Candidate Zone
Preparing your CV | Preparing for your interview | Resignations and counter offers
Preparing for your interview
Once your interview has been confirmed, it is important for you to be fully prepared for it Here are some general hints and guidelines to help with your preparation:
Know your employer
This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your research skills. It is important for you to find out as much as you can about the organisation with which you are interviewing. For example, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the size of the organisation i.e. how many employees does it have?
- How long has the organisation been established for?
- Does the organisation have other branches or head offices in other countries?
- What are its services/products? Their aims?
- Who are its major competitors?
- What skills are required for the position?
- How many are working in that department? Try and get hold of an up-to-date organogram
- What is the working ethos within that department? Please note, if you are using Pure 4 for this interview we will provide you with this information.
- Where does your position fit, in relation to the whole organisation?
Last but not least...
- What are some of the organisation's priorities, problems, policies or philosophies? Try to focus on these during the interview.
This research can be very valuable to you during the interview. It will not only increase your self confidence, but will also impress the interviewer. They will regard you as a person who has sincere interest in the organisation because you took time to find out something about it.
Know yourself
You need to know many facts about the employer, and the interviewer similarly needs to know many facts about you to make a fair evaluation. Interviewers are often amazed at the answers that are given to them when they ask the question:
Who are you and what do you want to do?
So, before an interview,
be sure you know what you have to offer a potential employer.
Evaluate yourself in terms of your strengths, and
how you could translate these strengths into skills your
prospective employer can use.
No one's perfect, so also be prepared to talk about your weaknesses. However, if you state a weakness, do not elaborate on it and try to turn it around into a potential strength for the organisation.
Be ready to talk about your career objectives, your long and short range goals, and your interests.
Study your CV and be familiar with your education and experience.
The most important point to remember when preparing for an interview is that the prospective employer is primarily concerned with hiring someone who will make a valuable contribution to the organisation. Be prepared to tell an employer why you should be hired. With many applicants for the same job, it will be up to YOU to convince the interviewer that of all those interviewed, you are the best choice.
Communicate effectively
You must be able to express yourself to the interviewer.
Though it is imperative for you to know yourself and the organisation with which you are interviewing, if you are unable to communicate your knowledge clearly and concisely, your interview will not be impressive.
The best way to improve your communication skills is to undertake role-playing before the interview. To help simulate an interview, consider participating in a mock interview with a willing accomplice. Ask your accomplice to evaluate you on the strength of your voice and eye contact.
You probably will be nervous during the interview. Concentrate on what is being asked and respond appropriately. Many people make their voices more monotone to sound professional. Don't! Use normal tone and don't speak too softly.
The interview
Arrive on time
It is better to arrive a few minutes early than one minute late for your interview. Interviewers have busy schedules and if you are late, it will cut down the amount of time allotted to you. Most importantly, if you are late, you will make a bad impression.
Dress
It is always imperative you wear a suit unless specified otherwise.
Format
The interview format can vary from a one-to-one contact between you and an employee of the organisation to a panel composed of several different employees representing various levels or functions.
The format can also vary from a single interview with an organisational representative to a sequence of several interviews on a given day.
Breaking the ice
As stated in the introduction, interviews are unpredictable and no two
interviews are alike.
At the beginning of the interview, interviewers usually try
to make you as comfortable as possible and will open the
interview with basic questioning from your CV. Since this is information
familiar to you, the interview will become less tense and you should be
ready when the interviewer starts to concentrate on specific facts.
Fielding the questions
After introductory questioning, the interviewer will usually get right to the point. Some typical questions are:
- What are your career objectives?
- Have you changed your goals? Why? (if pertinent)
- How can a job with this organisation help you meet your career objectives?
- What contributions do you see yourself making to our organisation?
From this type of questioning, the interviewer will be able to know whether the candidate is just looking for a job by using a shotgun approach, or whether a candidate has spent some time in self-appraisal and is trying to meet his/her needs through selective interviewing.
The interviewer will also be assessing some of the reasons or motivations for a candidate's actions or activities as well as some of the individual's style of operating. While a CV provides the facts, the interview provides the why and the how.
During the interview, the most important thing to remember is to be honest. The interviewer will not be able to evaluate you fairly if you attempt to deceive him/her. Telling interviewers what you think they want to hear is not the purpose of the interview. If you try to deceive the interviewer and s/he is wise to the deception, the chance of being invited for a second interview is slim.
Another point to keep in mind: be prepared to back up what you say. According to interviewers, too many applicants make statements that they are unable to prove. If you state that you have certain skills and abilities, be prepared to cite specific incidents where you have used or demonstrated them.
In some interviews, there might be some 'stress questions' thrown in so that the interviewer can get to know you better. Stress questions are usually problem-solving in essence, and there is no right or wrong answer. The purpose of this type of questioning is to see how you think and react under pressure.
Asking the questions
If you have done your pre-interviewing research, then you should have prepared some intelligent questions in advance.
Focus on opportunity, not security. You could ask for more information regarding all fringe benefits. It will also be helpful to prepare questions concerning the organisation's markets, methods and projected plans. Ask them not only as they will affect you, but for general information. Interviewers will be impressed by your interest in the organisation.
When the interview is over, thank the interviewer for taking time to talk with you. Re-emphasize your interest in the position and your appreciation for being considered. This is important, since many candidates mistakenly assume that interviewers sense their interest.
If the interviewer does not definitely offer you a job (this is very rarely done in the initial interview) or indicate when you will hear from him/her, ask him/her to estimate a date when a decision might be made for further job interviewing or for an actual offer.
Our innovative approach continues to gain recognition with clients and candidates alike.
And one more thing....
10% of our clients' final invoices are donated to our clients' chosen charities.
Simple yet life changing.
info@pure-4.co.uk
or phone: 0207 917 9530