Always remember you are being interviewed because the prospective employer and the
Talent Acquisition consultant like what you have to offer and your job application. At
this stage, they are confident you have what they need for the position. We all know
interviews are stressful for most people and when you are well prepared, the stress will
reduce.
Employers will be confirming your:
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experience, skills and your personal attributes
achievements with previous employers
achievements that show additional experience and skills that you can bring to
the job
fit the company’s culture and the team
resume is an honest representation of your experience, skills and attributes
The interviewer will ask questions to understand your strengths and the contribution
you can make to the position. They will be looking for the person who is the best fit for
the job including your personal attributes, attitudes, motivation and presentation.
Confirming your skills and qualifications is important. If there are gaps in what you have
to offer and what is needed by the job they will also consider those things where
training could be helpful. Below are some tips that can help you to be prepared and
boost your confidence at the interview.
Click on this link to download our EASY Job Interview Guide
Click on this link to download our EASY CV Word Template
QUICK INTERVIEW TIPS
ON THE DAY
You get one chance to make a first good impression.
Dress for the position you want – if you look good, you will feel good. Know
where you need to be, the address, the time, the contact person. Arrive a
few minutes early.
Greet the interviewer using their name, shake hands firmly and make eye
contact. Sit upright (not stiff), look engaged and interested at all times.
KNOW THE COMPANY
You will often get a question on what you know about the company.
Do research and learn a bit about the organisation, what they do and have
a couple of questions ready for the appropriate time during the interview.
BE ENGAGED
Follow the interviewer’s lead. Ask them to describe the position and the
responsibilities to you early in the interview. This helps you to relate your
background and skills to the position.
BE CONFIDENT
Make sure you get your good points across. Keep in mind that you alone
can sell yourself. Make the interviewer realise they need you in their
organisation.
BE PROFESSIONAL
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Never make derogatory remarks about your present or former
employers or co-workers’.
Be a good listener;
Keep to the point without rambling. Try not to over-answer
questions and always be honest – for example, in responding to a
detailed question it may be wise to say something like “I haven’t
done that before and I’m keen to learn” rather than make up a
response.
Smile and be friendly. Smiling can help reduce your stress (Smiles
release endorphins – smile on the way to the interview). Avoid jokes
if you do not know the people on the panel – it is too easy to offend
and you will not know how your joke will be received with people
you do not know well.
Always be respectful.
BE PREPARED
Have a couple of situations from previous roles that demonstrate your skills
(capabilities and achievements) and are relevant to the position. Some
typical questions are:
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What attracted you to this job/ our company?
What is your ideal job?
What were the three or four big challenges you had to overcome?
What were the actual results obtained?
What technical skills were needed to accomplish the task? What
skills were learned?
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Give me three examples of where you took initiative. Why?
What was the toughest decision you had to make? How did you
make it? Was it the right decision? Would you make it differently if
you could?
Describe the environment – the pace, the resources available, your
boss, and the level of professionalism.
Describe the planning process, your role in it, and whether the plan
was met. Provide details of what went wrong and how you
overcame them.
What was your actual role in this project?
Give me some examples of helping or coaching others.
Give me some examples of where you really had to influence or
persuade others to change their opinion.
WORK WITH THE FRONTEIR PEOPLE
CONSULTANT
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Confirm salary, holidays, bonuses and other employee benefits with
the consultant rather than at the initial interview.
Advise on the interview process.
Should you miss out on the job, seek advice for the next interview.