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Interview Preperation
Introduction
The selection process is becoming longer and more thorough and exacting for many
organizations and candidates. In less buoyant economic periods, organisations
are more cautious making hiring decisions and seek more information, clarify
and greater reassurance when hiring a new employee. Central to this process is
your ability to successfully demonstrate at interview, the following key three
key factors:
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Your ability to do and excel in the job (Suitability).
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Your motivation to accept the job (Mobility).
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Your fit with the organisations values and culture (Compatibility).
Getting the most out of interviews requires you to focus on three aspects to the
meeting:
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Your Preparation for Interview.
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Your Presentation at Interview.
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Your Performance in Interview.
Preparation
Being prepared for your interview can make the difference between success and
failure because it gives you the confidence to promote yourself effectively.
Interviews are conducted by employers in order to verify that a candidate's
abilities and experiences are relevant, and to evaluate the candidates' genuine
interest and enthusiasm for the position.
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Be aware that at interview, you may be asked problem questions designed to
determine your stability, motivation, maturity and attitude.
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Be prepared with an explanation as to why you want the job, as well as examples
that illustrate the skills highlighted on your Curriculum Vitae.
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Take some time prior to the interview to conduct preliminary research on the
company, which should allow you to ask relevant questions during the interview.
Find out as much as you can about the company
Bear in mind that an interview is not just you appealing to a company,
the company must appeal to you. Your research on the company should generate
questions about the company - it's strategy moving forward, your career path,
training programmes available, advancement opportunities for the high achiever
and earning potential
Serious applicants will be expected to find out as much as possible about the
company in advance of their interview. Gather information from annual reports,
in-company newsletters and press articles. Online newspaper archives and
personal contacts, if you have any, are even better. Do not exclusively rely on
the company's website, the candidate in before you just did that as will the
one following you. It shows a complete lack of imagination.
Other ways to show interest and initiative include contacting the company
directly for information and working interesting facts and figures about their
organisation into your answers right from the start.
One way or the other, be ready to answer questions along the lines of "how can
you contribute to our organisation", or "what do you know about us, our
products, our competitors, our marketplace", etc.
Suitability
Make sure you understand the job specification in full. List the key
requirements - desirable skills, experience, personal traits - and match
yourself against them all. This way you'll have time to spot any gaps and can
prepare an appropriate answer. More importantly, it will help you to clearly
identify your own skills, strengths and achievements in relation to the
position outlined.
Make sure you know who is going to interview you, both their name and job title.
What kind of interview format do they use? Will there be a panel, for example?
Are they looking at your ability to deal with a given situation, or might the
interview be personality-based? Will there be any aptitude or psychometric
testing?
Cutting out surprises will make you feel less nervous, although it is also worth
remembering that a little nervous anticipation can give your performance an
edge.
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Presentation
It may sound obvious, but you never get a second chance to make a first
impression. Dress to impress. If I am interviewing someone for our company, I
am immediately assessing how this person will impact on visitors to our offices
or out on client sites. So don't just make an effort, make a BIG EFFORT.
Key steps to improve your impact and presentation at interview include the
following:
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Make a good, confident entrance.
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Maintain eye contact and don't forget to smile. Your objective is to establish
a rapport with the interviewer.
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If you're dealing with a panel, make sure you get their names and job titles
correct - a good way to do this is to repeat each name out loud as you're being
introduced.
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Listen carefully to every question and qualify it if necessary. Organise your
thoughts by taking some time to think before answering.
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Don't be afraid of silences if you're trying to compose an articulate answer.
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Be energetic and enthusiastic about your answers
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Be positive - and never criticise current or previous employers.
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Match your skills point-for-point with the job requirements, highlighting
relevant strengths and achievements.
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Get the employer thinking about you in the role by asking hypothetical
questions about situations that might arise.
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Ask questions about the job and the company, but stay away from too many "me"
questions - "how many holidays do I get each year", for example.
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Avoid raising the issue of your potential salary. Wait, instead, for the
employer to do so and then be honest, but fair, about your expectations. If
they're too high, you'll more than likely be ruled out.
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Mobility
Ultimately your goal when applying for a job is to be the person who decides
whether or not you work for this company. Make sure the employer feels that you
are motivated by the opportunity they are presenting. Thank the interviewer for
their time, re-state your interest and ask what the next step will be.
