INTERVIEW HINTS

HOW TO MAKE YOUR INTERVIEW SUCCESSFUL This could be the only opportunity to make an impression on your prospective employer, let’s make sure that it’s a good one! This page is here to offer you advice and tips on how to succeed and get the job that you want. PREPARATION Interviews are just as much an opportunity for you to find out about the organisation you are interested in, as they are for the interviewer to find out about you. They are an opening for both you and the client to find out your suitability to work within their company, whether it will provide the job satisfaction you require and fulfil your personal abilities. Make sure that you can talk with ease and confidence about everything that is on your CV. Cite the skills, qualifications and experience that you have which is relevant to the position. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer, showing you to be taking an interest in what their organisation is about. Discussions regarding salary and benefits are best left until a possible second interview or after a job offer is made. DO YOUR HOMEWORK Finding out as much as possible about the company you are interested in is an excellent place to start. Use their website to find out about products, services and the number of employees for example. Also ask your employment agency for any information and a company annual report should there be one available. DRESS CODE AND APPEARANCE Whilst many of us would like to live in a world where appearances are of little concern, unfortunately they still count for a lot. So, ask what the company dress code is. In an office environment, smart business wear is a given. Keep hair, nails and clothing clean and tidy, nail polish and jewellery simple and don’t overdo aftershave or perfume. TRAVEL AND TIMING Arriving late is not likely to give the good impression you hope for. So plan your journey in advance, allowing time for a few minutes to prepare yourself before the interview. It would be a good idea to do a ‘trial-run’ at the time of day you will be travelling so you can allow for any delays. Also keep the contacts phone number to hand so you can ring and let them know should you find yourself running late. THE INTERVIEW WHAT TO EXPECT Ask your consultancy what style of interview you will be involved in beforehand, be it one to one interview, panel interview or group interview. You may also be required to take some form of test depending on the role you are interested in and the type of company. These could consist of aptitude of psychometric testing. Each interviewer will have a different style to the next one, encompassing different questioning techniques, be they open-ended, meaning that you are obliged to do most of the talking, or they can be very direct, requiring the minimum response. Most will be a combination of the two. TWO WAY COMMUNICATION The employer has to be aware of the benefit it will be to them should they employ you. Use this opportunity to sell yourself, letting them know all the relevant details concerning your experience and skills. Now is not the time for your modest side to take over! Find out the specific candidate requirements and then show how you can meet them as an individual. Show that you have looked into the company and are interested in how it is run. Try not to dominate the meeting, let the interviewer talk. Ask about the role of the job within the company, how it contributes to the success of the organisation overall . Do not give negative information concerning yourself or your last place of employment. Being pessimistic about a former place of work does not impress. However, try to turn negative information into positive. THE NEXT STEPS Find out exactly what is to happen subsequent to the interview, who will contact you to let you know if you have been successful, and by when. Also find out if there are to be any second interviews given. Make sure that the interviewer knows just how interested you are in the position. AFTER THE INTERVIEW Try to get a response from the consultancy as to how the interview went and, let them know your reactions to it. NEGOTIATION If the final offer is not what you had hoped for, ask the consultancy to negotiate with the client on your behalf. Let them know that you are extremely interested in the job but the package as whole is not quite what you expected. See if the company can be flexible on the issues you are unsure of. TOP TIPS Have a strong positive handshake. Be polite to all the staff you meet, they are all important to the recruitment procedure and could influence the final decision. Do not accept a drink at the interview as it can be a distraction. Carry all the papers you need for the interview in an appropriate bag or folder. GOOD LUCK!