Many of you have interviews for new beginnings this term so here are some thoughts to help you prepare.
- Take it seriously – there is no such thing as a casual ‘chat’ in recruitment. A new hire is a big investment for any organisation. They are definitely interested in hiring you – interviews are expensive in time and effort so you have to look a good fit to get your invitation.
- Logistics – Getting there – where? what time? and how? Be very clear on the details. Some organisations have many buildings that can be well spread out with lots of different entrances. If taking the train don’t rely on making a tight connection – Monday morning travel is often fraught with over-running engineering works and staffing issues. If driving, is your car reliable enough for the journey? Have you got the number to call if something delays you?
- Personal presentation – Smart and sensible, clean and tidy – check everything is available and ready to go before the day itself. If there are going to be tours of the place and/or a stand-up presentation think about the comfort of your footwear. If you are unsure, ring and check dress code with the person who sent you the interview invitation.
- Preparation – Remind yourself of the original advert and what you said in your application. Try and think of some additional examples of things they asked about. Read up everything you can about them: web-site, text in the annual report; news cuttings (there are services you can sign up to). If you have to do an oral presentation what are the arrangements – PowerPoint projector or just stand and talk?
- Be friendly and polite to everyone you meet. They may be asked their impression of you as part of the selection process. Other people being interviewed may become your co-workers if there is more than one post on offer.
- In the interview – answer the questions. Look at your interviewers. Start concisely. Add more detail if they ask for it. If they ask technical questions they may not expect an instant answer – rather to understand your approach and reasoning to apply what you do know to the problem. If they are asking behavioural questions use the STAR technique: Situation, a brief outline; Task, what you were trying to accomplish; Action, what you did and why; Result, whether you were successful or not. Also add what you might do differently if you faced the same situation/task again. Don’t be afraid to clarify if you do not understand the question. A good interview should end by asking if you have any questions. It will impress if you ask some. If you don’t it can look as though you are not really interested. Take advantage of any workshops/practice sessions your Careers Service offers.
- If you are going to be asked to take psychometric tests do practice before hand. It makes a real difference. Your Careers Service may run sessions or you can have a go online.
- For an oral presentation, make sure you address any question posed in the guidance as well as covering your skills and strengths. A handout shows you are well prepared and keen. If you only get given the question on the day you may still be able to produce a hand drafted one if you get any preparation time. Talk to your audience not the screen/flipchart. Make sure you stick to the time. If you have prepared in advance, practice for timing but be aware nerves may make you faster or slower in the actual performance.
- If the interview/assessment includes a group exercise, take it seriously and join in. Offer ideas, listen to those of the others, be prepared to be assertive to get your ideas heard but don’t try to dominate. If other people have great ideas acknowledge them and try to build on them. If there is someone not participating see if you can draw them in. Keep an eye on time, use summarising to check where the group is and move things on to achieve completion.
- Afterwards – Ask for feedback. If you weren’t successful you need to know where you could have done better and what you did well. And if you are successful you still need to know, to build on when you start the job or if you are making other applications for jobs you may prefer.
Remember, interviewing is a two-way process. Did they convince you that you want to work for them?
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