So, You've Got An Interview... (Interview Tips & Advice)

Member Name: delawney

Product:	Interview Tips & Advice
Date:	22/05/03 (883 review reads)
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... now to make sure you get the job!

I have experience of job interviews as both a prospective employee and a prospective employer. I've been in my current job about 2 and a half years, so that's how long it is since I was last interviewed, but the nerves and the horror are still with me!

Interviewing is not something I have to do a great deal, but I usually sit on an interview panel three or four times a year. Over the years I have encountered any number of different candidates, all of whom make some kind of impression, and from that I hope to be able to provide you with a few hints and tips to help you succeed at an interview and get the job you really desire.


*** DISCLAIMER! ***

All employers are different, and may be expecting different things from the candidate depending on the type of job that is being applied for. Everything I suggest here is a generalisation that may require some adapting for a particular job.

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So, without further ado, some tips to help you bag your dream (or at least necessary!) job.


1. BE PREPARED!
Sorry to sound like a girl guide, but this is really one of the best snippets of advice I can offer. If you have been asked to give a presentation (as we do for more senior positions), please make sure you have undertaken all necessary research and have made the effort to produce something of reasonable quality. This may sound obvious, but you wouldn't believe the number of times we've had candidtaes who's "computer broke over the weekend".

If you have been asked to bring a piece of written work to an interview, please make sure you have put the effort into this as well. Don't boast on your application form how good you are with computer applications such as word processing and then present your work in some sort of illegible scrawl. Even if you don't have your own PC, make the effort to
go to the library or use a friend's. Interviews are all about making the right impression, and at all times you should make sure your words and your actions reflect the information you provided in your initial application.

On that note, you should re-read your application before you attend your interview, as well as thoroughly reading any literature that has been sent to you by your prospective employer. This can help you come up with interesting and relevant questions to ask at the end of your interview.

Don't forget to take proof of any qualifications you have claimed to have on your application form in case your prosepective employer wishes to see it.


2. DRESS SMART
Now I make no secret that I'm generally a bit of a scruff, but I will always make an effort for an interview, and so should you! Even if you're applying for a job where the last thing you're going to be wearing is a suit, it will impress your prospective employer to see that you have made the effort to present yourself well for the interview. If you come in your jeans and T-shirt, they are likely to wonder just how serious you really are about the job.


3. ARRIVE ON TIME!
Make sure you allow plenty of time to get to your interview. If at all possible, try and check out the location the day before, especially if you fear it may be difficult to find. Allow plenty of time for potential traffic delays. If the worst comes to the worst and something completely beyond your control is going to make you late, at least contact your prospective employer and let them know.

Equally, try not to arrive too ridiculously early - up to about fifteen minutes early I would think to be fine.


4. TAKE COMFORT - YOUR PANEL MAY BE NERVOUS TOO!
Before I had ever sat on an interview panel, I though things must be so much easier over on the other side of the table. But that is not so. I actually get quite nervous befor
e an interview, especially if I am the unfortunatel soul chairing the interview. I know from talking to my colleagues that I am not alone in this!


5. FACING THE QUESTIONS
Never feel you have to rush your answer. Always consider the question carefully before responding. That said, best avoid any ridiculously long pauses!

The length of your response will often depend upon the type of position for which you are applying. As a rule of thumb, prospective employers are likely to expect more detailed responses if you are applying for a more senior position.

Generally, you should try and keep your answers concise and relevant, and should always try and back up what you say with an example. If you say you are organised, try and recount a particulary situation where you demonstrated your organisational skill.

Try not to witter on too much in your answers - the panel are only human and are likely to start wondering what they are going to have for their tea, and this doesn't reflect well on you. I sat on the panel for one interview where I have to confess I lost the will to live. We had a list of about twenty questions, and it took us three quarters of an hour to get to the end of question four. I aaked her to "briefly summarise" for the next question, but it still took the poor lass fifteen minutes to respond. She didn't get the job.

Be prepared for the difficult questions. The famous one of course is "What would you say is your biggest fault?", to which "I'm a bit of a perfectionist" is far too predictable a response. Try and think of some answers to questions such as these before your interview so you won't be floored when they come up. Some of our favourites include: "How would your best friend describe you?" (asked once to some poor lad who didn't look like he had any friends!) and "which non-physical characteristic would you change about your
self?" - we had to insert the "non-physical" bit as people kept wanting to be thinner, younger etc.

You will almost certainly be asked what interested you in the job. An answer like, "I needed a job, and this looked like one I could do" probably won't get you very far. Try and present some enthusiasm, even if you have to feign it a little. Try and keep some balance though - come across as over-enthusiastic and that can be just as bad! A good employer will have sent you plenty of literature as part of the application or interview pack - make sure you have read it and if possible refer back to it in questions such as these.


6. THE BIT WHERE YOU GET TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS
This can be extremely revealing! Please please please don't ask about pay, pension, holiday entitlement or anything relating to remuneration here. If there is stuff you want to know, save it until you are offered a job. It will just make you look like someone who is after any job or personal gain, rather than someone who is particularly interested in this position. Personally I think it's OK to ask about car parking if this is a practical concern for you, or to inform your prospective employer about any pending holiday committments, but I would save those for the very end when hopefully you have asked two or three more relevant questions.

Your prosepective employer will be impressed if you can ask something that relates specifically to the role and/or any literature or information you have been sent prior to interview. It demonstrates that you have an interest in this particular job, and that you have taken the time to prepare for the interview. Which leads us nicely back to point 1 - be prepared.

For more general questions, you could ask if this is a new position, and if not what happened to the previous postholder. Beware with this one - mr delawney used it once only to discover that the previous postholde
r had died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Be careful when gauging the level of humour - mr delawney's "Why is the sky blue?" didn't go down too well...


7. SOME GENERAL POINTERS
* Try and maintain eye contact with the interview panel - but don't be put off if they are taking notes!

* A little bit of humour is no bad thing, but don't overdo it. You might want to avoid being giggly too.

* Keep concise and relevant. Do not waffle.

* In contrast, avoid one-word answers - that doesn't tell your prospective employer much about you!

* Have a bath/shower and clean your teeth - some people don't, honest!

* Don't be over-critical about previous employers. If you think they had genuine faults don't be afraid to say so but make sure you back that up. Otherwise your prospective employer may fear you are a troublemaker.

* Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Your prospective employer will almost certainly be able to tell if you are bluffing, and they will respect your honesty much more. Follow it up with something positive like "I would be more than willing to learn".

* Try and avoid repeating the same example over and over again.

* Don't be afraid to appear a little nervous - it is only to be expected. Do try and avoid letting your nerves get the better of you.


8. A FINAL WORD OF WARNING
If you have fibbed on your application form, this is the bit where you are most likely to get caught out! delawney's words of wisdom - don't lie on your application form in the first place, and don't bother applying for jobs that are clearly beyonf your qualifications and experience. If you have to lie to get a job, you're not going to have much fun once you get there and can't do it!


A job interview is all about selling yourself. You are a product, and you have t
o market yourself to a particular niche market. This is why it is always important to tailor your interview approach to the specific job you are applying for.

Always believe in yourself. You have already done well to get to interview stage - many of our jobs have over fifty applications, and only around five will get an interview. As long as you have been realistic on your application form, if you follow the advice above there is absolutely no reason why you should not be successful.

That said, don't let any knockbacks get you down. It could be that there was an exceptionally qualified candidate who has just pipped you to the post. Whenever you are unsuccessful at interview, request feedback from the prospective employers, which most will be happy to provide. At least then you can get some pointers before your next opportunity.

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