Performance
Take every opportunity to sell yourself at the interview. Ultimately you want
the employer to believe that you are the best person for the job. Support your
answers with practical examples from your own experience and don't shy away
from asking job-related questions yourself. If you are asked about your
weaknesses, concentrate on two or three areas you would like to personally
develop and discuss them positively and with confidence.
Compatibility
Central to your performance at interview should be your demonstration of an
alignment between your interests and those of the hiring company. You can
achieve this by discussing these three factors openly and frankly with the
interviewer:
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Your career interests and the capacity of the organisation to meet these.
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Your expectations of an employer and their expectations of an employee
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The characteristics that the interviewer believes successful employees in their
company demonstrate.
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To enable your performance at interview it is important to know in advance the
format that the interview will take. Interviews in Ireland largely fall into
four types:
1. Situational interviews
Are designed around a number of questions, which focus on situations, which
might happen in a job. As the candidate, you are asked what you would do in
each situation. In essence you are presented with a series of hypothetical
questions which are future oriented and which seek to test your instinct for
the right course of action.
Tip: Don't be too concerned with getting the answer absolutely correct. The
interviewer is assessing your instinct and imagination. Ask the interviewer to
qualify the "situation" if you feel it will help you.
2. Behavioural interviews
Use examples of your past performance and behaviour to predict likely future
performance and behaviour. Questions will seek to assess how you coped in
different situations in your previous role or activity. The emphasis is very
much on your previous job experience and how it relates to the opening for
which you are being considered. Attention will centre around how much
additional training or development you may need and if, having done the job
already, you can now do it all over again in a new context.
Tip: The interviewer will only pay credence to those answers that you give
containing "I" statements and not to those that contain "We" statements.
3. Unstructured interviews
Are loosely organised and have no predetermined structure. Discussion is
often wide-ranging, with the focus shifting on those issues, which may hold the
interest of the interviewer, or on those, which may give some indication of
future job performance.
Tip: While this form of interview is the least valid in terms of predicting
likely future success, it is the most commonly form of interview used. The
informal structure lends itself to establishing good rapport with the
interviewer. Maximise this opportunity through eye contact and body language.
In this type of interview more weight is likely to be given to two things: how
you say things rather that what is said (tone, emphasis, accent, pitch, volume,
fluency) and the impression you make through your non-verbal behaviour, often
in the first few minutes.
4. Panel interviews
These tend to consist of between three and five members, often drawn from
different parts of an organisation. Panels are often designed to make quite
rapid decisions (frequently on the day of the interview), as well as giving a
number of people a stake in the decision making process.
Tip: Establishing any level of rapport with panel members is generally
impossible. Maintain eye contact with the questioner; give each answer, equally
to every member, by moving your head left to right and addressing each person
with a part of your answer. Remember the names of each panel member by
repeating their name out loud when it is given to you. If you are sitting at a
table right down their names left to right relative to where they are sitting.
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Interview Preparation
Though no two job interviews are ever the same, it is certainly possible to
anticipate questions you'll face - and to prepare smart answers beforehand.
Job interviews are a two-way process. They offer an opportunity for the
candidate, as well as the prospective employer, to ask questions. Asking the
right questions can help candidates find the right job with the right company
Being well prepared for a job interview can make all the difference. Doing
homework on the company and the industry can ensure that candidates have a
steady stream of relevant answers when the interviewer starts asking questions.
But what is just as important is for candidates to have some questions of their
own ready. This shows that the candidate is thinking about what has been said
and is trying to better understand what is required.
Active listener, active contributor
The candidate should be an active listener, as well as an active contributor.
Nothing loses the goodwill or interest of an employer more than a candidate who
consistently misses the point and is not focused on what is being asked.
This is often a result of nerves. If this is the case, the candidate should just
pull back and concentrate on the point of the question. Asking for
clarification buys thinking time and teases out more information.
To make sure that the next job is a positive career move and not a leap into
the great unknown requires rigorous preparation. Prospective employers, for
their part, are not charities or foundations. They need candidates who can meet
their requirements and bring something extra to the business.
A two-way street
Candidates should find out what they will be getting from their prospective
employers. Not just in terms of remuneration, though it is important to think
this through and to discuss it at the right stage, but also in terms of
personal and career development. The interview process is the first step in the
relationship and needs to be a two-way street.
