Successful Interviews

The interview is your prime chance to build on the favourable impression made by your CV and be offered the job. From the moment that you walk into the room, the impression you make will either reinforce this positive image or start to install doubts in their mind.

The key to doing well at interview is preparation.

Research yourself – it is easy to assume that you can easily answer questions about yourself but it is important to analyse your skills and relate them to the duties and responsibilities of the role you are interviewing for. You need to have concrete examples to hand to demonstrate your use of the skills that are required by the job description.

Research the job – read the job description and person specification very carefully. Consider what is the overall purpose or goals of the job, how does it fit into the organisation as a whole. What is it about the job that appeals to you?

Research the organisation – you need to consider what the organisation’s core services are, what its unique selling points are, who its clients are, who its competitors are and, if it’s commercial, its turnover, profit and/or share price over the past few years as well as any reportage in the press about the organisation. For information roles, consider what the organisation’s information needs would be. Think about why you would like to work for that organisation in particular.

Presentation and Grooming

Interviewers form an impression of you as soon as you walk into the room. Therefore it’s important that your appearance gives a positive first impression.

• Always wear a suit to interview, even if you know that it’s an informal office.
• Pay attention to every aspect of your personal grooming. No point in splashing out on an expensive suit if your hair is a mess or your shoes are scuffed!
• Give a good firm handshake and remember to smile when you meet the interviewer.
• Remember not to stare down at your hands or at the wall while answering questions but make positive eye contact with the interviewer.

Common Interview Questions

You need to be prepared to answer questions similar to those below and to use them as opportunities to present your skills and experience in the best light.

Remember to keep your answers clear and concise.

It is important to have some structure to your answers and to keep to the point of the question.

• Why did you choose this kind of work?
• Why do you want to change jobs?
• Why would you like to work for this organisation?
• What interests you about our company, product or service?
• What do you want to be doing in your career two years/five years/ten years from now?
• Give me an example of when you did xxx
• How would you deal with yyy situation?
• What does the word ‘teamwork’ mean to you?
• Tell me your three main strengths and weaknesses.
• What style of management gets the best from you?
• What do you enjoy most about your current role?
• What have you learned from your previous jobs? Which did you enjoy most?
• What can you bring to our company? Why do you think we should employ you?
• How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?

For hints and tips on competency based interviews, see competency interviews.

Questions to ask

The questions you ask should be designed to demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in the role and are envisioning yourself working for the organisation (without being presumptuous).

Avoid asking any questions that will make you look ‘questionable’ in the eyes of an employer – it is all too easy to spoil a good impression by asking the wrong questions!

• Where does the unit fit into the overall business? How many users are there?
• Why is the position available? Is it a new role or a replacement?
• What induction or training programme would be on offer?
• How many are in the team? What is the reporting structure?
• What volume / type of enquiries does the unit deal with?
• What are the proportions of xxx work to yyy work?
• Don’t ask about salary, holiday allowance, benefits package, company sick pay scheme etc, particularly not in a first round interview, as it makes it look as though you are only interested in the mercenary aspects of the job.
• Don’t ask questions that go against the grain of the role e.g. where the interviewer has said that the job will involve working in a large friendly team, don’t ask “when will I be able to work independently?”

Avoid At All Costs

• Arriving late for interview. This creates a very poor first impression and shows you to be disorganised and rude.
• Do not simply answer yes or no to questions. Even if you are faced with a poorly trained interviewer who uses closed questions, ignore that and treat it as the equivalent open question e.g. “Did you do x in your last job” is really asking “what did you do in your last job?”
• Make sure you don’t ‘ramble on’. Be concise and make sure your answers are structured. Too much information is as bad as too little!
• Don't ever make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies. It is bad form; the information world is a small one and it will not reflect well on you if you seem to have a chip on your shoulder or a negative attitude.
• Never tell lies at interview – you will get found out!

Presentations

Presentations are often asked for at second round interviews. It can be a daunting prospect but again preparation is the key.

• Consider the topic they have chosen and relate it to the job description and/or information you gathered about the role at the first round interview. Why have they chosen this subject? Are they looking for your knowledge of the subject or are they testing your confidence and communication skills?

• How long are they expecting you to talk? Ask this before you start preparing. Never mind how much you could say on the chosen subject, think about which are the most important points to get across within this time and stick to it rigidly. 

• Ask what facilities they will have available. Will there be powerpoint/projection facilities available, or a flip chart, or a white board, or are they expecting you to talk to them while sitting round a table?

• They have probably included a presentation as part of the selection process in order to assess your verbal communication skills – are they looking for you to be concise, persuasive, influential, informative?  Make sure you meet their expectations. 

Finishing up and following up

• Thank the interviewer for their time and show interest in the role.
• Ask when you will hear about the next round or when they will make a decision.
• Analyse your performance and get feedback on how the interview went.

Finally, always conduct yourself as though you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on an opportunity. It is better to be in the position where you can choose from several jobs rather than only one or ending up empty handed.