TOOLS
Interview Tips
Helpful Interview Hints
How to prepare for the first
important meeting
• What to expect
• Be prepared
• The Interview
Interview Techniques
• Most frequently asked
questions
How to
Sell Yourself
in a Job Interview
• Facing the Interviewer
Top Tips for Interviews
• Face-To-Face Interviews
• Telephone Interviews
Top Tips for Presentation
To findout more
Call: 0845 873 9500
How to prepare for the first important meeting
You only get one chance to make a first impression so it is
important to make sure that the impression you do make is a
positive one.
What to expect
• Review the company literature prior to interview. Useful
information sources include: Annual Report of Accounts,
Company brochures and Website.
• Read up on the job content.
• Plan to arrive 5 - 10 minutes before your allotted interview
time. Arrive late and you can put yourself under pressure.
• Ensure you have looked at your CV and can talk confidently
about dates of education and employment, reasons for
leaving, etc.
• Prepare questions to ask at the interview. Questioning
the interviewer will demonstrate an active and enquiring
mind which is a pre-requisite for most IT jobs. At the first
interview stage it’s better to restrict questions to job content,
departmental structure and reasons why the post exists.
1
Be prepared
• Review the company literature prior to
interview. Useful information sources
include: Annual Report of Accounts,
Company brochures and Web site.
• Read up on the job content.
• Plan to arrive 5 - 10 minutes before your
allotted interview time. Arrive late and you
can put yourself under pressure.
• Ensure you have looked at your CV and can
talk confidently about dates of education
and employment, reasons for leaving, etc.
• Prepare questions to ask at the interview.
Questioning the interviewer will
demonstrate an active and enquiring
mind which is a pre-requisite for most
IT jobs. At the first interview stage it’s
better to restrict questions to job content,
departmental structure and reasons why
the post exists.
The Interview
The interview is very much a two way process.
You will also have to bear in mind that
interviewers will have their own personal style
or technique. The secret at an interview is to
be prepared for any style or technique and
don’t be put off if you encounter a technique
that is not familiar to you.
Ask questions that relate to the business of
the company speak about your accomplishes,
strengths and weakness. If interested, go after
the job! (Send a thank you message)
Interview Techniques
Most frequently asked questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell me about yourself.
What are your team-player qualities? Give examples.
Of the courses you have had at college which courses
have you enjoyed the most?
What is your GPA? How do you feel about it? Does it
reflect your abilities?
How have your educational and work experiences
prepared you for this position?
What work experiences have been most valuable to
you and why?
What have the experiences on your resume taught you
about managing and working with people?
Of the hobbies and interests listed on your resume
what is your favourite and tell me why?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What goals have you set for yourself? How are you
planning to achieve them?
To what do you owe your present success?
Why should I hire you?
What makes you think you can handle this position?
What is your most significant accomplishment to date?
Why do you want to work here?
What interests you about this job?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
What can you contribute to this company?
What motivates you?
2
• Describe a leadership role of yours and tell why you
committed your time to it.
• In a particular leadership role you had, what was your
greatest challenge?
• Give me an example of an idea that has come to you
and what you did with it?
• Give me an example of a problem you solved and the
process you used?
• Give me an example of the most creative project that
you have worked on.
• Tell me about a project you initiated?
• Describe the project or situation that best
demonstrates your analytical abilities?
• Since attending college, what is the toughest decision
that you have had to make?
• What industry besides this one are you looking into?
• Why have you chosen this particular profession?
• When you take on a project do you like to attack the
project in a group of individually?
• Describe the type of manager you prefer.
• Tell me about a team project of which you are
particularly proud and your contribution?
• Describe a situation where you had to work with
someone who was difficult, how did you handle it?
• What type of work environment appeals to you most?
• With which other companies are you interviewing?
• What characteristics do you think are important for this
position?
• Why do you feel that this company will be a career for
you rather than a job?
• Name two management skills that you think you have.
• What characteristics are most important in a good
manager? How have you displayed one of them?
• What factors did you consider in choosing your major?
• What has been your greatest challenge?
Facing the Interviewer
• Ask: about the information you researched.
• Ask: could you describe my job duties?
• Ask: is this a newly created position?
• Ask: what are the company’s short and long-term
goals?
• Ask: what do you like most about working for this
company?
• Ask: what is a typical day like for you?
• Ask: to whom would I report?
• Ask: what are my line management responsibilities?
• Tell me about your most difficult decision and how did
you go about making it?
• What types of situations put you under pressure, and
how do you deal with pressure?
• Give me a situation in which you failed, and how you
handled it?
• Why are you interested in our organization?
• What type of position are you seeking?
• Where do you think your interest in this career comes
from?
• Discuss: only the facts needed to respond to the
question.
• Ask: what personal development will I receive?
• Ask: what is the company’s promotional policy?
• Do not: open yourself to areas of questioning that
could pose difficulties for you.
• Focus: attention on your successes.
• With whom will I be working most closely?
• Ask: what are your interviews to placement timescales?
3
Top Tips for Interviews
Face-To-Face and Telephone Interviews
Please find below tips for interviews and
beneath those, specific tips for telephone
interviews.
Top 10…+ 1 Tips for Interviews
Interviews can be a daunting prospect for
anyone, but one thing to remember is that
the company inviting you along already
believes that you have the skills and abilities
to do the job.
You are over the first hurdle. Preparation is
key to clear the next one!