The two key questions are: is this the right company for me and is this the
right job for me? Some of that information can be found in company brochures
and websites, but it is also crucial to make use of the interview process.
Find out what happened to predecessors (if an existing role)
Candidates should ask what has happened to the last three people who did the
job they are applying for. Have they been promoted through the ranks of the
company and are they now enjoying heady perks at the top of the ladder?
Perhaps the predecessors no longer work for the company. If so, did the job
catapult them into the managing director's chair in a rival company or did they
leave because the job was heading nowhere?
If predecessors are now doing exactly the sort of job the candidate is dreaming
of, then the job could be perfect. If they are not, deciding whether the
position is the right one may require further thought.
If applying to a multinational firm because the idea of traveling appeals, the
candidate should find out what the opportunities for international experience
are. It is all a matter of asking the right questions and finding out exactly
what the scope is before accepting the job.
Think big, but watch the detail
The candidate should take a careful look at the employer and its departments.
Also get a clear picture of where the company is going strategically. There is
no point getting the ideal job in a company that will cease trading in a year.
On the other hand, an employer might not be able to offer the ideal job now, but
it may offer great opportunities for the future. It is important to find out
what the aspirations of prospective employers are.
To an outsider, the most mundane job can look glamorous if it is in the right
wrapping. It is up to a candidate to peel off the layers and get down to the
true essence of a position.
That involves doing some background research, talking to people who work for the
company and using that information to ask the right questions in the interview.
Making an informed decision is at the heart of changing jobs.
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First Interview - Useful
Hints
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Arrive early, which gives you time to compose yourself. If you are going to be
late (there are very few acceptable excuses) try to call in advance and warn
the interviewer.
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Introduce yourself to the Secretary / Receptionist, indicating your appointment
time and whom you are to see.
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If you are asked to complete an application form, do so in a thorough fashion.
An answer such as 'see CV' is not acceptable. Under headings related to salary
expectations, do not overprice yourself, give realistic figures.
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Walk briskly into the interview room and greet the interviewer with a firm
handshake (but not too firm!). Follow the interviewer's lead regarding
greetings. If the interviewer introduces him/herself formally, respond in a
formal manner
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Answer the question that is being asked. Keep to the point and make as many
positive remarks as possible, avoid answering negatively to any questions asked
and emphasise your good qualities
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Do not misrepresent your qualifications, experience or current salary
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Do not speak negatively about your current/previous employers or jobs. Doing so
could raise awkward questions about your compatibility
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Always act as if you are going to be offered the job you are discussing
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Show enthusiasm and maintain good eye contact to emphasise your sincerity.
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First impressions can be very powerful and have more of an impact than people
realise, so it is very important that you make a positive first impression by
ensuring your dress and grooming are consistent with the type of position for
which you are applying. Err on the side of conservative dress; wear a business
suit - sports jackets and casual trousers are not recommended. Clothes should
be neat and pressed and shoes should be polished.
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In wet weather try to leave your outer clothing and umbrella in reception.
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Helpful Hints - for those
unexpected questions:
Understand yourself. To honestly demonstrate who you are and how you think, you
must have good insight into your values, interests, temperament and motivators.
When you know what you enjoy and motivates you professionally, you'll provide
unforced answers that indicate whether you'd be a good fit. "It's in your best
interest to let the interviewer know what you like and what kind of job /
culture / organization you'd thrive in.
Think before you answer. Don't say the first thing that comes into your head.
Pause for five or 10 seconds or longer before offering your response. Often the
impression this makes on interviewers is "If I don't get an immediate response,
it tells me I've asked a worthwhile question. "I've forced a candidate to think
a little bit."
Consider the underlying intent to the question. Every query is designed in some
way to relate to the opening and whether you would be a good hire.
Realize you don't have to respond. Sometimes the right answer is "I don't know"
or "I don't have an opinion. People who have an answer for everything often
have the wrong answer for everything, so sometimes it's OK to take a step back
and say you'd like to think about something.
At the first interview stage of the recruitment process, the odds of getting the
job are still very long. A candidate has met the academic and perhaps the
personality profile the employer is looking for, but it is likely that anywhere
up to 100 others have also passed this test - 100 to 1 odds. The challenge now
is to shorten the odds.
When the Duke of Wellington said that The Battle of Waterloo 'was won on the
playing fields of Eton' he could have been stressing the importance of
preparation. As with so much else in life, preparation for the first interview
is pivotal.
