Interviews Preparing to Succeed

Transcription

1 Interviews Preparing to Succeed Here s the Good News! Most interviews follow pretty much the same format regardless of what the job or the company is. What most interviewers are concerned about can be categorised as follows: Your Motivation Your Previous Decisions Your Self-Awareness Your Skills/Competencies Your Business Awareness Preparation is Key! Most people find interviews a bit daunting however, you can put yourself in the best possible position to succeed if you put the effort in before you even walk through the door of the interviewer s office! Below is a series of things that you need to have clear in your mind so that you are able to convince an employer that you are the best candidate for the role. Make 3 Lists! Begin your preparation by creating 3 lists that will help you to answer about 50% of the questions you will be asked at the interview. List 1: Give examples of any strengths/assets you have that you believe will add value to both the role and to the organisation as a whole Make sure that you use the job description and person specification as a reference point Try to include things that are unique to you Only give examples that you can easily back up with evidence

2 List 2: What reasons do you have for wanting to work for this organisation? Make sure that you supply reasons that are personal to you do not simply state facts about the company! Make sure that your reasons for wanting to work for that particular organisation cannot easily be applied to another similar company Base your reasons on things such as what the company does; how they do it; who they do it for; how they value their staff; how they value the environment the operate in etc. List 3: What has made you decide to apply for a job in this particular field? Think carefully about why this career path interests you in terms of the role it performs Focus on how your skills and interests match those required for the job Describe how the professional development offered by the job matches your ambitions think about further training or studying towards professional exams

3 Typical Question Types Why did you decide to..? Very often an employer will be keen to find out why you made particular choices at various stages of your life so far. The most common questions in this area include, Why did you decide to study your degree subject? Why did you choose Heriot-Watt? Why have you decided to embark on a career as an.? Decision Making: Any decision making question can be answered using the following structure 1. First you need to talk about what decision needed to be made and why 2. Next, talk about what factors were most important to you when considering the possible alternatives 3 Talk about how you actually investigates what possible options were open to you 4.. Talk about how you narrowed down all possible options to a shortlist 5. Finally, talk about what it was about the option you eventually did decide upon that made it better than the alternatives Make sure that you make it clear what was important to you in terms of the outcome of this decision Make sure you give a good account of how you investigated and weighed up the potential options Make it clear exactly why option A was more attractive to you than options B & C. What are your weaknesses? This is a question that often throws candidates during an interview. The main problem is that most people think that it is a trick question designed to catch you out and expose you as an unsuitable for the role! The actual reason that employers ask this question is to find out how aware you are of your development needs and to be sure that you have considered how to deal with this. Your Weaknesses: Try to consider any question relates to your weaknesses along the following lines 1. Think about what you would like to include in any training plan that the company might put in place for you and highlight: What skill are you would like to develop further Why will this be useful to you in the role What form this training/skills development might take Make sure that you avoid talking about skills that are central to carrying out the role!!

4 Tell me about a time when you..? Now we get to the heart of any competency based interview describing your skills/competencies in a way that clearly demonstrates you have the required skills and you know why they are important to the job you have applied for Competency Questions: Any competency can be demonstrated using the following structure 1. First you need to talk about a SPECIFIC event that best demonstrates you using the competency in question to best effect 2. Next, talk about what the TASK was and what you were trying to achieve as an outcome 3 Now the really important bit! What ACTIONS did you take to ensure that the task in question was achieved successfully? 4. Finally, talk about the RESULT of your actions and how you were sure that you were successful in dealing with the situation you chose to use as the example You can remember how to structure your answer using the STAR acronym Make the ACTIONS part of your answer the most detailed Try to use examples that are unique to you and avoid describing events that could easily be replicated by most other candidates Business Awareness Most companies will expect you to demonstrate evidence of your awareness of the main issues affecting that organisation in the short and longer terms, the key issues that affect the business sector you hope to be employed in and the implications of current big changes affecting the world of commerce and industry. Commercial Acumen: The following are some suggestions to help you keep up to date with current developments 1. Read the business and financial pages of quality newspapers and industry journals 2. Think about what makes the organisation you are applying to successful in its field 3 Think about a successful company you know and try to identify what makes it stand out from its competitors As well as the more well known names, you can also talk about the company you have worked for part-time whilst studying at university as you should have good knowledge about how they go about their business; their market; their products/services; their competitors etc.

