Interview Tips

Interview Tips for Candidates

 

We hope you'll find these recommendations helpful

in planning your perfect interview

 

No one is hired without making it through at least one interview.  An interview is an opportunity to sell your experience to a potential customer - the interviewer. To interview successfully, to sell yourself, you will have to do three things:

 

·         Prepare

·         Practice

·         Perform

 

The basic topics that are covered during an interview and the order in which they are most commonly dealt with are:

 

·         You and your background

·         The company

·         The position itself

·         Compensation

 

 

1.       Things to do at home before your interview

 

·         Make sure you have the exact month and year for each position you have held - these details should also be on your CV.

·         Make sure you can talk about every detail that you have listed on your CV.

·         This is possibly the most important preparation you can do for your interview.

Make a list of your strengths (about 5 points). Write down examples of real-life situations where your personal contribution to a situation, project or task at work had a positive outcome.  Practice talking about these real-life situations and concentrate on the positive effects of your personal actions. Write down your weak points (not more than two). Be honest. Prepare yourself to be able to talk about your weaknesses. Think of real-life situations that illustrate your weaknesses but try to ensure that these weaknesses are not detrimental to you completing the job effectively. Never say that you have no weaknesses.

·         Write down a list of questions that you want to ask about the new position (not more than three).

 

2.       Background Information on the Company

 

·         Find out everything you can about the Company.

·         How many employees does it have?

·         What is its annual turnover?

·         What type of organization is it?

·         Who owns it?

·         Does it have a parent or sister company?

·         Find out everything you can about the industry

·         What issues are currently affecting the industry?

·         What companies are its competitors?

·         Keep up to date with the news.

·         Make sure you are aware of current affairs and how it may impact on the company's business.

 

 

 

 

3.       Presentation for Interview

 

·         Dress appropriately, preferably in a smart business suit. Be well groomed. Make sure that your clothes are smart and clean, if you are wearing a skirt take a spare pair of tights, make sure your clothes are comfortable, dress appropriately for the Company.

·         Don’t wear too much make-up.  However, wearing light natural makeup rather than none at all increases your chances by up to 20%

·         Don't wear strong smelling perfume/aftershave, or jangly bangles/dangly earrings, nose rings, etc.

·         Don't smoke even if invited to do so.

·         Appear confident, take deep breaths.

·         Research has shown that an interviewer’s impression of you is made up of 55% how you look, 38% how you sound and only 7% on what you say. First impressions are all important, they're quickly formed and hard to change.

·         Maintain eye contact & listen to what the interviewer has to say (looking down or away can suggest nervousness and dishonesty).

·         Don't fidget or slouch in your chair.

·         Speak clearly, sound enthusiastic and interested and don't forget to smile (A lot of people forget to smile!!!!!)

 

4.       How to plan your perfect interview

Plan on arriving 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Don’t be late!

-    Greet the interviewer by last name. If you are unsure of the pronunciation, ask the your consultant to confirm it.

-    Listen carefully to the questions you are asked. You will create a negative impression if your answers do not focus clearly on the questions that were asked.

-    Follow the interviewer's leads, but try to get the interviewer to describe the position and duties to you early in the interview so you can apply your background, skills, and accomplishments to the position.

-    When asked for your strengths, give real-life examples of situations, tasks or projects in the workplace that you were involved in. Make sure you use examples where you are able to honestly describe the positive outcome of decision you made or actions you took. This is a vital part of your interview. This is the best way to sell you. When asked: "Tell me about yourself" limit your answer to 1 to 2 minutes. Focus on your background and a few professional and personal accomplishments. Think "highlights".

-    Make sure you ask some questions as well. Intelligent questions about a new position impress future employers i.e. what would I be expected to accomplish in this position? What are the greatest challenges in this position etc.?  Remember lack of questions may be mistaken as lack of interest.

-    Answer questions by speaking in terms of the position.  Emphasize what you can do for the company. Mention specific accomplishments that show your abilities and determination to succeed in this job. Your answers should tell the employer why you would be an asset to the company, not why you need a job.

