a moment to think how best to respond'. You will buy yourself valuable thinking time and appear confident and in control. Don't just sit there - your interviewer will assume that nerves have got the better of you. Sometimes, even when you have thought for a while you may still not be able to answer the question, as it is not very clear what is being asked of you. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification, it is better to ask and give an appropriate reply than to muddle through and find you haven't really addressed the question.
The Difficult Interviewer:

If you are faced with an interviewer who seems aggressive or difficult, remain calm, pleasant and professional throughout. They may simply be trying to see how you react to pressure etc. Don't let them throw you - a smile can often have a positive effect on even the most hardened of interviewers.

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The Interview
Although the interview is probably one of the least reliable ways of assessing an individual's ability to perform in the workplace, it is still the traditional way in which most employers make their final choice about who is to be offered work. It is therefore essential that you learn some of the basic rules of winning the interview.

PREPARATION:
Preparation is the key to a successful interview so ensure that you follow these key steps before you go into your interview with a prospective employer:
Know as much as you can about the organisation - our Consultants will provide you with a profile of the company and the department or area your position is within - make sure that you read it - the company know that you have been given this information. Do some research on the company yourself - the Internet and the library both offer a wealth of information such as company profiles, annual reports and press releases. You should be aware of any special projects or ventures the company has recently been involved in or is about to embark upon.
Know as much as you can about the actual position you are being interviewed for - Our Consultants will provide you with a Job Description outlining the main duties and responsibilities of the position. Go through the job description and map out how your skills and experience match the responsibilities of the job - you are likely to be asked questions about what you have got to offer against the requirements of the job.
Anticipate the questions you are likely to be asked by your interviewers - There are a number of stock questions that you should have answers prepared for, these include:
  • Why did you choose this particular industry/career?
  • What is it about our company that attracted you?
  • What do you want to be doing five years from now?
  • How do I manage to get the very best from you?
  • What do you enjoy most about your current position?
  • What do you dislike about your current position?
  • What is your major strength?
  • What are you not so good at (weaknesses)?
  • What does teamwork mean to you?
  • What entrepreneurial activities have you been engaged in?
  • What skills can you bring to the organisation?
  • Why should we employ you?
  • What will your boss say when you hand your notice in?
It is important when preparing your responses that you do two things:
  • Back up your statements with factual examples - In response to a question about your strengths don't just give a list - give examples e.g. I feel that I am good at developing new teams because when I joined Jo Bloggs in 1998 there was no sales team, over the last 18 months I have taken on 4 new staff and sales have increased by 60%. I believe that this is due largely to the team development plan I put in place - this involved ............
  • Try to make sure that your answers are pointing to the requirements of the job - For example the job you have applied for is with a company who prides itself on customer care. In response to a question about what you least like about your current job you might say 'Whilst I appreciate that we have targets to meet, I find the focus solely upon the number of calls I have answered frustrating - I like to listen to what my customer is saying to ensure that I have answered all their concerns before I move on to the next call, at times I feel that this element of our service isn't valued as much as the number of calls I have answered'
Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer - It is essential that the interview is not a one way process - He who asks the questions is in control !!!! An applicant who has done their background research well and asks a few relevant questions will stand out and be remembered. Do not ask questions about salary at this stage - you should already have an indication from the Consultant of the salary band, and if there is room for manoeuvre this can be discussed once a job offer has been made. Areas to ask questions on include:
  • Detailed information of the position - e.g. key challenges for the first six months, reason the position is available.
  • Induction and training programme.
  • Potential career development opportunities.
  • Company and department growth plans.
THE INTERVIEW:
Taking Control of the Interview:

It is important that you try to take control of the interview this is done by careful preparation and asking questions. If you have done your preparation carefully you should have little problem in answering the questions posed. The trick to taking control of the interview is to follow up your answer with a question of your own. For example if you are asked 'What do you enjoy most about your current position?' You could say 'I find talking to potential new clients to identify their requirements really rewarding as it enables me to tailor make a package specifically for them. I wonder, could you tell me a little bit more about how your organisation deals with non-standard client requests?'

By using this technique you will be able to direct which way the questioning goes. This will allow you to play to your strengths, as opposed to exposing any weaknesses that you may have in relation to the particular position. By asking intelligent, well researched questions you will also be able to really identify the interviewers needs and be able to offer yourself as the solution, rather than launching into an unfocused sales pitch about how generally great you are at everything and anything.

Answering Tough Interview Questions:

Certain interview questions will be designed by the interviewer to catch you off guard and make you think on your feet - so how do you prepare for such questions? Expect to be asked questions which are not directly related to your current sphere of knowledge or experience. These questions are designed to test your comprehension, analysis and evaluation. You may find that you interviewer comes back with a different viewpoint. Don't panic - it doesn't mean you've got it wrong - generally these types of questions do not have a right or a wrong answer, and your interviewer is likely to be testing your ability to justify your answer and your ability to maintain your position.

Other questions may be made up of two parts. Here your interviewer is testing your ability to distinguish and adequately address both parts. You should think through your response to ensure that you have covered both parts adequately - giving a good response to the first part of the question and forgetting the second part will not give the impression of a candidate who is able to effectively handle more than issue simultaneously.

A favourite question to ask is one on current affairs. Here the interviewer is looking for a general awareness of the wider world and your ability to justify an opinion. Ensure that you read the quality press in preparation for your interview, and in particular look out for issues that may affect your interviewers company in some way. This means that a) you won't be caught out if you are asked a question on it in the interview and b) you can ask the question 'I was reading about ********* in the paper last week and I was wondering how it is likely to affect *********'

If the interviewer does ask a question that stumps you, or that you hadn't thought of, take your time before replying. A thoughtful and considered reply will impress your interviewer much more than a quick, garbled response which you then find hard to backup. If you do need time to think tell the interviewer by saying 'That is an interesting question, Let me take a moment to think how best to respond'. You will buy yourself valuable thinking time and appear confident and in control. Don't just sit there - your interviewer will assume that nerves have got the better of you. Sometimes, even when you have thought for a while you may still not be able to answer the question, as it is not very clear what is being asked of you. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification, it is better to ask and give an appropriate reply than to muddle through and find you haven't really addressed the question.
The Difficult Interviewer:

If you are faced with an interviewer who seems aggressive or difficult, remain calm, pleasant and professional throughout. They may simply be trying to see how you react to pressure etc. Don't let them throw you - a smile can often have a positive effect on even the most hardened of interviewers.

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