HOW DO I HANDLE AN INTERVIEW?

Transcription

1 Interview techniques Nivison House, 31 Prospect Hill, Douglas, Isle of Man. IM1 1QS Telephone: (01624) Fax: (01624) Web Site: HOW DO I HANDLE AN INTERVIEW? If you successfully complete your form, covering letter and C.V., you may be invited to attend an interview. Now you need to prepare for the interview and impress your potential employer. Background work Find out about the employer, what products or services they offer, where they are based, whether they are a part of a UK company or just a local company. Ring the company and ask for an information pack on the services they offer and check if they have a website as this is a good source of information. If you have any problems, come to the JobCentre office and ask a member of our staff to help you find out information about the company. Try to find out the answers to the following questions: What does the company do/make/sell? Who are their customers? What sort of organisation are they? Financial information; turnover, profits? What will the job involve? What sort of person do you think they are looking for? Plan for the interview The following are some examples which may be asked at an interview. Some suggestions are given which you may use to prepare your own answers. 1. What do you know about our company? This will be where you impress the interviewer; they will assume you know nothing about the company. If you have done your preparation correctly then tell them what you know about their company. Don t be afraid to bring notes, as you can t be expected to know everything about the company. 2. Why do you want to work there? Mention that the company has a good reputation, any training which may be on offer and that it will give you a chance to do work which interests you. 3. What qualities and experience do you have to offer the company? This should have been highlighted in your covering letter together with your C.V. (you should have taken a copy of the letter before sending it in). Your interviewer will have a copy in front of them; you need to match what you said in the letter.

2 4. What are your strengths? Generally what you are good at, followed by an example if you can. Keep it to professional strengths mainly, but social strengths can be included, i.e. "I am a good team player, I play football for Peel" or "I am very punctual, in fact I have never been late for work in the last 10 years." You may wish to use words such as: Punctual Reliable Trustworthy Organised Hardworking Numerical skills Good with customers Ability to work under pressure Computer skills 5. What are your weaknesses? Generally what you are not good at, but be very careful of this question. Don t use statements like I am no use in timekeeping, in fact I have been late for every shift for the past 10 years, this will turn the employer off giving you the job. Examples include, I sometimes take too much pride in my work and take longer than expected, I like to do a job once correctly than have to correct it at a later date." 6. Why did you leave your last job? Explain briefly and honestly the reasons why your last job ended. If there is anything positive to say, then say it. If you left for health reasons point out that you are now fit and reassure the employer that you can do the duties required. If you were dismissed, you have taken responsibility for your action and have learnt from the experience. Remember that your past employer could be approached for a reference and they may mention a dismissal or sacking which you have not mentioned. 7. What did you do in your last job? Describe Skills and duties relevant to the new position Equipment used, i.e. computers or machinery Your responsibilities Type and level of people you dealt with Length of employment Promotions

3 8. Could you tell me about a project or task in your present job which you feel you have done particularly well and are proud of? This question is easy if you prepare for this question coming up, but not so easy in an interview from 'cold.' Give details of your project planning, and budgetary controls you may have encountered, any team work which took place and the outcome of the project, good or bad. Explain what you learned from the project and how you have built upon the experience. 9. Tell me about any experience you have had working in a team? This basically asks whether you get on with people. Elaborate on any professional and social team skills you have, i.e. major project with five people, sports team, voluntary working, etc. 10. How long have you been out of work? How did you spend your time? The interviewer does not want to hear that you have stayed at home in bed! They will be looking for: Job search activities your techniques on job hunting Voluntary work Further education or study Hobbies 11. Why have you had a) so many jobs b) only one job? So many jobs explain that you wanted to widen your experience of different types of work and companies. You may have moved for a career progression, so explain why you moved. Only one job this may be due to career progression within the company. You may have started as a junior and ended up as a director of the company, which may have taken 15 years, but you have still only worked for one company. 12. What makes a good team player? Key words to mention are: Good communication Flexibility Adaptability Co-operation Sense of humour Team player is how you interact with other people in your workplace, which relates to company wide and not just your section. 13. What would you like to be doing in 5 years time? Explain that you would ideally like to be still employed by the same company, but have moved up the corporate ladder. This shows not only commitment to hard work, but also a sense of loyalty to the company. 14. Tell me of a particularly stressful situation which you have been involved in and tell me how you coped with it? Keep to a professional example and not a social one, but sometimes social issues can come into the answer. Give an example such as "Two members of my team left, which only left three people to carry out the work of five, a stressful time as the project was near to completion. However with careful planning and time management we were able to cope and deliver the project successfully".