-    Explain whenever possible; don't answer with a simple "yes" or "no."

-    Be assertive, not aggressive, about your abilities.

-    Stress achievements. For example: sales records, processes developed, systems installed, etc.

-    Show enthusiasm. Enthusiastic feedback can enhance your chances of being further considered.

-    Emphasize your strengths and stay positive; focus on experience and personal qualities that would be beneficial for the position.

-    No matter how good you are or how great the demand for your skills, you must sell yourself.

-    Never criticize previous employers. Be professional at all times.

-    If you are asked why you want to leave your current job, don't say because you are bored or want more money, even if this is true.

-    Bring an extra copy of your resume.

-    Don’t talk about money unless you are asked to do so. But when the time comes to discuss salary, be prepared to state the amount you feel you deserve; to do this, find out the salary range for the position before the interview.

-    Questions about children and marital status are illegal but that doesn't stop people asking them. If you want the job it’s probably best to just assure them briefly you can cope and wouldn't have applied for the job otherwise.

 

 

5.       Closing the Interview

 

It is important to leave the interviewer(s) with a positive impression of you, no matter how you feel the interview has gone.

-   Remain confident and determined to the end; each question the interviewer asks is important, including the last one;

-   Ensure that you are aware of all conditions of employment (traveling, medical, security, etc.); you may want to discuss these conditions with the interviewer at the end of the interview;

-   Ask when you will be notified; address the interviewer by name, if you are sure of the name

-   If you are interested in the position, let the interviewer know. If you want the position, say something like: "I'm very impressed with what I've seen here today; your company, its products and the people I've met. I am confident I could do an excellent job in the position."

-   If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don't let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in you may seem to discourage you as a way of testing your reaction.

-   Don't leave the interview without finding out what happens next.

-   Thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration. If you have answered the two questions: "Why are you interested in this position?" and "What can you offer?" you have done all you can.

 

6.       Negative Factors that most often lead to rejection

 

-   Failure to get information about our company, lack of preparation for the interview, did not read the literature.

-   Inadequate personality, poor attitude, lack of poise, lack of self-confidence, timid, hesitant approach, too introverted.

-   Lack of goals / objectives, poorly motivated, does not know his/her interests, indecision, poor planning.

-   Lack of interest in our type of business, lack of interest in our company, not interested in the type of job we have to offer.

-   Unable to explain items on CV in a detailed manner

-   Poor scholastic record, low grades without reasonable explanation, low level of accomplishment.

-   Inability to express himself/herself, poor speech, inability to sell himself/herself.

-   Unrealistic salary demands, more interested in salary than in opportunity, unrealistic expectations, over emphasis on management positions, unwilling to start at the bottom.

-   Poor personal appearance, lack of neatness, careless dress.

-   Lack of maturity, no evidence of leadership.

-   Inadequate preparation for type of work - inappropriate background.

 

 

 

7.       Typical Questions Asked

 

Common Questions Asked by Employers During Interviews:

 

·         Tell me about yourself.

·         Talk me through your CV.

·         What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

·         What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

·         How would you describe yourself?

·         How do you think your manager would describe you?

·         What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be successful in this position?

·         How do you determine or evaluate success?

·         Why do you want to leave your current position?

·         Why do you want to work here?

·         Why do you want this job?

·         Why should we hire you?

·         What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?

·         In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?

·         What qualities should a successful manager possess?

·         Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her.

·         What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why? 

·         In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable?

·         How do you work under pressure?

·         What do you know about our company?

·         What major problems have you encountered and how did you deal with it?

·         What have you learned from your mistakes?

·         What are your long range and short-range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?

·         What are your long-range career objectives?

·         How do you plan to achieve your career goals?

·         Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job?

·         What are your salary requirements?

·         Are you interviewing at any other companies?

 

 

 

 

We at O’Reilly Recruitment hope these tips prove helpful and we wish you every success with your interview.