Advice Guides - Making Your Job Interview Successful

I’ve always felt that the objective of the interview is to achieve a job offer!

On numerous occasions over the years I’ve heard a candidate say after an interview, “Yes I’ve decided I would like that job”.

It’s unfortunate that I then tell them, “well the company are not interested in making you an offer!”

It’s a Common Mistake:

The candidate is using the interview to analyse, question and identify if it is the right role! By concentrating on if the job ticks all the boxes, the candidate forgets to sell themselves!

As interviewers we want to feel you are motivated to accept the job, that you are selling yourself into the role, that you want to work for our company.

Remember it’s a two way process where both parties need to feel wanted!

Get the job offer and then decide whether to accept!

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The Interview Itself:

The employment interview is important because it may determine the entire future course of your life.

Interviews come in many forms – panel interviews, assessment centres, one to one, make sure you are aware beforehand so you are not caught unprepared. Increasingly most companies adopt some form of competency based interview. This is essentially managed to give a structured approach that looks for positive and negative indicators of a set of competencies required for the job. The questions are designed to ensure each applicant is measured equally as the same questions are asked consistently of each candidate. The competencies for a role may include leadership and the question will usually be designed to ask you to demonstrate your ability in this area.

Backing up claims with real examples and the resulting positive outcomes for the company are essential. We can all say we are positive. The person that can prove that they are positive by describing how they have demonstrated this quality will win the day.

I’m constantly amazed at people who claim to have a particular competency are completely stuck when asked, “can you give me an example of a time when you have demonstrated this in your current or previous role?”

Be Prepared for Answering Questions based on the Competencies of the Role:
If you don’t know what competencies the company are looking for – find out!

Two-way communication:

• Try not to monopolise the meeting let your interviewer talk – listen and respond.
• Don’t rush to give answers to fill in that awkward gap.
• Consider your answers.
• If you are stuck and your mind goes blank – don’t panic, repeat the question to give yourself time to formulate your response.
• Honesty is the best policy – if you don’t know the answer say so and ask whether you can come back to the questions later. Please do not try to waffle or embellish.
• Speak up and look the interviewer in the eyes when you answer questions.
• Keep your answers brief and succinct but try to avoid yes and no answers unless it’s required.
• Again if you need to pause, do so, it shows you are thinking and not delivering a rehearsed response.
• Always thank the interviewer for their time and interest in your application. If you are interested in getting the job, make sure you tell them that you are interested in the job opportunity without going over the top!
   

The Do’s and Don’ts:

Do:

• Smile and be polite to everyone you meet, the receptionist, the car park attendant, people you pass in the corridor etc. They are vital and important and often get consulted by the interviewer.
• Carry papers in a suitable case or folder if taking them.
• Arrive a few minutes early.
• Give a firm handshake and maintain good eye contact.
• Accept a drink - water is better, this allows time for rapport and settles your nerves.
• Expect to like the interviewer, it dramatically improves your approach.
• Greet the interviewer by his surname, i.e. Mr ………………..
• Remember to smile as you would in any other meeting.
• Answer briefly and avoid yes and no answers. Make them know you are interested in the job.
• Provide examples to back up your claims.
• Spend the interview listening intently and answering their questions, having prepared for likely competency based questions.
• Ask good pre-prepared relevant questions at the appropriate time, when they have finished their assessment of you!
• Remember to sell yourself with the objective of getting a job offer!
• Highlight your achievements, skills and experience in line with the requirements of the job description. Pause and think before answering questions, it shows you’re not pre-rehearsed.
• Thank them for their time and interest in your application.

Don’t:

• Ever make derogatory remarks about your present or past employers.
• Waffle or embellish.
• Lie. Be honest, if you don’t know say so.
• Answer with simple yes or no unless the question requires a straight answer.
• Inquire about salary, vacations, benefits etc, especially on the initial interview. If asked highlight what you’ve earned but you are more interested in the opportunity and whether it fits your needs.
• Be clever and try to use body language or mirroring. It’s very irritating and can be spotted a mile off by an experienced interviewer.
• Take copious notes – you’re there to listen!
• Never look down when answering questions.

Negative factors during Interview:

During the course of the interview, the employer will be evaluating your negative factors as well as your positive factors. Listed below are negative factors, frequently evaluated during the course of the interview and those which most often lead to the rejection of the candidate:

• Lack of preparation for the interview – failure to get information about the company resulting in the inability to ask intelligent questions.
• Poor personal appearance and standard of dress.
• Overbearing – overaggressive – conceited “superiority complex” – “know it all”.
• Inability to express thoughts clearly.
• Lack of planning for career – no purpose or goals.
• Lack of interest and enthusiasm – passive and indifferent.
• Lack of confidence and poise – nervousness.
• Overemphasis on money – interest only in the best money offer.
• Evasive – makes excuses for unfavourable factors in records - be honest.
• Lack of tact – maturity – courtesy.
• Condemnation of past employers.
• Failure to look employer in the eye.
• Limp handshake.
• Failure to ask questions about the job.
• Persistent attitude of “What can you do for me?”
• Finally remember your CV did its job. They are sufficiently interested.

Take the interview as a golden opportunity to prove them right in their initial assessment. Please use our advice guides and interview questions – both questions you’re asked and you can ask.