Top tips for interview preparation
1.Every company will have its own ideas on
interviewing and assessment so try and
establish from your Parity Consultant what
format your interview is likely to take.
2.Ensure you look over your CV thoroughly
and can talk confidently about dates of
education and employment, your reasons
for joining and leaving organisations and
your social interests. Brainstorm your
strengths and weaknesses. Identify what
to emphasise during the interview process
and ensure you achieve this.
3.Read through the job description/
content and jot down examples of skills
that demonstrate your familiarity and
experience with the role.
4.Research the company prior to interview
and take an opportunity to show the
interviewer that you have done your
homework. Useful information sources
include: The Annual Report of Accounts,
the company website and news and media
centre and company literature.
5.Prepare questions to ask at the interview.
Questioning the interviewer will
demonstrate that you have an active and
enquiring mind. You may wish to enquire
about the reason for the vacancy, the
short, medium and longer-term challenges
of the role, organisational/departmental
structure and the company’s strategy.
6.Make a good first impression - dress
appropriately, arrive on-time, remember to
smile, make eye contact and extend your
hand for a firm yet friendly handshake.
7.Don’t dominate the conversation.
Remember, this is the interviewer’s chance
to get to know you and a two way learning
process.
8.Be specific with your answers and back up
your achievements with facts. Elaborate
where possible, without being too
verbose!
9.Sit back, take a deep breath, compose
yourself and then proceed to answer if you
become flustered.
10.No matter what, remain positive
throughout and don’t forget to ask your
questions at the end if you haven’t already.
Armed with these tips, you are sure to
make a positive impression!
And.....Finally
+ 1) if you are interested in the opportunity
don’t sit back and wait to hear; go after the
job! A polite ‘thank you’ e-mail emphasising
your interest is always well received.
4
Top Tips for Telephone Interviews
• It is common for companies to use
telephone interviews to screen candidates
in the early stages of the recruitment
process. This allows organisations to sift
through unsuitable applicants before
inviting the most appropriate applicants to
a face-to-face interview.
•Candidates should prepare for a telephone
conversation like any other interview; listen
carefully to the questions asked and act in a
professional manner at all times.
• Know your CV
• As candidates, you need to be familiar with
your CV i.e. education and experience.
The interviewer will be looking to match
candidates against the job content. Also be
familiar with the job description and what
is involved and required from the post.
Have good examples ready to impress!
• Research the company
• Research the company and its culture
prior to the interview. Make notes. The
interviewer cannot see what you have
written down. Use this to your advantage!
• Prepare a handful of good questions to ask
the interviewer at the end of the session,
such as, questions about the challenges
of the role, interview steps and company
objectives.
• Create the right environment
• Make sure that your surroundings are quiet
and that you will not be disturbed. Ideally
sit in a comfortable chair with your CV and
a pen and paper to hand to jot down notes.
• Listen carefully to what is being asked
and answer questions with confidence.
Don’t be afraid to pause. Interviewers will
expect silences whilst you consider your
response but avoid unnecessary thinking
noises down the phone i.e. pen tapping. Be
positive and project your confidence down
the phone by smiling. This will also help you
to relax.
• End positively
• Always thank the caller for their time and
express your interest in the role. Reiterate
specifically the elements of the role which
interested you most and don’t be afraid to
ask what happens next.
Top Tips for Presentation
The material of your presentation should
be concise, to the point and interesting. In
addition to the obvious, such as, content
and visual aids, the following are just as
important:
• Appearance – first impressions count!
• Your Voice – ‘how’ you say it is just as
important as ‘what’ you say.
• Body Language – the movements
or positions through which you
unintentionally show other people what
you are feeling.
5
Plan
Prepare the structure of the presentation
logically, as you would for a written report,
by identifying the main objectives and points
that you would like to cover.
Use Visual Aids
Visual aids can help to improve the interest of
a presentation but ensure they are relevant
to the content. Be prepared for technology
mishaps and have a back-up plan on printed
slides.
Draft the presentation in rough, and then
review the draft. Delete anything irrelevant,
• Greet the audience, tell them about the
then double check that the presentation
aims and objectives of the presentation,
flows and is consistently smooth. If there is
deliver the presentation and ensure you
anything you are unsure about due to lack of
end with conclusions and/or a summary. It
understanding, take it out. Be confident about
is always useful to follow the old adage:
what you are presenting and be prepared to
• Tell them what you are going to tell them
answer any questions. Know what you are
• Tell them what you have told them
talking about and know it well!
• Keep to the time allowed and leave time for
discussion and questions at the end. Speak
Rehearse
clearly, don’t rush, pause at key points, use
Never read from a script and know most
your hands to emphasise specific points
of what you want to say. Prepare cue cards
and engage with the audience as much as
which have key words and phrases written
possible.
on them. These can be referred to if need
And…..Finally
be. It is always a good idea to rehearse your
presentation to yourself in front of a mirror
Good luck and enjoy yourself! The audience
and then in front of friends or family. Ask for
will want to hear what you have to say. Leave
honest feedback.
them with a handout of the main objectives
and conclusions of your presentation and
remember to include your name firmly on the
front.
Contact Details
To speak with one of our
trusted consultants
contact us on:
t: 0845 873 0795
e: [email protected]
w: www.parityprofessionals.co.uk
6
Parity Professionals is a Recruitment and People Development organisation with a network of offices in London,
Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. We work closely with our clients to source, develop and retain talent,
building both capacity and capability to improve business performance.