Job Interviews A Quick Guide Interviews are an essential part of any recruitment and selection process. Knowing how to successfully handle any interview is an important skill all job hunters must learn and excel in. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 1 of 9
What are employers looking for? Based on their needs and company culture, every employer looks for different types of people to hire. Some may be finding a person that is a good fit to the present company culture while other may be looking for employees that are able to contribute a different point of view from the current situation. It is hard to know exactly what the employers are looking for. However there are some areas that most employers keep a look out for from fresh graduates on top of their required jobspecific skills: A positive attitude Ability and willingness to learn Flexibility & Adaptability Problem solving skills Satisfactory intellectual abilities Good leadership qualities backed up with reliable experiences Good personal achievements A sense of initiative Good teamwork skills Relevant technical or specialist knowledge Competent at interpersonal communication Career motivation Knowledge about the company It is important to ensure that besides your technical know-how, you are able to share with them your set of skills and competencies. Employers you meet during the recruitment process have these 3 main concerns: 1) Can you do this job? 2) Do you want this job? 3) Why are you the best person for the job and our company? Your performance in the interview has to answer these 3 questions. How should I approach interviews? Approach the interview as if you are holding a business sales meeting. Understand what they are looking for, know what you can offer them, prepare yourself well and promote yourself as the best match to their needs. Make an impression on them with your preparation and knowledge of the company. Prove to them with evidence that you have the capabilities, knowledge and personal qualities. Match yourself to their needs. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 2 of 9
How do I prepare for an interview? Preparation prior to your interview is essential! Review the version of CV and resume you had sent to the company, refer to their initial job advertisement to refresh your memory on the job you have applied for and the kind of experience, skills and personal qualities that they are looking for. Find evidence which would prove to the interviewer that you meet the requirements. Using your CV as a reference point, prepare a list of concrete examples that seeks to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, motivation and suitability for the job and organization. Then proceed to prepare competency stories demonstrating related skills specific to the position applied in a context and pull it back to how you think you can and will use this competency in the job. Competency stories must indicate improvements in processes/products/people or achievements. Try answering interview questions out loud in front of the mirror. Allow yourself 2-3 minutes to answer each question. Research up on the organization through websites, Annual Reports, company profiles (available at Career Resource Centre) and your network of contacts. You should know the company s mission, vision, direction, the number of employees and turnover, the main locations and products. Understand the business environment the organization operates in. Also understand how current events affect them, who are their competitors etc. Read up online or at Career Resource Centre (Level 4, Student Services Centre) on the type of questions that interviewers would normally asked. This can be concerning yourself, your competencies, motivation or decision-making process. List three or four possible questions to ask the interviewer. Refer to books from the Career Resource Centre for a sample of questions to ask. Book a practice session at CareerHub@CAO or brush up your interview skills with videos available from the Career Resource Centre. This will help you prepare better for the interview and gain feedback on your performance. If there is time, sign up for the interview skills workshop organized by CareerHub@CAO. Prepare a smart business suit for the interview. What is appropriate will depend on the type of industries you are being interviewed for, however always make sure you leave a good tasteful impression with the employers. Basic for men is a well tailored long sleeve shirt and pants, tie and leather shoes. For ladies, a well tailored shirt with appropriate skirt and pants with covered pumps will cover the basics. Also ensure your appearance (hair and grooming) is neat and impeccable. Heavy patterns, colors, strong smelling perfume and cologne are not encouraged. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 3 of 9
Plan to arrive at the location at least 15-20 minutes before the designated timing. You may plan and test out your route beforehand. Also allow extra time for unexpected delays (train delays, traffic jams, malfunctioning lifts etc). Ensure that you have a map detailing directions to your employer s location and a contact telephone number in case you are delayed. Prepare your interview kit: A copy of your CV and resume, your portfolio, IC, birth certificate, other certificates and copies of those, a notebook and pen. Keep all documentation in a professional looking folder or file. If you arrive early and do not need to fill up any application form, find somewhere to relax and re-read your application form and run through the information that you have gathered. Do a final check on your appearance as well. What should I expect at the interview? Knowing what to expect will help to calm your nerves and build confidence. Most companies will share with you information on the interview if asked beforehand. Some areas you