Interview Skill Tips

INTRODUCTION Interviews are the make or break of the job search. No matter how good your career record is to date, the job interview remains one of the most important steps towards achieving your career goals. Preparation for the job interview is, therefore, crucial. Before you begin the interview process you need to: • • •

Know your CV and ideal next career move Know your potential employer Know the interview styles that are currently in use

Throughout this section there are opportunities to practise and develop interview techniques. You may find it useful to be videotaped during a practice interview so that you can see yourself as an interviewer will. This may be particularly useful if it has been many years since you have had a formal job interview. As well as the knowledge and preparation you need to perform well in interviews, there are some general "DO's and DON'Ts" that should be incorporated in your interview style. Click here if you would like to read about this now. Know Your CV and Ideal Next Career Move There are several styles of interviews which will be covered later in the programme. However, this approach, i.e. knowing your CV and ideal next career move, requires you to be prepared to give evidence. In preparation for an interview, knowledge of your CV is the most important thing. It is your opportunity to set down situations where you have demonstrated how you added value to an organisation. If you have a firm grasp of your ideal next job, you will be prepared for ANY interview. The person interviewing you generally knows little about you except for what is in your CV. They will generally use the CV as a prompt to find out more about your career and your abilities. You should be sufficiently prepared so you are able to tell a story about every point you make on your CV. Try using the following model to help frame the stories you prepare. The model we recommend is called SOAR. It is relevant in preparation for and/or during behavioural and competency-based interviews. S stands for Scenario. You should begin your story with a brief description of the scenario you were in. This requires brevity and clarity so the listener has a context for your story rather than all the detail. For example, take this question framed from the competency, ability to manage a small team of professional staff: "Tell me about a time you had staff members in your team not working well together and you had to intervene." Answer: "I was managing a team of five marketing staff who generally worked on separate accounts, but needed to work as a group for a national launch of the company's major new product. When a critical deadline was not met, I realised that 2 staff members who were allocated to work together on a key task hadn't spoken to each other for over a year. This hadn't been realised, and now they were refusing to exchange vital information and were creating significant tension in the wider group." O stands for Ownership. This is where you clearly indicate the extent of influence you have had in the scenario you are describing. Use an appropriate pronoun so the interviewer is very clear about your role. An example could be: "It was my responsibility to get the product ready for launch, so I had to do something immediately."

A is for Action. Describe the action you took. Present it sequentially and identify key steps. Avoid excessive detail. An example could be: "As the revised deadline was only 24 hours away, I called a quick staff meeting and assigned the task to two staff members I knew worked well together. In the meeting, I gave the staff in conflict separate tasks I knew they could do without the need for collaboration, in addition to making an appointment to meet with each of them after the project launch." R stands for Results. Detail the outcomes of your action. For example: "The critical tasks were achieved by the next deadline, tension in the group eased, the total launch was a success and all staff knew that action was going to be taken with the offending team members." Each SOAR should take approximately 2 minutes to tell.

Know Your Potential Employer Here we recommend you research the organisation you are being interviewed by, and not just for knowledge. Use the information you discover to develop questions to ask those interviewing you. Look for trends, study the financials and ask questions about strategy and direction. You can research organisations by reading the business press, reading their annual reports and prospectuses, talking with your networks and, of course, on the Internet. To remind you of useful sites to source information, click here to go back to networking.

Know the Style of Interview Company recruiters and recruitment agencies use a number of different interview styles. Quite often, a combination of these styles is used. To help yourself prepare for interviews, learn to recognise these styles. Each requires a different approach by the person being interviewed. The most common styles are:

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Behavioural or competency-based Preference-based Ad hoc

Click on any of these to find examples of the questions and answers common in the different styles of interviews. These examples will give you an opportunity to explore the different kinds of information the interviewer might be looking for in the CV and in your interview conversation. They will also indicate the different kinds of questions that you could prepare to ask the interviewer. Now you're ready to go through a typical interview. This example includes the three styles we have outlined and indicates the category a question falls into. To access the example questions, click here.

Model Interview questions 1. Why are you here? (Preference/General) 2. What type of position are you looking for? (Don’t be too general. Refer to job titles, responsibilities and why). (Preference) 3. Describe your ideal company. (Refer to size, industry, culture, growth etc and why). (Preference)

4. What are your career aspirations? (Be honest but flexible). (Preference) 5. What salary/package are you looking for? (Discuss your previous package and perhaps quote a desired range - be flexible). (Preference) 6. Why did you leave your last employer? (Keep it short, factual, to the point and positive). (Preference/General) 7. Provide an overview of your career (Be structured, but not necessarily chronological, focus on skill sets). (Preference/General) 8. What are your key strengths? (Need 4 or 5 and identify a good example for each, in SOAR format). (Behavioural/Preference) 9. What are your limitations/weaknesses? imitations/weaknesses? (Need 1 or 2 and highlight what you are doing about them or preferably describe what was once a weakness and, after feedback, you worked on it and turned it into a strength). (Preference) 10. What have been your major career achievements? (Need 4 or 5 and give examples in SOAR format). (Preference) 11. What do you bring to a new employer? (Refer to type of experience, industry knowledge, unique skills, personal characteristics etc - consider using a SOAR example). (Behavioural/Preference) 12. Describe your management/leadership style. (Don’t use “general” statements, describe how you go about it and use examples in SOAR format). (Behavioural/Preference) 13. Tell me about a project that you initiated/managed/completed. (Behavioural) 14. Tell me about a difficult people issue that you had to resolve. (Behavioural) 15. Tell me about a time you managed a change process. (Behavioural) 16. Do you have any questions? (General)

