This is paramount! It will make you stand out from all other candidates being considered for the role in question. You might appear to be the best candidate on paper, you may have glowing credentials, but a lack of preparation before the interview can let you down. Most interviews will only last one hour, you will probably not get a second chance!
Here are some guidelines for you to follow:
1. Make sure that you know the exact time and location of the interview and allow plenty of time to get there, most people suggest a 10 minute window. There is nothing worse than being flustered when you arrive.
2. Make sure that you know exactly who you are meeting and try and get some background information on them, it will be easier to understand their drivers. Try and also ascertain the format of the interview, what the process will be and who else you are likely to be meeting.
3. Be clear for which position you are being interviewed, ideally get an advert or job specification and do some research about your future employer; it shows you are keen and will add to your confidence.
The organisation’s website is THE best source of research. Most sites now have press release or news sections that will provide you with up-to-date information. There may also be a career section and a financial information section for potential investors.
Trade publications are the next most specific source of information. Many of these journals now have their own websites with both current and archived material on them. Most national newspapers and even uktemps (uktemps news) have news links with archived material that can be sourced and searched through very easily.
Networking with anyone you know who knows someone who works within the organisation to gain information that would otherwise not be available to you.
If you can bring any research or knowledge to the interview and add it to your “sell” then it can look very impressive to potential employers.
4. Give some thought to questions that you might be asked at interview as standard questions are quite often repeated from company to company and interviewer to interviewer. We have some example questions at the end of this section. To give you a starting point, think of the worst potential questions that you could be asked and make sure that you have sound answers to these.
5. Dress accordingly. In an office environment then a business suit is a must. If it is not an office environment then seek advice from the recruiter representing you. If you are unsure then you are better to be over dressed - first impressions are vital.
6. Know your CV like the back of your hand - it is amazing how many people fail at interview because they haven’t read their CV recently. Make sure you remember all relevant dates and if you do have gaps (which you shouldn’t) then make sure that you have explanations for them.
7. If you are on a visa or need to show specific qualifications / certificates for the role in question then make sure that you have these to hand and that they are kept in a presentable folder to keep them neat and tidy.
8. Remember that the interview is a two way process. As well as ’selling’ yourself as best you can you should also be considering questions for the interviewer themselves. Cover aspects of the role, career development and the company culture.
9. Treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself - If you cannot attend the interview, call immediately to give as much notice as possible and a more appropriate date and time can be scheduled. Don’t just fail to turn up - whatever the reason - at least call.
The end of the interview
You must try to leave the interviewer with as mush of a positive impression as possible - be polite and thank them for the opportunity to meet with them and for their time. Are you are interested in the position? If so then make sure that the interviewer knows this. If they ask if you are interested - say ‘yes’, always be positive.
Immediately afterwards it is wise to note down your thoughts on the interview and convey this by email or telephone to your recruitment consultant and ask any questions that you might have while they are still fresh in your mind.
If you applied direct to the company then make sure that you contact your point of contact at the organisation. Did you get a business card from the person who interviewed you? You should have… Even if you are being represented by a recruiter and you get a business card from the client then it is courteous to email them direct thanking them and showing your interest.
The sooner you do this, the sooner your recruitment consultant or point of contact can let you know what the organisation is thinking.
Interview feedback
At all times stay in touch with your recruitment consultant who should relay positive or negative feedback. Always try your best to get feedback from your interview. It is worth pointing out that this is proving harder and harder to do. Due to the internal structure of many large businesses feedback can often be lost “along the way”. This may not be the fault of the recruitment consultant or the interviewer, in fact it is often due to too many people in the process behind the scenes within the organisation.
A recruitment consultant should prepare you for the next meeting and give you help and advice throughout the recruitment process. Remember that recruitment consultants will be highly experienced in the complete recruitment life cycle from interview through to offer, acceptance/rejection and resignation. Use all their knowledge and experience to help you make the most of the recruitment process.
Interviews
Ordinarily there are two distinct styles of interview. A straightforward, CV based (sometimes informal) interview and a competency based interview.
Competency based interviews
Employers are now using ‘competency-based’ (often referred to as ‘behavioural’ or ’situational’) interviews to separate out the best candidates from those who are simply bluffing their way into a job without the skills, qualifications or experience required.
The theory behind competency-based interviewing is that past work behaviour is a good judge of future job performance. When interviewers ask you competency-based questions, they expect you to show how you have tackled real scenarios in a previous role.
Your response should be a real life example of something that actually happened to you. Try to be a specific and precise as possible, this will indicate a greater level of involvement in the scenario.
Having given your scenario a good interviewer will delve deeper, with further lines of questioning to make a judgement on exactly how involved you were with any of the examples that you have given.
CV Based Interview
A CV based interview will be much more about a chronological breakdown of your CV, looking at technical proficiencies as well as initial cultural fit and feel. This interview can be structured following your CV through your experience or it can be highly unstructured and informal. These can sometimes be the most difficult interviews because you do not know what the potential employer is looking for.
Quite often you will find that a combination of both styles is very common.