Interview Tips

Remember- the reason the Client has agreed to interview you is because they believe that you may be suitable for the role in question. Take confidence in this.

Now- it is a matter of proving to them why you are right for their role:

• Make sure you arrive in good time. Check bus and train times as well as petrol and parking if you are driving
• Always allow extra time to get to your interview. If you are early, you can always find a café to relax in and re-read your notes
• During the interview make sure you listen carefully and answer all questions concisely and positively.  Where possible and appropriate, make sure you show your enthusiasm

Preparation:

Preparing well before the interview will help boost your confidence and enable you to deal effectively with the interviewers’ questions. 

• Research the company: Find out as much as you can about the company by looking through their website, reading any literature the employer may have and making sure you’re familiar with their product
• Prepare mock interview: Write responses to a list of possible interview questions and make sure you read over them a few times
• Be familiar with the job description: Going through the job description may help you to discover what skills they will be looking for and allow you to think of examples of how you meet the requirements and possible questions that may be asked of you during the interview
• Practice, practice, practice: Ask a family member, friend or mentor to spend time putting you though a ‘practice interview’ so that you feel comfortable with your responses to questions
• Be aware of discrepancies: If there are any discrepancies in your resume, for example long periods out of work, make sure you have the relevant answers prepared to satisfy these discrepancies
• Strengths and weaknesses:Think through your strengths and weaknesses and be careful when describing incidents in which these attributes were very evident, in order to present your actions in a positive way

What influences the interviewer?

• Your experience (detailed from CV as well as in person)
• Your personality and how you present yourself in the interview
• The qualifications you have for the position
• Your background and references
• The enthusiasm you have towards the organisation and position

In the interview:

Do:

• Dress to impress. Business attire if possible, if not then smart casual.
• Arrive 10-15 minutes early
• Be pleasant and courteous to the receptionist or secretary. Often this is the person who will veto your appointment if they don’t think your style 'fits'
• Interviewers frequently use 'small talk' to break the ice. Follow the interviewer’s lead, but don’t initiate a lot of small talk yourself, as this could make you look too familiar or too relaxed
• Answer the question that is  asked and do not go off-track or off on tangents
• Keep your answers concise and concentrate on the facts not opinions
• Speak clearly and confidently and do not allow yourself to be discouraged
• Make sure you speak to all of the people present (if it’s a panel) rather than focusing on one person
• Constantly remind yourself that you have something to sell and focus on how you can make a positive contribution in the role
• Find out as much as you can about the organisation and the job

Don't:

• Be late
• Say 'we' instead of 'I'. (Not referring to your own actions or achievements gives the impression that you didn’t do it)
• Make very general statements which lack substance
• Lie, pretend or give evasive answers
• Interrupt the interviewer
• Try to be too clever
• Lose your temper, get flustered or panic
• Criticise your current/former employers
• Know nothing about the company to whom you are applying
• Ask about rate/salary
• Ask about trivial things, e.g. parking, lunch hour, holidays – ask your recruitment consultant

At the end of the interview:

• Remember you must learn as much as you can about the job in order to determine if it is suitable for you. Some good questions might include:
  • What type of work will I be doing?
  • What are the key responsibilities if this role
  • What are the reporting lines?
  • What is the team/company structure?
  • What is the next step?
  • What long term career opportunities are available?
• Don't Ask questions that are clearly answered on the employer's website and/or in any literature provided by the employer to you in advance.  This would simply reveal that you did not prepare for the interview, and you are wasting the employer's time by asking these questions
• Ask what the process will be after the interview has been completed
• Leave the interviewer with a good impression – smile and shake hands firmly. Do not make the mistake of being overconfident or too relaxed at the end of the interview

Once the interview is completed:

• Contact your CircuIT Recruitment Consultant indicating your feedback from the interview and interest in the organisation, raise any questions you may have and ask when feedback will be provided.
• If the Client has requested you to send through additional information then do so quickly and efficiently.

Some common questions asked by the interviewer may include:

• Tell me about yourself?
• Why are you leaving your current role/company?
• What kind of position are you looking for?
• Give me an example of the most difficult problem you encountered in the course of your career. How did you resolve it?
• Tell us about the most difficult team you have been a part of. What was your role in creating harmony in the team?
• How do you plan your work?
• What do you consider to be your strengths? What do you consider to be your Weaknesses?
• What are your career goals for the next 3-5 years?
• Tell me about your hobbies/interests?
• Have you got any questions?