THE IMPORTANCE OF AN IMPRESSION

Transcription

1 THE IMPORTANCE OF AN IMPRESSION Getting an interview is usually the easy bit - what you do next, before and during the interview itself, is what will really affect your chances of getting the job. Remember that according to a survey by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, 76% of employers surveyed said the reason they reject most candidates is not a lack of skills or experience, but a lack of preparation for the interview itself. As a wise man once said, "Fail to prepare, and prepare to fail". Used properly, this interview guide can make all the difference in getting you the job you deserve. CONTENTS: 1. Preparation and presentation 2. General/informal interview 3. Answering questions CAR technique 4. Questions for you to ask 5. The close 6. Sample interview questions and what they mean

2 PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION PREPARATION FOR THE INTERVIEW Ensure that you know the following things: The exact time and location of the interview, route, parking etc and how long it will take to get there. If necessary consult Google Maps or com.au The interviewer's correct title and pronunciation of his or her full name. Specific facts about the company - its history, financial position, competitors, products and services. Research the company's website in full. Facts and figures about your present or former employer. Refresh your memory on this as you will be expected to know a lot about a company for which you have previously worked. DRESS AND PRESENTATION AT INTERVIEW Get a good night s sleep and arrive at the interview in a relaxed, confident frame of mind. Arrive early or on time! Not too early more than 15 minutes is excessive. Being late is inexcusable. If you feel there is a danger you will be late call your consultant in advance. Dress conservatively, in dark or neutral colours, with a smart haircut, neat fingernails, polished shoes. For men a smart suit with pressed pants and an ironed shirt is paramount. For female candidates, keep jewellery and makeup to a minimum, and do not wear facial jewellery. Shake hands firmly, maintain eye contact, and smile! Keep a straight posture, or lean slightly forward towards the interviewer Talk enthusiastically and passionately about your experiences to date and your interest in the company and the role concerned. The format of the interview will be an informal/general interview. The interviewer(s) will ask you a mixture of questions covering: GENERAL INTERVIEWS Your work and personal experiences and qualifications Your skills, strengths and weaknesses Your technical knowledge Your knowledge of the company and role Your career aspirations, and motivation to do the role However he may also speak to you in detail about the role, the company and their plans for the successful applicant. In any case; The interview should not be a one-way question and answer session where he asks questions and you give responses. Ideally, conversation should flow, and both you and the interviewer will provide information and ask questions in a natural way. You are much more likely to succeed if the meeting is an interesting dialogue than a one sided interrogation which will be uncomfortable for you both. Do not rely on the interviewer to ask you an endless stream of questions to coax out your good points. Remember, the interviewer may be inexperienced or forget to ask a question. It is crucial that you sell yourself.

3 Performing well in this kind of interview is based on five things: SUCCEEDING IN GENERAL INTERVIEWS ANSWERING QUESTIONS THE CAR APPROACH 1. Read the job description, and speak to your AccountAbility consultant. Find out what the key skills and characteristics required for this position are. 2. Know your experience and resume - not just what you were doing generally, but have at least one detailed example of your behaviour which demonstrates each of the skills and characteristics required on the JD. Ideally each of your examples will demonstrate a range of skills - e.g. attention to detail, team-work, communication skills, so you can adapt them to each question as asked. 3. LISTEN! During the interview the interviewer will give you a lot of information about what sort of person they are looking for, where they see the role or person going, even what sort of candidate they would like to avoid. Use this information intelligently and tailor your answers to suit. 4. Sell yourself - Do not wait for that key question to come up to show off your great achievement - it may never come. An inexperienced interviewer may forget to ask you about an area of your skills or spend a majority of the interview telling you about the job. Take the opportunity of a general question to highlight your strengths and achievements - while bearing in mind what your AA consultant and the interviewer have said about what is really important for the role. 5. Use the CAR approach to help structure your answers to questions - it will make life a lot easier. A good way to frame your answers to even the most general interview questions is to draw a positive general conclusion about yourself from a specific example of something you've done. It's much more impressive than simply telling the interviewer how great you think you are. Think of it this way; for everything good you say about yourself, have some concrete evidence in the form of an example to back it up. A good way to do this when answering interview questions is to use the Circumstances, Action, Result (CAR) technique. CIRCUMSTANCES First describe the background to your example in as much detail as possible - The situation the company/team was in. The problem or challenge you faced. Any other relevant information (e.g. it was year-end, the company had just introduced a new system, etc). ACTION Describe your response to the challenge or problem. If there was more than one possible way of approaching the problem, explain why you chose your approach. RESULT What the outcome of your efforts was. If this is not an outcome that shows you and your skills in a positive way, you are giving the wrong type of example!

