Career Advice - Interview Tips

Congratulations, you've made it to the interview - what now? Interviews are nerve-racking for most people so being prepared can make all the difference.

Golden Rules

• Be yourself and be honest
• Be positive and emphasise your best points
• Show your ability to contribute to solutions
• Demonstrate your skills and aptitudes
• Show your willingness to get the job done
• Be concise and direct

What else should you think about?
Every interview is different so there is no magic formula that can be applied across the board. However, there are lots of things you can do to make the right impression, control the interview and hopefully get the job. The following tips will improve your chances of a successful interview process!

Preparation

About the Company - The more you know the more confident you will be. Potential employers also like to see enthusiasm, particularly if it is about their organisation. Do as much research as possible before the big day and find out about the company, the division you are hoping to work in and/or the site where you will be based. Look at the organisation's website and if at all possible, get hold of an annual report or brochure. Have some facts and figures ready, for instance company turnover, profits, successes and even recent problems that have been overcome (don't be too negative). If you are using a recruitment consultant, pick their brains about personalities, organizational structure and planned developments. In addition to specific research, you should ensure you have a good general knowledge of the business world and the economy as a whole. Make sure that you are reading a quality paper every day to keep in touch.

About You - Know your CV - Your CV will form the basis of the interview, so ensure you can talk about and if necessary verify the information contained within it. Know what you have to offer your prospective employer and work out how to present your weak areas positively. List five things you want the interviewer to know about you, your achievements and your abilities. Conversely, list five things you want to know about the company. This will keep you on track when talking about yourself and shows you have been thinking about the job and the company.

General Approcah to the Interview

Listen - Don't talk too much. Listen to questions carefully and answer them directly and to the point. Research shows that people who get job offers have spent 50% listening and 50% talking.
If you need to pause before answering a question – then do so.

Things to Avoid - Questions relating to salary or benefits. Tackle these later in the selection process, unless the interviewer brings the subject up. Avoid the 'life story' syndrome. Do not concentrate too much on the past, particularly past grievances and injustices. All an employer cares about is what you can contribute to the company's future.

Relax and Enjoy! Try and establish a rapport with the interviewer. A sense of humour helps, so relax and enjoy yourself.

At the Interview

First Impressions - First impressions set the tone of the whole interview, so they have to be positive. Arrive on time, even if it means setting out well in advance - we all know the unpredictable nature of the roads and public transport, so make allowances.

Personal presentation can be very important. Hair should be well-groomed, shoes polished and you should dress the part. Go for the conservative approach with a suit or smart jacket and trousers/skirt, unless you are absolutely confident that casual dress is suitable.

Greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake. Appear confident and enthusiastic and don't forget to be polite to secretaries and other support staff, who may have more of a say in the final selection than you anticipate. Try not to lose reasonable eye contact but avoid a continual stare.

Although a first interview is a two-way process which provides you with information on a prospective employer and the position on offer, its main purpose is for you to convince the interviewer that your experience and personality are better than those of your competitors. Few of us are perfect, so, if there are skeletons in your closet, such as a shaky academic record, then bring them out yourself before the interviewer discovers them and forces you on to the defensive. Even failure can be presented in a positive light if you can convince the interviewer that you have developed and matured as a result of it.

Experience - When dealing with your work experience, try to show how your skills have contributed to the success of past employers. Organisations today are looking for 'added value' from recruits at all levels and in all disciplines. Technical ability may simply be a starting point. In many cases you will need to convince the interviewer that employing you will have a positive impact on their organisation's effectiveness, so think on your key achievements in your career to date and highlight them as fully as possible. Be realistic and retain a sense of proportion - no one week assignment is worth twenty minutes of interview time, no matter how much you enjoyed it. Accentuate the positive by all means, but exaggeration and 'economy with the truth' are highly dangerous. Take care in explaining reasons for leaving previous jobs. Phrases such as 'I was bored', 'I didn't get on with...' should be avoided.

Questions - Retain at least one or two questions for the end of the interview to demonstrate interest and a lively mind. Make sure that you maintain a positive image. Tough questioning about future plans and the organisation's status are quite legitimate, but too much interest in the length of holidays or the sick-pay scheme may set alarm bells ringing.
If you feel the interview has not been a complete disaster and you're still interested in the post have the cheek to ask (politely of course) how the interviewer thinks you have done and if there are any particular areas of concern he or she may have about the strength of your application.

Persistence - If you have taken the trouble to go to an interview, be professional enough to see it through to the end. You may have decided that the company or the job on offer is not for you, but persist. In most cases your instincts will be correct, but there is always an outside chance that the person interviewing you is having a bad day or the company might have other opportunities which may be of interest. Remember you can always turn an offer down, but you can't accept one you don't get!

• Job Hunting • CV Tips • Interview Tips