5 General Information What do I need to know about? You need to know about the employer The employer usually wants to find out what you know about them and why you want to work for their company in particular. Of course, it may be that they are only one of a number of organisations you would like to work for. You need to convince them, however, that you have applied to them because of the match between the skills and experience you can offer them and the career prospects they can offer you. Read through whatever information you can get on the organisation such as their website, Annual Report and publicity materials. Research what the company does, its size and structure, corporate plans, general ethos and competitors. Read the relevant press to find out what is happening in the sector/industry generally. You need to know about the job. You need to know as much about the job as possible in order to assess your suitability for it. Then you need to plan how you will show an employer how your degree, work experience, skills, interests and aptitudes match their requirements. Analyse the person specification, if one is given. If not, look at the job description or advert and deduce what skills would be required to perform the main tasks. If neither is provided, your university careers service will usually have generic job descriptions which will describe what the job entails. By identifying what is required, you will be able to prepare for the interview by anticipating questions. You need to know about yourself Having identified the key skills the employer is looking for, analyse your work, academic and social experience and choose examples you can use to demonstrate you have the required skills. You will already have done this to some extent in your CV or application form. Think how you will explain why you want that job with that particular employer. What other questions might they ask me? You cannot predict all the questions you will be asked but, by reading through the job description/person specification and your CV/application form, you can usually anticipate some of them. The main emphasis of the questions is likely to be why you want this job and why the employer should recruit you. To make comparisons between the candidates, therefore, the interviewer will ask questions which focus on specific skills and experiences which are relevant to the vacancy. Even if you are being interviewed for a technical job, expect questions which are designed to assess your personal and business skills. Below is a list of other frequently asked questions at interview. Q. What have you gained from your course? A. Try to include the following in your answer: Subject knowledge relevant to the vacancy Relevant technical skills e.g. lab skills, programming Intellectual/analytical skills e.g. problem-solving Personal skills e.g. team work, giving presentations, time management Q. What subjects or aspects did you not enjoy or find most difficult? A. Be careful here this is not the place to air your grievances about your course! Try and be positive about your course even if you had problems or did not enjoy it. Make sure the number of subjects you liked outnumber those you enjoyed less. Bear in mind the most relevant subjects to the job when stating your likes and dislikes. Say why you enjoyed particular subjects more than others e.g. more applied, team based.

6 Q. Why did you change course/have resits? A. If you changed course, had resits or any other problem, it is better to be honest but try to give a positive answer. Emphasise the appeal of the course you changed to rather than criticise your previous course/university. Explain how you identified and dealt with the problem that caused you to have a resit and give evidence of a successful outcome. Q. Tell me about your dissertation/project. A. If your project is relevant, go into some detail but don t get too technical if the interviewer does not have background knowledge of your subject. If your project is not relevant to the vacancy, however, focus more on the skills you demonstrated such as problem solving. Convey a methodical, organised approach by explaining how you: Defined the problem Managed and planned your time Researched information Reviewed your progress at regular intervals Overcame unexpected problems Achieved a positive result Analysed the implications of your findings Learnt from the experience Q. What degree do you expect to get (if you are a current student)? A. Be honest but positive. They may well ask your academic referee about your predicted degree classification or ask for your grades to date. If applying during the final year of your degree, job offers tend to be conditional on your achieving a particular degree classification. Q. What have you gained from your work experience? A. If you are fortunate enough to have had relevant work experience, be prepared to describe what you achieved in some detail. Emphasise the benefits of being able to put theory into practice and the insight you have gained into that field of work. Don t worry, however, if your work experience is not directly relevant. Most jobs enable you to develop a wide range of personal skills. Take, for example, a job in a fast food restaurant. This can provide evidence of: Working as part of a team Dealing with customers Working under pressure Presenting a professional and friendly image Mention anything which proves you did a good job e.g. achievements or promotions. Q. Tell me about yourself A. With this request, employers are usually looking for a short biography e.g. Where you are from Where you went to school Where you went to University and what you studied A summary of your work experience Your leisure interests Highlight your achievements e.g. a 2.1/First, promotion at work or team captain.