4 QUESTION What do you think one of your strengths is? SAMPLE QUESTION & ANSWER* ANSWERS "I feel I have good communication skills." Rating: D Terrible! "I feel I have good communication skills because of the experience I gained in credit control convincing people to pay their outstanding bills" Rating: C Ok, but not detailed enough. "I feel I have good communication skills because of the experience I gained working in credit control for X Company, because I had to convince consumers to pay their overdue telephone bills." Rating: B Better, but still not detailed enough. "I feel I have good communication skills because of the experience I gained working in credit control for X Company, a telecoms business. For example, one particularly challenging situation was when I had to convince a customer who was experiencing severe financial difficulties to pay their telephone bill. The customer was upset and aggressive when I called initially. I remained calm, and rather than being negative, I tried to focus on a positive solution to the customer's problem. Eventually I was able to work out a realistic payment plan with the customer, and in the end the money was repaid in full." Rating: A A great answer. Detailed, to the point, and demonstrating exactly why you think you have good communication skills. *At the end of this guide you will find a list of commonly asked interview questions for your reference.

5 QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ASK It is crucial that you ask questions in interview, even if you feel you know all you need to about the job or company. If you don't ask any questions you risk giving the impression that you are not enthusiastic about the job or curious about the company. Even if you feel the job isn't for you - be smart. Be enthusiastic and 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 a position where you can choose from a number of offers - rather than only one. This is also an ideal opportunity for you to impress by displaying your research and knowledge about the company by asking intelligent questions. WHAT TO ASK Why has the position become available? How does the position fit into the structure of the organisation? What training programs are available to ensure continued personal and career development? What plans does the organisation have for future development? How would you describe the culture of the company? What motivated you to join the organisation? WHAT NOT TO ASK Questions about hours, salary package and bonuses are not appropriate for a first round interview. Discuss these you re your consultant to avoid giving a bad impression. If a topic has already been covered in detail by the interviewer in the initial part of the interview, you will look silly for asking them to repeat themselves. Do not ask a question for the sake of it. Finally, make sure you leave the interview on a positive note. THE CLOSE Thank the interviewer for taking the time to see you Tell the interviewer that after learning more about the company and role in the interview, you are certain it is right for you, and say that you hope they will consider offering you the job. Ask what the next stage of the process is. GOOD LUCK! Best of luck in your interview and please remember to call your AccountAbility consultant immediately after the interview to give your feedback. On the following page you will find some more sample interview questions.

6 TRADITIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND WHAT THEY MEAN Tell me about yourself. The interviewer is really saying "I want to hear you talk - briefly summarise your work experience, personal characteristics and qualifications." What have been your achievements to date? Are you happy with your career to date? Tell me the most difficult situation you have had to face and how you tackled it? What do you dislike about your current role? Or Which part of this role is least attractive to you? What are your strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses? Or What would your previous employers say about you and what would they consider your weaknesses? Why do you want to leave your current employer? Why do you want this job? The interviewer is saying, "Are you an achiever? - Have several examples ready. The interviewer is really asking about your self-confidence, your career aspirations and whether you are a positive person. The interviewer is really trying to find out your definition of "difficult" and whether you can show a logical approach to problem solving. The interviewer is trying to find out whether the job on offer has responsibilities you will dislike. Be careful and balance any dislike of particular responsibilities in a job by reassuring the interviewer that you are a mature person who can take the good with the bad - no one likes every part of a job after all. The interviewer wants a straightforward answer as to what you are good at and how it is going to add value. The interviewer is asking about your self-perception and self-awareness. Be careful, and perhaps focus on an area you are weak in because of lack of experience rather than a character trait - You can always gain experience but you can't change your personality! The interviewer is trying to understand and evaluate your motives for moving. Be careful and base your answer on things you know the job can offer - i.e. if you say career progression within the company, make sure that you specify a timescale and that this is within a timeframe the employer approves of. If you want the job for "the wrong reasons" you will lose the interview at this point. How have you coped when your work has been criticised? Again, testing self-awareness - Give an example including the outcome.

7 What are your preferred working conditions, working alone or in a group and why? Be careful! Make sure you pick the sort of working conditions present at the company for the job you are going for. Where do you see yourself in 5 years/1 year? Be careful! The interviewer is trying to find out if your aspirations match the company's plans for where the role/your career would go.