we’ll put you first™
Making Your Interview a Success. P1.
Well Done. You have an interview, this means you are almost there!
You are only asked to attend an interview if the employer thinks you can do the job. Now you just have to
convince them that you are the person they hope you are.
This is your chance to sell yourself, presenting the best possible picture of yourself, your experience, your
qualifications, your background and your enthusiasm for this opportunity.
Preparation
Job offers are won and lost on thoroughness of preparation
• Research the company. Remember, you are deciding if you want to work for these people. Check brochures,
adverts and web sites.
• Talk to yourself. This is not the first sign of madness! Practice will develop your fluency for talking about your
achievements.
• Prepare a ‘30 Word Work Statement’. Base this around why the employer should hire you. All that you say
in the interview should amplify your 30 word statement e.g. ‘I am a highly motivated professional who has a
proven track record of successfully negotiating in a sales and finance capacity’.
• This statement should be brief and powerful, highlighting all of the best elements of your employment skills
and experience. The question: Tell me about yourself is a gift to someone with a well-prepared statement.
• Practice promoting yourself. Make a list of 5 achievements, 5 skills or 5 things that you are good at or proud of
at work. Keep these in mind throughout the interview.
What Questions will they ask me?
Before attending an interview you should think about your responses to the following questions. Your answers
may depend on the specific job or company in question, so you should go through your responses just before
each interview.
Why do you want this job?
Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects that have attracted you to applying for this
position (or led you to giving your agency permission to send your CV for the position). Good reasons might
include: Opportunities for career progression; a fresh challenge; a chance to utilise a broader range of your skills;
reputation of the company. Do not mention any negative aspects of your current job or employer.
What qualities do you think will be required for this job?
Their advertisement for the job (or job specification if provided) should help you here but you should also think of
the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication
skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc. Obviously it helps if you can demonstrate that
you have all of these qualities.
What can you bring to the company / this position?
This is your chance to shine. Tell them about achievements in your previous position(s) that are relevant to this
new position.
Why do you want to work for this company?
Emphasise the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as money or shorter
hours. These would not endear you to a prospective employer. Focus on information you may have gathered from
their web site such as evidence of their expansion, or their reputation supporting and developing their staff.
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we’ll put you first™
Making Your Interview a Success. P2.
What do you know about this company?
This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Let them know that you
have done your homework and read up on them via their web site or brochures. Where possible give them a run
down of their products/services, size, location, news, customers, figures etc.
What interests you about our product (or service)?
Again, your research into the company should aid you in answering this question. Similarities with or differences
between their business and your existing employers business could be mentioned here in a positive light.
What can we offer that your previous company cannot offer?
Tread carefully here! Again do not mention money. Do not get drawn into bad-mouthing your current or previous
employer or discussing any problems you may have had at work. Stress opportunities for personal growth, new
challenges, etc. Focus on what you are personally seeking from your next career move. The implication will be
that your current company cannot offer this to you at this point in time but that you believe this new firm will be
able to.
You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope/succeed?
If you are the sort of person who aims to succeed at everything you do and are determined to do whatever it
takes to get the job done, say so. If you are a quick learner and feel confident in stating this, say so. Whatever
answer you give will have more impact if you can support it with evidence of previous successes, so if your last
job was totally new to you when you took it on, tell them how you coped then.
Why should we employ you?
If The answer to this question will be based on your previous experience and achievements that relate to this job
with this company. Now is the time to use your prepared statement. You could add that you think there is a good
fit between you and the position on offer, or that you feel confident in your ability to perform the role.
How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant
contribution to the team / company?
If you think you could contribute from day one then say so. Alternatively turn the question round on them and
ask how soon would they expect it or what training would they offer to ensure that you were able to contribute
as soon as possible.
How ambitious are you?
This is sometimes seen as the interviewers way of asking, ‘Would you compete for my job?’ The answer you
give will depend on the position you are applying for and your own career aims. It will never hurt to sound fairly
ambitions but try not to be too aggressive in your statement or you may be seen as a threat. Often a company is
trying to assess your long-term commitment to them. They will not be keen to recruit someone who they think
will quickly be bored or dissatisfied and likely to be looking to move on quickly. They would prefer to hear some
sort of long-term commitment to following a considered career path with them.
What do you like/dislike about the job we are discussing?
Likes: stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company.
Dislikes: imply there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why you are so interested.
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we’ll put you first™
Making Your Interview a Success. P3.
Why did you choose a career in?
