Interview Tips & Tricks

General Interview Tips

With around 4.6% of the UK’s population of those over the age of 16 unemployed, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to land that all-important interview, never mind the job itself. In the event of getting an interview, you want to make sure you make no mistakes.

Many people say that the key to being successful is to put in the effort and hard work. At E&E Recruitment we believe that should you not prepare yourself properly for an interview, any experienced interviewer will notice and you could hinder the job hiring process.

There are many ways to ensure that you are well prepared for your interview.

Make sure you look the part

An interviewer scrutinises everything, including your appearance. It should go without saying that it is expected that you should enter an interview suitably presented. Should you show any lack in attention to detail this can be put against you at the deliberation process. Make sure everything is in place, we know it might sound silly but you should even give your shoes a clean.

First impressions

First Impressions can be tough but the first 30 seconds of an interview is sometimes more important than the interview itself. For some employers, they make up their minds about an individual before they have even had a chance to sit down. Have a think about what you’d want to see as an interviewer and bring that to life.

Job spec

Each job advert and the description includes a specification, and prospective employers will want to know that you have understood what they’re looking for in a candidate. Make yourself stand out to the interviewers by matching yourself to the job spec. Make it clear that you have fully understood the role you are applying for. Explain to the interviewer why you and your skill set are suited to the role and this will give you a far better chance at being successful.

Do your homework

You might find yourself asking why you need to read up on the company but in most, if not all cases an interviewer may dismiss a candidate who arrives at an interview none the wiser to what makes their company different to the next in their field. It’s always wise to read up on some general facts about the company, e.g. how long they have been established for and any notable events that have taken place recently. Any of this information is good to drop into a conversation before the interview even begins. Besides reading up on the company it’s also beneficial to read up on the role you are applying for. It’s all well and good having experience in the role and reading the job spec and description off a piece of paper but finding specific details about the job you are going for can come as an advantage to you in your interview. Apply the knowledge you have of the company and job role to yourself in your interview and you’ll be sure to make a good impression.

Be Confident

now your worth and be confident about yourself and your abilities. Employers are much more likely to believe that you are capable of completing the job at hand if you are lively and believe in yourself. However, you must be careful not to cross the line between confidence and arrogance as employers also want someone who will work well alongside their existing team.

Difficult Interview Questions

Interview questions may vary depending on each interview you attend and the interviewer’s objective. The majority interviewers are trying to establish the following:

Your skills and experience in the job at hand
Your enthusiasm and interest in the job
Whether you will fit in well with the current team at the company

It is best to answer all questions asked using real life examples which will allow you to illustrate your points, this will enable you to answer most if not all frequently asked questions.

Tell me about yourself

Every interviewer wants to know a bit about you, this question generally starts the interview off and should be answered confidently. Your answer should include some of the following points in order for you to really get across what you are like as a person. • Include areas of most relevance to the job in question and focus on them • Talk about any impressive achievements, such as improvements made • Be enthusiastic about the job • Avoid personal information

Why did you leave your last job?

No matter how tempting you should never criticise a previous employer when answering this question. You should utilise this question and answer in a positive and upbeat manner, even if the circumstances were difficult.

Why do you want this job?

This answer should be thought about carefully. Your answer should reiterate why you are such a good fit for the job in question and enforce your enthusiasm for the role. Ideal answers would convey that you are; • A good match for the role due to your skills and their requirements • Interested in the product, market and/or sector • Aware of the company’s excellent reputation and feel that it would be a good challenge, etc. Be careful not to say that you want the job because you ‘just need a job’, or because ‘it’s local’, no matter how true this may be.

What are your career goals?

This question can catch a candidate out if you’re not careful. The interviewer is looking to see whether you are likely to stay within the role or the company and if so, for how long. Reassure the employer of your career plans in that you are applying for this role as it fits your career plan and your longer term commitment to the company.

Telephone Interview Advice

Many companies use telephone interviews as part of their recruitment process to whittle down a pile of CVs into a manageable interview shortlist. But many candidates fluff the opportunity to create a good impression and secure a face-to-face meeting because they fail to take telephone interviews seriously, and risk losing out as a result;

DO:

Prepare yourself for the call as you would for a face-to-face interview

Choose a quiet place to take the call, with no risk of interruption or background noise

Pay as much attention to listening as to speaking

Call from a landline to minimise the chance of interference or lost connection

Take things slowly – there is no need to rush

Don’t:

Do something else while talking on the phone – give the call your full attention

Fail to take the interview seriously – it’s your opportunity to make a good impression

Forget to listen and respond to the interviewer’s questions

Portray a poor telephone manner – remember, you are trying to impress

Exhibit a lack of enthusiasm – the interviewer expects to hear that you want this job.

Behavioural Interviewing/Competency-Based Interviews

Competency-based interviews, otherwise known as behaviour based, you are asked to provide specific examples of when you have demonstrated particular skills in the past. To give an effective answer you must be specific, employers aren’t looking for general answers about behaviour. You must describe a particular event, project or experience and how you dealt with the situation in as much detail as possible.

List of typical behaviours that employers might be trying to get at from this type of interview:

Adaptability

Attention to detail

Delegation

Flexibility

Independence

Initiative

Judgement

Planning and organisation

Presentation skills

Team Work

Analysis

Decisiveness

Fact finding

Listening

Motivation

Negotiation

Oral and Written

Professionalism

Rapport building

Sales ability

Tenacity

Responding to these types of questions:

When responding to these types of questions you must ensure that you are specific and not in any way vague. You should briefly describe the situation, the specific action you took and the result or outcome.

You must not describe how you would behave. Describe exactly how you behaved in the situation and if applicable, explain why you should have behaved differently as the employer will be able to see what you have learned from your experience.

Much like an assessment day, it is extremely difficult to prepare for a competency-based interview. The best way to feel prepared is to identify a few examples of situations from your past experience which you can adapt to multiple behavioural questions.

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Info@eanderecruitment.co.uk