Interview Advice

First Impressions

It’s often said that a hiring decision can be made within the first few minutes of an interview, which means that you wear can have a big impact on your chances of success.

Tips

Be wary of the term ‘business casual’. You still need to look semi-smart. Avoid jeans, t- shirts and trainers, but bear in mind who you’re interviewing for.

It’s more important to be well turned out. Well-fitting clothes, crisp clean shoes, and colours and patterns that complement each other.

Most importantly, wear something you feel comfortable in. There’s nothing worse than sitting in an interview and not being able to breathe or feeling really self-conscious about your clothes. Be yourself.

Preparing for your interview

First impressions: Making a good first impression can have a big impact on your chances of success.

Research the company: The company website and social media sites are good places to start. Look out for news and facts that you can use to show your interest. You should have 3-5 key facts that you can discuss at the interview.

Ask your recruitment consultant: Our recruitment Consultants visit company offices and build relationships with hiring managers. They have the insight to you shine at interview.

Telephone or Skype interview: For a telephone or Skype interview ensure that you are in a quiet place to avoid any distractions. Also ensure you have a good internet or phone connection.

Plan ahead: Plan a practice run at a similar time and ensures road works and rush hour doesn’t spoil your plans.

Plan your questions: Think about any questions that you missed in the first interview – write them down and be sure to give yourself the chance to ask them this time round.

During the interview

Confidence is key: Be confident and enthusiastic, both in your ability and what you can bring to the team. However be conscious of keeping answers on track and to the point.

An interview is a two-way experience: Ask questions about the company culture and values, how the role fits into the team and daily tasks.

Know your CV: Be prepared to describe your previous roles and responsibilities.

Take notes: Take a pen and paper to your interview so that you can take notes and refer to them during the interview if required.

Competency Based Interviews

What is a competence based interview?

The aim is to gather examples of when a candidate has previously demonstrated the skills (competencies) required by the role they are interviewing for.

Preparing for the questions

Think about the skills the company is looking for and consider examples of when you have used these skills. Re-read the job advert and pay close attention to the type of candidate they are looking for.

Be specific

It is important that you talk about specific past experiences, rather than your general way of working. Describe what you actually did and don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet.

Your examples

Your aim is to provide a varied range of examples that show a consistent picture of you as a desirable candidate. Your examples could include things like successful projects or solving problems.

Questions to ask in the interview

How to finish the interview in the first place

This can be the most daunting part of an interview – the part where you ask the questions. How do you show interest and engagement with the role and organisation in question?

Filling in the background

Is there anything about the company or team you want clarification on? To help build up a picture of what it would really be like to work there. Ask things like:

Can you tell me how the role fits into the team?

What are the team’s wider objectives, and how does this role fit into that larger picture?

Getting down to detail

For more practical questions that will help you determine if the day-to-day responsibilities of the job would be right for you, ask something like:

What are the main relationships I would have to build?

What would my KPIs be over the first three months?

How would a typical day be structured?

And finally...

You don’t want to get to the end of the interview and feel like you haven’t sold yourself well, so why not ask:

At this stage do you have any reservations that I cannot fulfil the role?

What are the next steps?

Would you like me to expand on anything further?

When would you be looking for someone to start?