You’ve got the interview now let’s make sure you get the job, read this!! It may just make the difference!!

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Are You Nervous?

It’s normal to be nervous for an interview, and a little nervousness won’t do you any harm, but don’t let your nerves spoil a perfectly good opportunity to land your next job. A couple of things to bear in mind might help you here, the first is to remember that your interviewer may be nervous and feel under pressure to come up with questions to keep the interview going, remember they have had to prepare for this too. The other question you should ask yourself is – What is the point of getting nervous? Is it going to help me? The answer to both of these is a resounding no! So get rid of those nerves, take some slow deep breaths and put things in perspective, what is the worst that can happen? If you prepare well using the information in this article, dress smartly and appropriately, turn up on time, you really should focus on enjoying the whole experience.

Do you know where you are going?

This seems obvious, but check and double check where the interview is and how you are going to get there. There is nothing like finding the road has been dug up or diverted on the way to the interview for increasing your pre interview anxiety.

Timing is everything!

Check the time of your interview, arrive 10 minutes before it’s due, and spend the extra time relaxing and mentally preparing, reading the company literature in the foyer, or inspecting their plumbing to avoid mid interview weak bladder syndrome.

Knowledge of the Company

Find out about the company, this is very important, find out 2 or 3 facts about the company, their products, when they were established etc. Look on the company website so you can get a good idea about their products and services and their clients. Who owns them? Where are their offices? How many people work there? What is their turnover? How many countries do they operate in? There is nothing more off-putting for an employer as a candidate who has not bothered to find out anything about their company. One very common first question is “What do you know about our company?” Don’t fall at the first hurdle!

Know Your CV

The interviewer will almost certainly talk through your CV, be prepared to explain the reasons for changing from one job to another. If you left a job because you couldn’t get on with your boss or ex colleagues, it might be best to think about how you are going to explain this to your prospective new employer. No matter how justified you were in your thoughts and actions, you will need to be very careful about how you explain this without leaving the impression that you may be difficult to manage or work with. Try to explain all your job changes in a positive way, ie you have moved for better training and prospects, or career progression, of course explaining that this was after exploring all the opportunities with your previous employer. Avoid being critical of previous companies or employers, keep it positive.

You may get asked to explain the technicalities of a project, software or perhaps a piece of engineering you were involved with, this may have been something you undertook a couple of years ago, so make sure you swat up on this prior to interview and are able to speak confidently on this.
You may well be asked about your ambitions, make sure that what you say is in line with the possibilities within this company, you may turn this question round and ask what the opportunities for progression and training are.

Competency Based Questions

You may be asked competency based questions. These competencies may relate to the job role or the values of the company. Competencies are skills you need for the job, i.e. customer service skills, or team working. If you are asked a question relating to a competency, answer it relating it to a particular instance when you showed this competency.

The interviewer wants to score your response and you will gain marks by giving a specific instance, quoting what the situation was, what you did, and what your motivation was to do this. What did you say? and what was the outcome? Add your observations about what you learnt from the experience. If you give a generalised answer it will be very difficult for the interviewers to award you any points on this part of the interview. Try not to use any scenarios which are too personal and which will cause any awkward moments in the interview. Try to think of a situation that you are quite familiar with, and one which involved interacting with other people. You may also be asked about your personal feelings in this situation, ie how did you feel about that? Be prepared for this.

Example: This job deals with a lot of confidential information, have you done this before?

This question is in fact a closed question which could be answered with a yes or no. However, it is a competency based question and you need to answer with a specific example of when you have dealt with confidential information. An example of an answer is as follows:

I was asked to lead a project involving gathering our clients names and bank details. I developed a procedure for this to maintain confidentiality. This was important as we have a legal obligation according to the data protection act, I also firmly believe that it is very important to treat our customers with respect and professionalism, and ensuring that we continue to maintain their trust and loyalty. I ensured by daily checks that no confidential data was left out on unattended desks, and that all material was shredded and not disposed of in bins. I also asked our IT department to confirm that our IT systems were safe and got everyone to set new passwords. When I found one persons’ data in the normal bin, I held a team meeting and told my team of the importance of storing and disposing of the data in the correct way. The outcome was that there were no data leaks, my manager commended me for my performance on this project and we secured another contract on the basis of this piece of work, which I was asked to lead again.

Think of the competencies for the particular job you are applying for and the company values, i.e. team working, project management, liasing with clients, working to deadlines, commercial awareness etc and work out possible answers for these questions. Remember always relate to a specific piece of evidence that you can talk about, don’t generalize.

Your Academic Background

If you are a graduate, you will almost certainly be asked about your academic studies and special areas of interest / projects which are shown on your CV, as well as modules you have studied. Think about how these relate to the role you are going for and try to anticipate how your studies fit in with the likely work you will get involved in , ie theories, software packages, you may be asked how what you have studied relates to the role. Or, you may get more specific questions on technical points which you have shown evidence of studying in the past. Don’t get caught out here, prepare thoroughly if you want the job.

Know the Job and Why You Want it

Think about why you want this job? Use an answer which sells in your relevant skills and experience to the job. Keep it specific, don’t generalize.

What interests you about this job? Show you have some understanding of the job. You should also say something really positive about working for the company, their reputation and staff benefits.

Strengths and Weaknesses

You may get asked for your strengths and weaknesses – Prepare for this. Make your strengths things that they are looking for, and think of a weakness ie taking on too much work which shows a positive and say that you used to be like this but you have learned to prioritise and organise yourself to be more efficient

Body Language

Sit facing the interviewer with your hands in your lap to stop you waving about!. Keep eye contact, not constantly, occasionally look away. Listen carefully and show interest even if the interviewer doesn’t let you get a word in. Stay clear and to the point in your answers, don’t ramble on!

Dress Code

For office based roles wear a smart business suit, or something fairly conservative, with a neutral coloured shirt. Men should wear a tie. Avoid excessive perfume or aftershave, avoid too much make up and jewellery for women, (or men), and you would be best advised to avoid any visible piercings! You may like body piercing and tattoos but your interviewer may not! Don’t let your personal interest in body art prevent you from getting the job.

Remember that your first impression and appearance at interview really will make a difference to the decision of you prospective employer, who may take a more traditional view as to how people should present themselves at interview. The other important point is that if you look smart you will feel smart, and your increased confidence will help you sail through the interview and give you the best chance of getting the job.

Extras

Find opportunities to sell yourself relating your skills to the job and the company. If your mind goes blank, don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat the question to give yourself time to think, they will expect you to be a little nervous. Or, you could also say “can I just have a moment to think about that one.”

Remember that the interviewer may be nervous too, and will want the interview to flow as naturally as possible.

All employers are looking for Determination, Enthusiasm and Willingness to learn.

And Finally

At the end of the interview don’t be afraid to get a point across if you feel you haven’t had the chance during the interview.

If you are confident you could ask at the end if there are any areas of concern or weakness from your interview, which would give you the chance to counter these at this point

At the end of the interview thank your interviewer for inviting you and tell them that you were interested prior to coming to the interview, but having been to the interview you are now really keen and would be very interested if offered the job.

You may be asked if you have any questions. Here is a list you may want to choose from.

• How many staff do you have?
• Who are your main competitors?
• What other departments would I deal with?
• Who are your clients?
• Are there opportunities for progression?
• What do you do differently to your competitors that make you successful?
• Training opportunities?
• Is there anything else you would like to know about me?

Don’t be afraid to take in notes with you on a pad or card, it will make you look prepared.

Good luck, and more importantly prepare thoroughly and you won’t need any luck!

Any questions don’t be afraid to contact us.