To have a fighting chance at this stage, the candidate needs to treat it like an
exam. Although recruiters will be aware that candidates could have interviews
with other employers, they will want to be sure that a candidate has genuine
reasons for applying to their company. Just wanting a job, rather than wanting
this job with this company, is not going to get a potential employee very far.
The candidate should set about researching the company systematically. Key areas
of research will be company history, leading executives, financial performance,
recent news, global structure, recent successes and failures, strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
This information serves as a minimum requirement to get through the early stages
of the interview.
The first interview is normally carried out by a company's human resources team.
From their point of view, the purpose of the first interview is to match
potential employees' character profiles with the corporate culture of the
company and individual departments within it.
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Interview check-list
A candidate should consider the following:
Questions
The purpose of all interviews is to enable both parties to make an informed
choice.
A candidate needs to perform a balancing act between conveying the right message
in their answers, and asking the right questions to be able to make an informed
decision if they are offered a job.
The first interview is a macro interview and questions should focus on the
company and its approach to hiring, training and development. Candidates should
put time aside to prepare questions, research the answers and ideally ask for
more information in the interview.
The quality of a candidate's questions says a lot about their research and the
seriousness of their application.
Under the microscope
Everything that a candidate says and does is being assessed. The interviewer is
assessing both style and content. This is a very subjective part of the process
for the interviewer, who must whittle down a large number of applicants down to
a manageable shortlist.
Enthusiasm
There is a saying that enthusiasm sells. So if a candidate feels enthusiastic
about certain aspects of the company, the job or their own life, they should
demonstrate it.
Know thyself
Recognize strengths and weaknesses. There should be alignment to the
psychometric test or questionnaire. Candidates should be able to back-up any
comments with real life examples.
Pressure
Be prepared for shock tactics: not every interviewer will be pleasant. There
are many cases where there may be two or more interviewers involved at this
stage, and it is not uncommon for someone to take on the 'bad cop' role. This
person will put the interviewee under pressure by being confrontational,
questioning answers aggressively and testing the resolve or depth of true
knowledge, feeling or desire on issues.
Logic and consistency
The interviewer is looking for a consistency of message. For example, in the
types of job and company applied for.
Presentation
First impressions last. Some people say that one never looks as good as at the
first interview. Invest time into preparation. If in doubt, it is better to err
on the side of being more conservative.
Punctuality
Be early, know where to go, and plan the journey. Being late for a first
interview is a killer.
Top tips
Do not arrange an interview for the morning after a big night out.
If nervous, put some tissue paper or a paper towel in a pocket - this is good
for wiping the sweat from hands before handshakes.
Frequently asked questions
This list cannot be complete, but thinking through the following questions is
good training.
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Why that choice of subject/degree course at university?
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Which other companies have you applied to/had interviews with?
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Why are you applying to us/for that position?
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Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
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What are you looking for in an ABC role?
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What do you think are some of your good qualities or traits?
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Who do you admire? Why?
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What makes a successful person? Who do you think is successful?
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What is your greatest achievement? Why?
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What are the most important factors in a job?
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What would be the ideal job? Why?
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Can you describe a typical day in the job you have applied for?
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What job would you like to be doing in X years time?
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What job do you think you will be doing in X years time?
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If you had a million pounds, what would you do? How would you invest it?
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Describe the biggest problem you have faced in the last six months? How did you
handle it?
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Is there anything in your life you would do differently?
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Do you feel pressure? How do you deal with it?
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How do you deal with failure? Give an example?
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What differentiates you from your peers?
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Tell me about your siblings?
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How would your friends describe you? Your brother or sister? Your parents?
Interviewers have also been known to ask what question a candidate least wants
to be asked - and then gone on to ask it. There is no mystery: interviewers
want to see what is special about the candidate, in order to be able to select
the best people for the positions they are looking to fill.
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Telephone Interviews
- Have a copy of your CV to hand
- Smile when you speak, you'll come across friendlier and more enthusiastic
- Speak formally, unless the interviewer has asked you to address him or her by
their first name
- Remember to listen carefully to what the interviewer has to say, this will show
that you have good communication skills, and, it will give you time to take a
breath and decide how you want to answer a given question
- Some time before the phone interview takes place, prepare a list with the names
of the people with whom you'll be speaking, questions you want to ask and three
points you'd like to make during the interview
- Once the company has phone interviewed all scheduled candidates, a short list
is then drawn up for whichever candidates the company feels are a match with
the job specification, and then a face-to-face interview is generally scheduled
for suitable candidates.
