Interview Preparation

The Job Interview Is A Business Meeting. From this meeting each participant will make judgments and decisions about the other. It is an applicant's chance to sell themselves and obtain first-hand knowledge of the position and the company. The employer will also be promoting the position and the company to the applicants, as well as trying to establish their strengths and weaknesses. Never forget, however, that a job interview is a competitive situation in which several other qualified candidates are vying for the same job.

Fail to Prepare; Prepare to Fail!

Being thoroughly prepared for an interview is the first step towards turning it into a successful one. It helps you to become more confident in selling yourself and your experience.

Predict likely questions and write down sample answers as part of your preparatory work. This will give you tremendous confidence in advance of the interview. In fact, there are very few situations/questions you cannot be prepared for. Based on the fact that the majority of interviews are competency based, writing down examples from the workplace as to how you have practically demonstrated the required competencies for a specific job is crucial.

Before Your Interview:

• Be informed about the company before the interview. The interviewer will want to learn what you know about the company and the job for which you are being interviewed. You must demonstrate your interest. It is always good to have positive things to say about the company who are interviewing you!
• If you know somebody who works in the company or who previously worked there, ask them about the company culture, philosophies and structure. With this additional knowledge you can then tailor your approach to the interview as appropriate.
• Research the job - interrogate the job specification and ensure you are confident in how you can demonstrate you are the best candidate but identifying the most relevant skills and experience required and making convincing parallels with your career to date.
• Know your CV! Be prepared for any question regarding your CV.
• Know the exact place and time of the interview along with the interviewer's name and title. It may sound like a given, but it’s always good to check out all the details such as the availability of parking etc. in advance. You want to be as relaxed as possible for the interview.
• It may be helpful (when engaging in conversation before or after the interview) to be up to date with current affairs. Listen the news and read the papers!

First impressions:

• It has been scientifically proven that first impressions in an interview situation do impact the outcome.
• A firm handshake gives a good first impression. This conveys that you are more assertive and even if you're not extroverted, you can be quietly confident.
• Smile and make eye contact.
• Try to avoid fidgeting or any other mannerisms.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Knowing what kind of questions you’ll be asked at your interview can be a real help. You won't be able to predict every question, but you can be prepared for most!

General Questions:

• How would you describe yourself?
• What influenced you to choose this career?
• How would your colleagues describe you?
• How would your boss describe you?
• Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

 

Questions about the company?:

• Do you know anything about this company?
• Why did you apply for the position?
• What suggestions do you have for our organization?

 

Questions about Goals and Achievements:

• Would you describe yourself as goal-driven?
• How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.
• What do you expect to be doing in five years time?

 

Behavioral Questions:

• How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict?
• How would you describe the culture in previous organisations you have worked with? Was it ‘every man for himself’ or was there ‘a genuine commitment to achieving group and individual objectives through teamwork’? Give examples.
• Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.
• Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. Why was this person difficult? How did you handle that person?
• Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it? What did you learn?
• Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
• Sometimes it's easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment.
• What is the biggest mistake you've made?

 

Challenging Questions:

• What is your greatest weakness?
• How do you react to criticism?
• How would your boss describe you?
• Why should we hire you?

 

Closing Questions:

• Have you any questions for us?

It’s best to have questions prepared in advance such as:

• What are the common characteristics of employees who excel in this position?
• What are the greatest challenges in this position?
• What is the next step in the process?

The interview is not the time to ask questions about salary, benefits, hours or holidays. Of course, only ask those questions which aren't answered during the course of the interview. If your prepared questions have already been answered during the interview use this as an opportunity to have the ‘final word’ for example: “I did have questions but you have already answered them during the interview. Perhaps I could just take the opportunity to say that I have a very high level of interest in this position and I do think I could do an excellent job for you based on my experience to date.

Communication Tips

Be enthusiastic
Speak clearly and enthusiastically about your experience and skills.

Be professional, bright and personable
don't be afraid to let your personality shine through.

Listen carefully
You certainly want to be able to answer the question that was just asked of you. Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat the question if you are unsure of what was said first time.

Always be positive.
Avoid being critical of your past position or employer, even if it is warranted.

Be aware of the importance of nonverbal communication.
Smile as you are greeted. Make eye contact during the course of the interview. Sit up straight and control nervous habits.

Dress Conservatively
An interview is not the time to make a fashion statement! Always err on the side of being conservatively and smartly dressed when attending an interview.

How to react to Tough Questions:

Typically if you are getting a grilling, the interviewer is interested in you. The tougher the questions, the better you are doing. Stay calm and keep your answers relevant and crisp. The more prepared you are the most confident you will be.

Second Interviews:

First interviews can often be screening interview and are about getting a feel for a candidate and allowing recruiters to make a short list possibly for the review of the Hiring Manager. If you have passed this stage, the next stage may involve some form of psychometric testing.

Second interviews usually involve people you could be working closely with, your potential boss, colleagues etc. Second interviews are typically much tougher, the interviewers probe in a more in-depth fashion and you may be asked some thorny questions. For this reason it is critical you prepare for a second interview as well as the first.

Remember you are now up against tough opposition. Many candidates become blasé at this point, thinking that once they have passed the first interview they are well positioned.

Don't make this mistake.

Think about industry issues, technical questions if applicable, salary expectations and why you are the best candidate for the job. Try and find out who will be interviewing you.

Additional Selection Methods

It is very common for employers to use additional selection methods to assist in their selection process. These methods are used to compliment the interview process and are rarely if ever used as the primary selection tool. Please see examples of additional selection methods below.

Psychometric Tests
Psychometric tests are a series of questions, problems, or practical tasks that provide a measurement of aspects of somebody's personality, knowledge, ability, or experience. Tests are used in recruitment, to ascertain whether or not a candidate is likely to be a good fit for a job. It is not possible to prepare for psychometric tests.

Aptitude Tests
Aptitude tests are a measure of a person's natural ability or potential to learn a skill or set of skills. Abilities that are typically measured by aptitude tests include abstract, verbal, and numerical reasoning, because these give a rounded view of a person's general ability in relation to the workplace. It would be prudent to prepare for aptitude tests by practicing similar verbal/numerical tests etc. in advance.

Group Discussions
Typically, a group of candidates are presented with a topic and give a period to prepare for a discussion on this topic. Group discussions can be used to assess: listening skills, oral communication, team-work, problem-solving, leadership and influencing skills. It is wise to participate fully from the outset of the discussion but don’t dominate. Demonstrate your ability to listen to others and be objective but show you can be persuasive and effective when required.

Role Play
A Role Play is an exercise in which you pretend to be in a particular situation and can often be used to examine how you deal with problems and handle a real situation. Think of examples of how you have: managed conflict, worked under pressure, handled a problem etc.

A Final Word on Interviews

Be Prepared!

• Interrogate the job description - be clear on the ‘must-have’ elements.
• Identify relevant skills and competencies.
• Understand the Culture

Be yourself. Candidates who are enthusiastic, sincere and tactful, and who can demonstrate how they fit in, will be most effective.

 

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