BrightSkills

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Unfortunately our current environment sees a rise in numbers on the live register, the knock on effect being that many of us are back in the job seeking world again.  For some it is a time of excitement and possibly even familiar territory if not long out of college.  For many others however it is a vastly different territory to the job search world they knew before.  It may be the case that recruitment agencies and online job seeking is new or indeed, the move advanced and savvy interview techniques can often throw many of us.

As an experienced panel interviewer and general HR professional and skills coach, I have taken my broad experience and laid out my top 5 tips for interview preparation below.  Hopefully you'll find this useful and if you do, please leave your comment / thoughts / suggestions for other reasons here on the blog!

1. STUDY the Role Specification

You'd be amazed at the number of people who turn up for interview and are speechless with blank expression when asked a question directly linked to a responsibility of acronym which was clearly outlined on the role description!

• Read the role description and highlight each task / duty / responsibility expected for the job
• Identify trends / commonalities (if they use word 'lead' etc. a lot)
• If you are unclear about an acronym / term / responsibility area then do your research
• Don't be afraid to contact the HR department in the organisation to ask more about the role before you apply or are interviewed
• Find out if you know somebody currently doing this job and arrange to speak with them in order to find out more about a)the role and b)the characteristics of people who do well at it

2. RESEARCH the Company and the Market

There is now so much information available online and easily accessible to us all, the level of research you conduct on the company is essential in order to show your commitment, eagerness and serious approach to the job application.

• Where is the company based? one or multi locations?
• Is the company part of a wider group?
• Is the organisation local, national, international or global?
• How many people are employed by the organisation?
• Have they won any awards recently (this is great to be able to refer to)
• What industry / market do they operate in?
• Who are their main competitors?
• What does the company do? (You'd be amazed how many people turn up for interview not fully knowing WHAT the company actually do!)
• What products / services does the company offer?

3. Think 'COMPETENCY BASED ANSWERS'

'Competency based interviewing' is a technique used by most good HR professionals now in order to ensure objectivity and better fit selection.  This means they they ask questions which are specifically searching for proof / evidence of your competency (ability) in answers.  Some examples of competency based questions would be;

- "tell me about a time when ..."

- "can you give me an example of a situation wehre you did X..."

- "have you ever done X? If so, tell me how you did it"

The key point when answering competency based questions is to prepare answers that show your ability based on past track record and not what you 'think you can do' or 'feel you can do' or even 'know you can do' - it's all about WHEN & WHAT you DID !

We cover this in a lof of detail on our Interview Skills & Techniques training programme.

4. Get Passionate and Ask Questions!

Personally I find it a bit of a turnoff when I ask people - as I always do at the end of an interview - if they have any questions for me/the panel.  The purpose of my doing this is to allow the candidate to show their depth of research or eagerness or even that they are clued into things!  So when I get a response "no questions thanks" I'm frustrated.  This is your time to show the interview panel that you've thought about the role, that you're eager to get going, that you are already thinking of yourself in that position!  Below are a few examples but next week's blog is specifically about this topic!

- "Will there be any training provided for this role"

- "How soon will you be ready to hire this person and move on this?"

- "How many candidates are you looking for?"

- "Are there any particular traits / characteristics that you're looking for in a hire for this role?"

5. One Chance to Make a First Impression!

As the only saying goes "you only get one chance to make a first impression so make sure it's a good one!  In my book, you can't overdo the grooming or presentation preparation for an interview which is important to you.  We cover this in a lot more detail on our Interview Skills & Techniques training programme

• Men - preferably wear a suit but at the least trousers, shirt and tie
• Women - preferably wear a suit but at the least a well tailored shirt and trousers / skirt
• Women - skirts should be no shorter than knee length and cleavage should be kept to the minimum
• Sleeveless tops / blouses are not recommended (many corporates do not allow these in their dress code)
• Clothes should be clean and pressed
• Hair and nails should be clean and well groomed
• A firm handshake (press the flesh - web contact!!) is important but remember its not an arm wrestle
• Friendly eye contact is a must - don't stare them down
• Remember to smile at each person interviewing you!
• Be early - at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time
• Smell nice - aftershave / perfume - not cigarettes!
• Fresh breath (you can get great little bottles of mouth drops which really work well and fit in tiny pockets)
• Thank the panel for their time and for meeting with you
• Be enthusiastic about the role - don't forget to tell them that you want the job!

Hopefully you have found these hints and tips useful - please share your thoughts and ideas in the comment space below!