Be positive about your reasons. Even if you do not feel it was a conscious decision, there must be reasons why
you are looking to remain in this field. Focus on what skills you feel you bring to the environment and why you
enjoy working within it. If you have changed careers, or are looking to do so make a logical argument for your
decision. Always stress the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative aspects of your previous
career. Say why you think you will be good in the new career. This should come from your experience and
achievements; stress the transferable skills you have, such as leadership ability, etc.
Why did you join your previous company/ies and why did/are you leave/ing?
Always be positive about your reasons for joining and leaving a company. Don’t lie but don’t say anything more
negative than ‘It just wasn’t the right position for me at the time’. Be very careful that you do not say anything
negative about you previous or present employers. If you do, the new company will wonder what you will
say about them when you leave. It is good to show that each move was a positive step up the career ladder,
but be careful if you have moved jobs frequently. You do not want to be seen to be ‘job hopping’, particularly
for monetary reasons. Stress that you are/were looking for a new challenge or increased opportunities for
progression.
If the reason for leaving somewhere was out of your control, such as redundancy, say so but don’t dwell on how
that may have made you feel. Move on to talk about other opportunities that opened up as a result. Personal
reasons such as relocation to a different area are also perfectly acceptable but don’t get caught up talking about
the divorce or new relationship that lead to this move!
Explain the organisation structure in your last company and how you fitted into it?
Every company is structured differently and this sort of question may be used to find out whether your old job
is at a comparable level to this one. If the new job being discussed would be a step up the ladder you will need
to show that you are ready for a more demanding position. You may be able to show that you have already had
many of the responsibilities and the necessary skills that would be required for the next step. Tell them how
many people report to you and who you report to, as well as any unofficial training or supervisory duties you
may carry out with new staff for example.
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we’ll put you first™
Making Your Interview a Success. P4.
What questions shall I ask at the Interview?
The interview is a two-way process. The company interviewing you will want to find out whether you are
suitable for the position and you will want to find out if the opportunity is right for you. You should therefore
ensure that you have enough information to decide whether you want the job. For example:
• What will my responsibilities be?
• Where will I fit into the overall organisational structure?
• Who will I report to?
• Where does he/she fit in the structure?
• Who will report to me?
• How experienced are they?
• What do you expect from me in the first 6 months?
• What training do you provide?
• Where is the company going?
• Are there plans for expansion?
• What are the chances of advancement/promotion in this position?
• Will travelling be required in this position?
• Will relocation be required now or in the future?
• When will you decide on the appointment?
• What is the next step?
Just before the Interview Day?
Ensure you know where the interview is and whom it is with. If possible find the offices before the day of the
interview so you know exactly where you are going, where you can park and how long it will take you to get
there, allowing time for bust traffic periods.
• Ensure that you give yourself sufficient time to get there. Do not be late.
• Dress smartly. Image is important. Bare in mind dark colours are more powerful than light ones. Avoid
flamboyant or high fashion clothing. Pay attention to details – clean shoes, clean nails, etc.
In the Interview?
The first 10 minutes:
Manners and etiquette are very important - remember first impressions will last. Try to relax. Be positive,
affirmative and friendly. Shake hands with interviewers. Use their names if possible. Tell them you are pleased to
meet them. Wait until you are asked to take a seat before sitting down.
Body Language:
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right signals. You should always look
attentive, so do not slouch in your chair, but try not to look nervous (even if you feel it), so don’t lean forward
either. Sit up straight and don’t fidget.
Never lie to anyone in an interview; your body language and tone of voice (if not the words you use) will probably
give you away. Classic body language giveaways include scratching your nose and not looking directly at the
other person when you are speaking to them. Remember to smile!
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we’ll put you first™
Making Your Interview a Success. P5.
After the Interview
To call or not to call? If Source Recruitment arranged the interview we will ring the company for you after your
interview to obtain information as to when a decision is likely to be made. However, it is always helpful if you ask
them about likely timescale at interview.
We will also do our utmost to ensure that a definite response is received from the company within a reasonable
time scale and that you are advised of their decision as soon as possible.
If you receive an offer of employment, don’t move the goal posts. If you have discussed your salary requirements
at interview (or with your Source consultant prior to an application being made on your behalf) and then
receive an offer that meets this, you cannot then increase you salary expectations. You may well find the offer
withdrawn!
However Source Recruitment will negotiate (if appropriate) on your behalf and will continue to advise and assist
you right through receipt of the contract, handing in your notice and commencing your new position.
Feedback. If you are not successful, we will try our best to get feedback on your interview performance in order
to help you with future interviews.
Good luck - the Source Team
[email protected]//www.source.gg