Interview preparation
Preparation is fundamental to a successful interview, so it is important that you consider what qualities will improve your chances of getting the position you want and what the employer will be looking for in their ideal candidate. What skills do you have that could benefit the company you are applying to? It could be your ability to plan and implement long-term projects, think analytically, manage a team, or your ability to research complicated issues that are your key skills.
Remember, interview preparation is not just for the young and inexperienced job seeker. Whatever your level of experience, your progress will be hindered if you are unprepared. At mid-level, you can look to your experiences of presentations, where careful planning is non-negotiable and at senior-level you must bear in mind that although you might feel confident in your abilities, lack of research about the company to which you are applying can cause all of your previous experience to stand for nothing.
Undertaking research about the organisation to which your are applying - searching their website or asking for copies of brochures, press releases and reports - will increase your understanding of the company’s mission and principles. Speaking to existing personnel is another excellent way to find out more about the business.
With a firm understanding of the employer’s requirements and interview style, your recruitment consultant can also offer support and advice to prepare you for an interview. They can give you tips on how to manage the interview successfully and will talk you through an in-depth job description, discussing the relevance of your skills and experience for the position. If you would like to read more about preparing for a job interview, please click HERE.
Telephone interviews
Interviews aren’t necessarily about perfecting your handshake or making sure you are well presented. There are many instances in which employers use telephone interviews before giving candidates the chance to prove themselves face-to-face. These could be as an initial screening process; to reduce an overwhelming number of applications; for convenience where inviting a candidate to the office might be impractical; or as a way to assess an applicant’s telephone manner if it is important for their role.
The benefits of telephone interviews for the employer include the ability to delegate them to a lower level (cheaper) employee, their cost-effectiveness and the speed at which they can be carried out. There are also a number of benefits for you as an applicant: no travel arrangements are required, there’s no need to iron your best shirt and no last minute panic when you can’t find the right office!Despite these obvious advantages, this does not mean that you can afford to put any less effort into telephone interviews than you do into face-to-face ones; making mistakes at this stage can still put an end to your progress.
Think about how to close the interview effectively. Your final outcome should be agreeing on a time, date and place for a face-to-face meeting. Once you have done this, thank the interviewer for their time and then begin your preparation for the next stage. To find out more about telephone interviews, view the full article HERE.
Face-to-face interviews
The first part of the interview is crucial and can set the mood for the meeting on a positive or a negative. It is often suggested that a hiring decision can be made within the first five minutes of the interview. Listen to the conversational style of the interviewer. Is it upbeat and chatty or minimal and formal? Whatever their chosen interview style you should try to mimic this tone.
Throughout the exchange of information is your opportunity to let the interviewer know what you have to offer. Make eye contact when answering a question and show enthusiasm about your background. Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm is likely to mean that your interviewer won’t be enthusiastic either. It is important that you are aware of your body language during the interview, avoiding closed positions and trying to relax. Your energy, interest and passion for the job will be enhanced by asking questions when given the opportunity to do so, separating you from candidates who depend on their CVs to speak for them.
When the interviewer has completed gathering the information they require and offers you the chance to ask questions, use this opportunity to find out further details about the job role and working culture of the company and discuss opportunities for job progression and investment in professional development.
Shake hands with the interviewer and thank them for their time. Follow up any interview with a letter of thanks, showing appreciation of their time and reiterating your continued interest in the post. Finally, if your interview is unsuccessful, don’t take it to heart; aim to improve upon each time in order to increase your chances of securing a new position. Click HERE for more information about improving your interview technique.