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Second Interview - Useful Hints
By the second interview stage the odds are beginning to swing in the candidate's
favour. The focus is more on what the candidate can offer the company and
expect from the job. But the competition will be steep and a small number of
factors may swing the decision.
Typically the second, or final, interview stage will tend to consist of panel
interviews and group work, as well as one-on-one interviews. Each of these
elements has a purpose and put together will allow employers to select the
successful candidate.
Group sessions typically include up to three activities. First, there are
discussions where topics are introduced and debated within the group. Usually
these topics have an element of confrontation so as to assess a candidate's
contribution, testing their ability to put and defend a case and win others
over to their point of view.
In a group of six or more this environment can be fun or hostile, depending on
the group and a candidate's knowledge about the topic. Having a leading role in
these discussions is the best way of raising profile, but quality of content
and ability to argue your case will be viewed favourably.
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Tips for group role tests
Another common test is problem solving in a project format, working against the
clock. Group dynamics are observed, as are the final results of the project.
Personality traits are assessed by observing the roles adopted and the ways in
which people interact. The roles can include leader/manager, sales,
entrepreneur and technician. These functions are broad descriptions for traits
which individuals display when working in a group, particularly in an
environment where there is fierce internal and external competition.
A very easy mistake for ambitious people to make is to think that the role of
group leader is the only one worth having. As so much work is team-based and
requires collaboration, a candidate should work out which skills the group as a
whole needs to be effective, and fit in accordingly.
Everyone can play more than one team-role, although most people have usually no
more than two significant role strengths. So spot the role that the group most
needs, and if it is suitable, play it up.
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Tips for presentations
There is also scope for individual work followed by a presentation. These
presentations may be to the candidate's small group, the combined group or an
interviewing panel.
There is not much which can be done to prepare for these types of session
beforehand. The best approach is to be well read on current events, get public
speaking and presentation experience, and do some research into last year's
sessions. The content of the exercises may change, but the format will stay the
same if it has been successful.
The two best ways of acquiring inside information are speaking to people already
in the company and asking for it at the first interview. Often the best
information, on anything from exams to share options, is from an insider. As
the saying goes, 'if you don't ask you don't get'. So ask - the worst that can
happen is that someone will say no.
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Tips for panel interviews
Panel interviews are always harrowing. In one graduate interview, the candidate
sat on a swivel office chair facing a panel of five people who were sitting in
front of a huge window looking out onto a busy railway square.
The candidate had a tendency to fidget and get easily distracted so this was a
big test. The hardest thing was not to swivel too much when talking to the
people at either end of the panel. Managing to sit still for an hour helped get
the job.
Panel interviews are usually made up of a human resources specialist and
divisional managers, who may be competing for graduates or looking to make a
joint decision. Some panels may also include senior management and or
psychiatrists. These interviews allow a number of different directions to be
pursued, in an environment where not everyone will agree with the interviewee's
viewpoint.
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Good cop, bad cop
Some panels have a designated 'good cop' and 'bad cop'. These interviews are a
test of thinking on the spot, making judgments on why questions are being
asked and where they are going to lead.
Do not expect to get on with everyone and have your view shared: explain and
give reasons, but be careful not to become argumentative. Also beware of the
silent person: they are likely to ask left-field questions.
Sometimes questions may be trite or obscure, to flush out contradictions
between the candidate's second interview, psychometric test, or first interview
responses. But a panel interview can also be easier than a one-on-one because a
panel may not be that well co-ordinated.
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Tips for one-to-one interviews
The one-on-one interview will often be more micro focused, based on the hiring
manager's style, views and departmental needs. As a result the exercise often
focuses on specific skill matching and therefore time may be spent testing or
looking back on the candidate's analytical or language skills.
There can be some difficult questions that may require the candidate to call on
knowledge learnt during their degree, or problem solving. Other questions will
be scenario-based, designed to test the candidate's approach to handling
particular situations. In many cases these will lead on to a resulting scenario
which will need further solutions.