4 15. How do you cope with stress in general at work / outside work? This question is about how you manage yourself and your time. You can say "Most people become stressed at some time. I have been able to manage my stress by relaxing on the golf course at the weekends" or "When work builds up I have to review my work load and speak to my manager about the work I have. They normally take some of the pressure off by giving work to other people". 16. How do you think your colleagues and friends would describe you? The interviewer is looking for key words such as: Honest Trustworthy Reliable Dedicated Focused Hardworking Enthusiastic 17. What do you like best in your current job and which aspects don t you enjoy? Try not to criticise your current job when thinking of points you don t like, remember the interviewer will not want you criticising his company when you leave. Things you don t enjoy could include: Long hours due to family pressures Travel due to family pressures Shift work night shift 18. Given the choice what would be your ideal job? Do not say This job is my ideal job. Try to think of a job which you ultimately would if money, training and time were no problem. Be careful, as the interviewer may draw inference from your 'ideal job'. If you choose a film artist, they can take that to mean that you are an 'arty' person, an accountant may suggest that you are very numerically minded, etc. 19. Why should we employ you? Try to keep your answer brief. Mention the skills and abilities you have which suit the job vacancy to prove to the interviewer that you are the ideal candidate for the job. 20. What can you contribute toward the company? Talk about the experiences and achievements that you gained in your previous job as well as the problems which you encountered and solved. You can therefore state that you can contribute your problem solving skills to the company. 21. What aspects of this job interest you? You could answer this question by stating that you like a challenge, or that you enjoy working in a team. You need to base your answer around the job description and also around what the role would involve. 22. Identify a problem which you had to overcome recently? This question is designed to identify your problem solving skills. When giving an example also mention what you did to overcome the problem. Avoid using examples of personal problems between members of staff.

5 Helpful websites for further information on interviews Questions you may like to ask: Plan your journey What duties will I be expected to carry out? What training do you provide? What hours will I be expected to work? Who do I report to? What are the promotion/advancement prospects? Why has this position become vacant? Find out where the interview is and go there the day before, taking a note of how long it took you to get there. If you need to go by bus, plan the journey beforehand. Plan an alternative route just in case of an accident or road works on the day of the interview. If you have a disability, check for access to the building. Appearance Always turn up to an interview dressed smartly, preferably a suit for a man and blouse/skirt or trousers for a lady and look professional in your appearance. First impressions are important, so take your time and get it right. Information Bring the relevant paperwork Copy of advert Copy of application form Copy of C.V. Copy of covering letter Information gathered about the company. Day of the interview Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Do not arrive late or arrive at the last minute. Try to arrive 10 minutes before the interview time as this will give you time to relax and calm yourself before the interview. If you are delayed contact the company to explain why you are delayed and apologise and try to get another appointment. STAY CALM. Everyone gets nervous going into an interview, but if you have done your preparation and have read about the company (and possibly the person interviewing you) then hopefully you will remain calm.

6 Handy Hints Do Enter the room confidently Shake hands firmly - and introduce yourself Be polite and friendly - look the interviewer straight in the eye as soon as you enter the room Look interested - ask questions as well as answering Answer questions as fully as you can - avoid yes and no answers Provide examples to prove your achievements Tell the truth Ask if you don't understand a question Speak clearly Sell yourself - get your good points across/be positive Give a friendly smile (if in doubt don't - it is better to look serious than insincere) Don't Sit until invited to do so Fidget and slouch in the chair Smoke Swear (even mildly) Criticise former employers Interrupt Draw attention to your weaknesses Go over the top - stay calm and stick to the facts The unprepared interviewer Not all employers have had training or are experienced in interviewing people. They could be just as nervous as you are about the situation. You might find yourself being talked at and given little opportunity to sell yourself. This may mean waiting for a gap in the conversation and taking the lead during the interview (but not taking over). Delays and interruption Don't become impatient if the employer keeps you waiting. They may have good reasons for this, so try to keep calm. If the interviewer is interrupted - for instance by a telephone call - offer to leave the room.