How to Improve Your Performance at Interviews The short time you spend at a job interview could have a dramatic effect on your career prospects. It is, therefore, important that you perform well, because no matter how good your career record is to date, the employment interview remains an important step towards achievement of your ambitions. These hints, combined with the guidance provided by our consultants, will equip you with valuable information on how to conduct yourself during interviews with prospective employers. Preparation For The Interview Preparation is the essential first step towards a successful interview. Company interviewers are continually amazed at the number of applicants who drift into their offices without any apparent preparation and only a vague idea of what they are going to say. It is, therefore, important to: 1. Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer’s full name and its correct pronunciation, and his/her title. 2. Find out specific facts about the company: where its offices, plants or stores are located, what its products and services are, what its growth has been, and what its growth potential is for the future. There are a number of research publications that provide this kind of information. 3. Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present employer and former employers. You will be expected to know a lot about a company for which you have previously worked. 4. Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview. Remember that an interview is a two-way street. The employer will try to determine through questioning if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must determine through questioning whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek. 5. Probing questions you might ask about... (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)

A detailed description of the position Reason the position is available Culture of the company Anticipated induction and training programme The sort of people who have done well Advanced training programmes available for those who demonstrate outstanding ability Earnings of those successful people in their third to fifth years Company growth plans Best-selling products or services The next step

6. Dress conservatively and preferably in darker colours. Pay attention to all facets of your dress and grooming.

Negative Factors To Watch For During the course of an interview, the employer will be evaluating your negative factors as well as your positive attributes. Listed below are negative factors frequently evaluated during the course of an interview and those that most often lead to rejection: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Poor personal appearance Overbearing, aggressive, conceited; superiority complex; know-it-all Inability to express thoughts clearly; poor diction or grammar Lack of planning for career - no purpose or goals Lack of interest and enthusiasm - passive and indifferent Lack of confidence – nervousness Over-emphasis on money - interested only in remuneration Evasive - makes excuses for unfavourable factors in record Lack of tact/maturity/courtesy Condemnation of past employers Failure to look interviewer in the eye Limp handshake Lack of appreciation of the value of experience Failure to ask good questions about the job and company (this is most important!) Persistent attitude of “What can you do for me?” Lack of preparation for interview - failure to get information about the company, resulting in inability to ask intelligent questions

The Interview You are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to hire somebody - not because he/she wants to trip you up or embarrass you. Through the interaction which takes place during the interview, he/she will be searching out your strong and weak points, evaluating you on your qualifications, skills and intellectual qualities and he/she will probably probe deeply to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity. Some DOs and DON’Ts concerning the interview: •

DO plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable

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If presented with an application, DO fill it out neatly and completely. If you have a CV, be sure the person you give it to is the person who will actually do the hiring.

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DO greet the interviewer by his/her surname if you are sure of the pronunciation. If you are not, ask him/her to repeat his/her name.

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DO shake hands firmly.

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DO wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair. Look alert and interested at all times. Be a good listener as well as a good talker. Smile.

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DON’T smoke even if the interviewer smokes and offers you a cigarette.

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DO look a prospective employer in the eye while you talk to him/her.

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DO follow the interviewer’s leads but try to get the interviewer to describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview so that you can relate your background and skills to the position.

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DON’T answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. Explain whenever possible. Tell them those things about yourself that relate to the position.

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DO make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner. Keep in mind that you alone can sell yourself to an interviewer. Make him/her realise the need for you in his/her organisation. Smile.

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DO be prepared to answer typical questions such as: What kind of job are you looking for? What are your strengths? What are you really good at? What are your weaknesses? What are you doing about addressing them? What do you know about our company? Why did you choose your particular career? What are your qualifications? Smile.

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DON’T lie. possible.

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DON’T ever make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies.

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DON’T “over-answer” questions. The interviewer may steer the conversation into politics or economics. Since this can be ticklish, it is best to answer the questions honestly; trying not to say more than is necessary.

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DON’T enquire about SALARY, HOLIDAYS, or BONUSES etc at the initial interview unless you are positive the employer is interested in hiring you and raises the issue first. However, you should know your market value and be prepared to specify your required salary or range.

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DO always conduct yourself as if 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 a number of jobs rather than only one.

Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as much to the point as

Preference Based The preference-based interview is, in reality, the preference-based "part" of an interview. You will probably encounter this style when being interviewed by a recruitment agency consultant. This method is used to find out what individuals really want out of a career. It is based on a theory, for example, that a recruiter could be interviewing an accountant who would love to be a HR manager. Don't be thrown by questions (at the beginning of an interview) like:

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What are you looking for in the future? What sort of company would you like to work for? Which industry preferences do you have? Where do you want to live? Why are you exploring other options? Who had the greatest impact on your life? Describe your past mentors.

These interviews typically rely more heavily on the assessments you have done in Step 3. Defining Your Next Career Move.

Closing The Interview 1. If you are interested in the position, ask for it. Ask for the next interview, if the situation demands. If he/she offers the position to you, and you want it, accept on the spot. If you need some time to think it over, be courteous and tactful in asking for that time. Set a definite date when you can provide an answer. 2. Don’t be too discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary discussed. The interviewer will probably want to communicate with his/her office first or interview more applicants before making a decision. 3. If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don’t let your disappointment show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction. 4. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration of you. You have done all you can if you have answered the two questions uppermost in his/her mind: (a) Why are you interested in the job and the company? (b) What can you offer and can you do the job? Smile. After The Interview Last, and most important, if the interview was arranged by a recruitment consultant, call him/her immediately after the interview and explain what happened. He/she will want to talk with you before the interviewer calls him/her back. If you are interested in progressing further it will assist if your feelings towards the position are known, together with your perception of what the client’s reaction is likely to be.