A third major element of the interview will be a discussion of the specifics of
the department and the job. The interviewer will want to determine knowledge,
level of interest and reasons for applying to that particular area of the
company and for that job.
Both the first and second interviews have sections where the company will sell
the benefits of coming to work for them, as opposed to the competition, to
candidates and expect them to ask questions. Prepare questions and always be
ready to respond to unexpected ones that arise in the interview.
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Further tips on answering potential interview questions
Why have you applied for this job
Do: Explain the value you can bring to the job. List the
aspects of the role and the company that appeal to you in terms of
responsibilities, training, career progression, company culture, technologies
in use, where you see the company growing or the good reports you have heard or
researched about the company.
What is your understanding of what this job entails?
Do: Discuss what you understand is typically required in terms
of this job. Qualify you understanding of the role in relation to the company,
and any other information you may have in relation to your knowledge of the
company, particular projects, changes in the current industry.
What are you looking for in this job?
Don't: Talk about what you want the company to give you.
Do: Discuss what you want in terms of what you can offer an
employer. If you are looking for more project-management experience, then
explain that you excelled in it before, and how you would like to further
contribute this skill and work with a manager who could help make this happen.
Are you the rights person for this job ?
Answering is difficult because even if you aren't suited for a position, "you
want to say yes, and people would tell you to say yes," One possible response
is 'I would like to know more, I certainly have the talent but would have to
explore it further'.
Why this company?
How can you make a difference in this role? How do you propose to add value in
this role?
Examples of where you have done the requirements of the job previously
Can you rate your skills on a scale of 1 to 10?
Do: Talk about how you strive for a 10 rating in both your
professional and personal life, stressing how important it is for you always to
do your best.
What are your greatest strengths?
Do: Convince the interviewer. Tell her or him some aspect of your work that you
are particularly proud of and how you have used it effectively to achieve
something of value to a particular project, etc. If the question relates to
personality traits, then immediately provide a one- or two-minute real-world
example to demonstrate. Have two or three prepared.
What are your weaknesses e.g. some aspect that you were weak on and how you
have improved.
Where do you see yourself in two to three years?
Do: Show that you have ambition and a structured way of
setting goals. But you don't have to be specific. Instead, explain how at this
point in time you look forward to advancing your career, and that you realize
other opportunities may crop up as the company learns more about you and vice
versa.
Closing the Interview
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If you are interested in the position - make sure you tell the interviewer(s)
this - if there are second round interviews, ask for one or ask what are the
next steps and timeframes in the interview process.
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If the interviewer offers you the position and you want it, accept it on the
spot. Prevarication is not considered desirable in an employee. If you are
genuinely unsure, be tactful in asking for a little time. Set a definite date
by which you will respond.
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Do not be discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary is
discussed. The interviewer will probably want to interview more applicants
before making a decision.
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If you get the impression that the interview is not going well, do not let your
discouragement show. Occasionally an interviewer who is interested in you may
seek to test your reaction to the stress of rejection.
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Thank the interviewer for considering you. If you have answered the two
questions uppermost in the interviewer's mind: 'Why are you interested in the
company?' and 'What can you offer the company?' you have done all you can.
After the Interview
Call your consultant in Allen Recruitment and describe how the interview went.
Your consultant will want to talk to you before the interviewing company call
Allen Recruitment.
If you are interested in the position, your consultant will help you to
secure it
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Evaluating the Interview
Whether the interview leads to a job, to another interview, or to rejection,
you should consider it a learning experience for any future interview.
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Jot down a few notes immediately after the interview. Note areas discussed,
reasons why you are suitable for the job, any negative points.
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Did you listen, make any interruptions?
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How did you background fit the job specifications?
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Can you do the job?
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Did you get on well with the interviewer? Did you agree next steps in the
interviewing process with the interviewer?
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Are you compatible with the corporate culture of the company?
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Are there good career prospects?
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Factors contributing to a Negative
Response at Interview
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Lack of preparation for the interview.
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Failure to ask questions about the position.
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Persistent 'What can you do for me' attitude.
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Poor personal appearance or posture.
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Lack of interest and enthusiasm. You exhibit passivity or indifference.
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Lack of tact, maturity or courtesy.
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Over emphasis on money.
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Evasiveness: you make excuses for unfavourable aspects of your records.
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Lack of appreciation for the value of experience.
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Being conceited and/or overbearing. You know it all.
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