could ask on are: o Who will be interviewing you (to help better prepare your answers i.e. preparing more technical answers if it is a technical manager interviewing you or more skills and personality based answers if it is a HR manager) o Number of people who will be interviewing you o Duration o Interview format o The stage the interview is in the recruitment and selection process o Any possible selection tests Remember, it is up to the company if they want to share such information with you. Do not demand for answers. There are a variety of interview formats. The common interview formats are the one-to-one, two-toone or panel interview. You may be asked to undergo one such interview or several of such interviews consecutively. Remember to maintain eye-contact with all interviewers while answering questions, occasionally moving from one person to another. Other formats of interviews include group interviews and assessment centre interviews. For group interviews, you will find yourself with a group of other applicants. The key to such interviews is to appear confident and assertive while ensuring you are still polite and considerate to the group so for example if you would like to share your views, try not to be too aggressive by speaking loudly, instead move in with phrases like If I may add. This is also a good platform to showcase your teamwork skills. Assessment Centre usually happens after the first round of interviews and you should expect a wide range of selection processes from one-to-one interviews to group exercises, tests, presentations and office simulations either on the same day or at a later date. CareerHub@CAO offers a workshop on Assessment Centre to help students learn how to tackle the common exercises in Assessment Centre. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 4 of 9
How do I conduct myself at the interview? These are the three main areas interviewees should take note of when being interviewed. The Walk, The Look and The Talk. The Walk involves the proper meeting, greeting techniques and conduct. The Look entails the proper dress code for interview while The Talk includes how you answer the questions. The Walk The first impression is extremely important and it is essential you produce a confident image. Upon arrival, if you have the time, proceed to the washroom to freshen up. Enter the room with a confident smile and a straight back. Once you have entered the interview room (remember to knock the door before entering), smile and give a firm handshake vis-à-vis their handshake. Try practicing with your friendsthe grip should be firm but not too tight however too limp a grip is not good either. A firm handshake produces an image of confidence. Do try to remember their names and address them appropriately. Look for the place to seat but do not seat till they have asked you to or you have sought permission to. Once seated, for both men and ladies, do not cross your legs. For men, plant both seats firmly on the ground. For ladies, tuck in both your legs and slant them towards the side. Either rest your hands on top of your thighs or on the table (if there is one), however try not to interlock them but rest them one on top the other. This reduces the image of being nervous and allows you space to use your hands to gesture. Gesturing helps to emphasize certain points however you should try to avoid over gesturing. Maintain your hand movements within your shoulder width if possible. Do not take charge of the interview; let your interviewer lead you through the interview. During the course of the interview, be aware and look out for any movements that may display signs of nervousness i.e. swaying from side to side, shaking of legs, twirling or clenching of fingers, cracking of fingers, twirling of hair, slouching in chair, fidgeting, looking bored etc. Eye contact is very important and good steady eye contact with the interviewers projects a confident image. Do note not to engage in glaring contests however, you should also avoid letting your eyes wonder all over the room, glancing around furtively or looking down on the table or hands. You may bring along a notebook and pen to the interview to jot down anything relevant that may help you to understand the roles better, or on areas that you will need to follow up after the interview. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 5 of 9
At the end of interview, remember to thank the interviewers for their time and the opportunity. The Look It is highly advisable to be in a smart business suit for the interview. Even if you may be applying for a position that will need you to be in a clean suit, jeans or overalls most of the time, being in a business suit will go some way in showing that you are serious in getting the job. Men Ladies Hair Ensure it is neat, tidy and trimmed. Ensure it is neat, tidy and kept clear of the face. For more serious positions like grooming or professions where grooming standards are stricter like hotel managers etc, hair may need to be tied up in a bun. Face Shaving of facial hair may help in projecting a cleaner image. If you tend to have an oily complexion, do blot a few times just before the interview to help reduce the shine. Do have some simple make-up on to enhance features. Do not go overboard with heavy makeup but do not let your face go too bare either. If you tend to have an oily complexion, do blot a few times and adjust your makeup accordingly just before the interview. Upper Body A well-ironed long sleeve shirt is a basic for most interviews. Loud prints and/or distracting colors should be avoided if attending interviews at most companies (Creative industries on the other hand may be more receptive to such prints but it depends on company and interviewers opinions). Tie should be tied well. Basic principle: Plain solid block of colors and/or with little details will suit