7 On the day of the Interview Travel Give yourself plenty of time to get there. Confirm where the interview is being held. Decide how you will get there and the time it will take Take contact details for the company in case of unavoidable delays. Decide what you need to take with you. Dress Code Personal presentation is crucial to the image you convey Think how people dress in the sector you have applied for. In general, it s best to be conventional so wear a suit or smart separates. Mental Preparation Practise positive thinking. Have a copy of your CV or application with you and focus on your key strengths and achievements. Picture yourself doing well and turn any negative thoughts into positive ones. Try simple relaxation techniques such as taking a few deep breaths. The format Interviews can vary in format from what seems like a casual chat to a formal structured panel interview with several interviewers. Increasingly, employers are conducting competency or criterion based interviews by assessing your ability in specific skills. They do this by asking for examples of when you have demonstrated these skills previously. Whatever the format, your preparation and performance should be the same in all instances as the purpose of the interview is always the same. The interview could last from twenty minutes to more than an hour. At the interview Be polite and friendly to everyone you meet from the moment you arrive until you leave. First impressions are crucial so smile as you greet people, look like you re pleased to be there and reasonably relaxed even if you re not. Give a firm handshake if one is offered and sit only when invited to do so. Speak up; talk clearly and at a moderate pace. Be aware of body language so avoid crossing your arms or legs, slouching or leaning too far back in the chair. Lean slightly forward to show you are giving the interviewer your full attention but don t invade their personal space. Use hand gestures in moderation so that they don t distract from what you are saying. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If there is more than one interviewer, speak mainly to the person who asked the question but don t ignore the others. Try to build rapport so the interviewer enjoys interviewing you. Be yourself rather than putting on an act. Emphasise the positive aspects of your personality and try to sound enthusiastic. Make certain you understand what the interviewer is asking. If you are not sure, ask them for clarification to avoid misunderstandings. Make sure you answer the question asked and all subsequent parts of it. Don t get too technical or use jargon unless your interviewer is from the same technical background. Give full detailed answers, using relevant examples as evidence of the required skills but avoid waffling. Try and give evidence that not only did you do something but you did it well e.g. a good grade for a group project or a promotion at your part time job. Always relate your answers to the job description/person specification and reflect the skills and language used in them.

8 Keep your answers positive and try not to criticise people or organisations. Always focus on the relevant benefits of your past experience. If you can t think of an immediate answer to a difficult or unexpected question, ask if you can come back to it later rather than waffling. Make sure you know what your key relevant skills and experiences are and include them in your answers. You can control the interview to some extent by the leads you give e.g. In addition I did a project on X, if you would like to hear about that. Follow the interviewers visual cues. If they appear interested, give a more detailed answer. If they look impatient or bored, however, it might be wise to bring that particular answer to a close. If you are not sure whether you have gone into enough detail you could ask them if they d like you to elaborate. It s usually a good idea to bring material into the interview with you, such as your CV or a list of questions, but ask first and don t constantly refer to it. Don t put yourself down or volunteer any weaknesses unnecessarily. Don t brag or be too arrogant but, on the other hand, don t be too modest either. Prove you can do the job by the evidence you give them. Honesty is always the best policy. If you get caught out lying, they will wonder if you re trustworthy or if they can believe anything else you ve said. Your career will get off to a bad start if you claim you can do something you can t at your interview and then get found out once you have been appointed. Your Questions This is your chance to ask questions about the job or the company that have not been already covered during the interview. It is a good idea to prepare a few questions in advance. As part of your research into the company, write down questions that you would want to ask the employer to clarify particular aspects of the job and to help you decide whether this job with this company would suit you. Some of your questions may be covered during the interview but, if all of them are answered and nothing naturally comes to mind at the end of the interview, it is probably better not to ask any questions. Emphasise, however, that all your questions have been answered during the interview. It is important to work out your own questions based on what you need to know. Areas you might want to consider include: The organisation - current projects, future developments. The job - what you would be doing on a day to day basis, typical projects and timescales. Training - what opportunities there would be for new graduates, support for professional exams/chartered training, mentoring or appraisal systems. Colleagues - who you would be working with, who would supervise you. Location - where you would be based, how much travel would be involved/mobility. Prospects/salary - criteria for promotion, opportunities for specialisation or moving to other departments within the company. It is not usually a good idea to ask about salary, especially if this is the only question you ask. If salaries are not discussed during the interview or stated elsewhere, there would an opportunity to negotiate when a job offer is made. Notification of the outcome of the interview ask the interviewer when a decision is likely to be made or what the next stage of the selection process will be. Make sure you don t ask the interviewers anything you could have found out from the information available to you. On the other hand, don t embarrass them by asking anything too technical or obscure. Closing End on an upbeat note by thanking them for their time. Look back on your interview performance and think what you can learn from it. If you are successful at the first interview, you will either be offered a job or you will be invited to a second interview or an assessment centre and the preparation starts all over again!