shorts with louder prints such as stripes and vice versa. It will be good to bring along a jacket/blazer. Depending on your evaluation of the office you are being interviewed and the other candidates waiting their turn (if any), you may need to put on your jacket, thus it will be better to prepared. Lower Body A well tailored and well ironed pants is a basic for most interviews. Shoes Leather shoes which have been polished are preferred. Color of shoes should try to match the color of belt as closely as possible. White socks are not advised. Accessories No earrings or studs. Tie pins and cuff links are good to have. Others Ensure no body odor and foul smelling mouth. Strong smelling cologne is not encouraged. If you are prone to sweaty palms, please have some tissue ready to wipe them before entering the room. A well tailored and ironed blouse/shirt will be appropriate. Loud prints and/or distracting colors should be avoided if attending interviews at most companies (Creative industries on the other hand may be more receptive to such prints but it depends on company and interviewers opinions). It will be good to bring along a jacket/blazer. Depending on your evaluation of the office you are being interviewed and the other candidates waiting their turn (if any), you may need to put on your jacket, thus it will be better to prepared. Ladies may choose between a pants suit or skirt. Evaluation on which type to wear and the style of skirt will need to depend on the type of industries and profession. Covered pumps. Stilettos above 3 inches are not advised. Keep accessories to minimal. Depending on nature of industries, vary your accessories like earrings and necklaces accordingly. Ensure no body odor and foul smelling mouth. Strong smelling perfume is not encouraged. If you are prone to sweaty palms, please have some tissue ready to wipe them before entering the room. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 6 of 9
The Talk There are two portions to this: The way you express yourself while speaking and the content of your answers. Expressing yourself Intonation: Much can be gathered through the intonation of your voice. It is important to be aware of the intonation of your voice as it may betray your thoughts and feelings if left unchecked. Also it will be good to vary your tone to help emphasize key points as well as reduce the monotony. Pace & Clarity: Talk at a slightly faster rate than what you normally would. But ensure you are still clear. Take the effort to pronounce and enunciate words correctly. Do pause between sentences. Structure: Before answering each questions, take a few seconds to compose your answers in a good structure. Use pauses and sentence markers to help guide the interviewers when you are bringing up new points. Avoid rambling. If you do ramble, stop to collect your thoughts. Content of answers Content of your answers will be made up of your technical and theoretical knowledge, your experience, skills and competencies. A key point to note is that every competency should be backed up by an experience and all answers must be linked back to the requirements of the job. Remember, every hiring manager s key question in mind during interviews is Why should I hire you?. Thus use your examples to show how relevant your skills and competencies are to what they are looking for and how you can contribute to their company. How do I understand and answer interview questions? There are various types of interview questions that are asked during a typical interview: Warm up Questions like Tell me more about yourself. Competency Based Questions like Tell me about a time when you were faced with a difficult challenge. or What is your greatest weakness? Technical Based Questions like Please tell me your views on the amended standards affecting the industry/profession currently. Creative Questions like How many light bulbs are there in Singapore right now? Case studies The most important things is to understand the purpose behind these interview questions before formulating your answer. Your answer must tally with information shared in the resume. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 7 of 9
CareerHub@CAO has a Career Resource Centre located on Student Services Centre Level 4 stocked with books to help guide you in further detail what are the kinds of questions asked and how to tackle them. A visit to the centre is recommended if you would like to better understand and answer tough interview questions. What happens after the interview? The interview process does not stop after you have left the interview room. It is a good practice to email or mail to the interviewers or HR personnel a thank you note which could consist of your thank you message, the areas you were suppose to follow up on and a reiteration of your skills and competencies that you can bring to the job if they hire you. The objective of this note is to help them solidify their memory of you and also help create a better impression of you in their eyes. CareerHub@CAO has a Career Resource Centre located on Student Services Centre Level 4 stocked with useful books on improving interview skills. A visit to the centre is highly recommended. CareerHub@CAO also offers career advising and coaching sessions for students who may want to seek further assistance. CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 8 of 9
References Preparing for First Interviews including Telephone Interviews (2008) The University of Manchester Careers Service. Retrieved 18 April 2011, from http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/careersandemployabilitydivision/car eersservice/crcpublications/startingpointseriesofhandouts/a4/preparing-for-first- Interviews.pdf Steven Lim & Wong Kok Wah (2011) Interview Skills Workshop Notes Velmurugan s/o Bala Krishna (2011) Interview Workshop Notes CareerHub@CAO 2011 Page 9 of 9