Interviews

Before the Interview

Information Sheet 5

The key to successful interviews is preparation; if you are well prepared, you will be less nervous on the day, and less likely to be thrown by difficult questions. In addition, you will make life a lot easier for the interviewers if they do not have to drag every answer out of you or keep asking you supplementary questions to get the information they need.

Tips for Preparation

Read the job advertisement, the job description and person specification thoroughly so you know exactly what the employer is looking for and then make sure you have evidence for the required skills, knowledge and experience. If there is little information available, as can be the case for part time work or placements, look at the type of job role and decide yourself what key skills, both technical and personal, will be required. You can look up different types of jobs and what they involve by using the Occupational section in the Careers & Placement service or at www.prospects.ac.uk, click on Jobs & work on the top menu and then Explore types of jobs. Read any literature the company sends you beforehand. Questions will explore your knowledge of the company so it is essential that you research the company and its competitors. If the company has a website, make sure you read it carefully. Some resources you might find useful are: Prospects.ac.uk Top menu bar, under Jobs and Work and click on Find graduate employers Applegate.co.uk and Kompass.com These are searchable databases of UK and International companies, classified by product or service. Check where the interview will be held, how long it will take you to get there and if possible, do a dry run beforehand to check how long the journey takes. Do not just be on time, be early. Finding a coffee shop and chilling out beforehand is a small price to pay for a relaxed journey knowing you won't be rushing in at the last moment from the tube, a station or bus stop, or after a frenzied search for a parking space. Try to find out who will be interviewing you. If they are from Personnel the questions may well be more ranging, covering all aspects of previous work and study. If it is someone from the department, the questions may well be more focused on your suitability for that type of role. If it is your future manager interviewing you, you need to be even more prepared to impress!

Make sure you know what to wear, casual or smart and have it ready well beforehand. If you are not sure you can politely ring or email and ask but it is always better to err on the side of being too smart rather than being too casual.

On the Day
If you have achieved an interview, you know they are happy with your qualifications and experience. Now, they want to know what sort of person you are. You may be asked to bring certificates or your portfolio with you. Make sure they are held neat and tidy in a folder. If you are not asked to bring anything, dont as it is just one more thing to get in the way or to have to think about. Listen carefully as the interviewer introduces him/herself and any co-interviewers, and use their names immediately when greeting them to help you remember them. Smile! A succession of studies shows that the single most important determinant of whether an interviewer will appoint someone is whether or not the interviewee smiles within the first four seconds of meeting. Making eye contact is also very important. Make sure your handshake is firm, but not crushing, and your palms are dry. If in doubt, practise with a friend. When you enter the room smile, hold your hand out and say Good Morning or Good Afternoon, this will ensure that the interviewer holds his or her hand out to shake and will also demonstrate your confidence. Be honest, be positive and be yourself. Use positive words when presenting what you have done - don't just say I play a lot of sport but say why you do so. If you belong to any clubs or societies, say why. Employers like to see enthusiasm and commitment so reflect these attributes in your answers and manner. Don't try to present the image you think they're looking for. You may have got it wrong, and the real you is just what they want. Besides, if you get the job by acting a part, how well suited to the job do you think you will be? And for how long does the charade have to go on? It would be very wearing to have to put on an act every day at work. Having said that, you naturally want to present the best parts of the real you. Just do not make anything up you are sure to be found out!

Questions
There are many questions the interviewers could ask you, but what they want to know boils down to three things: Why did you apply to us? Why do you want the job? Why should we employ you? Every question you are asked is an opportunity for you to tell them something positive about yourself or to create a good impression, so give a proper answer to all of them, even the warm-up questions at the start. When Answering Questions: Listen carefully, and make sure you really answer the question. Do not rush in with your answer: if a question has really thrown you off balance, ask for time to think about it. Answer as honestly as possible. If the interviewer has touched on a

difficult experience, make a positive out of the negative by explaining what you learned from the experience. Here Are Some Difficult Questions You Might Be Asked: What are your strengths? An easy question - be honest, matter of fact and truthful. You would usually want to come up with two or three strengths and think about what the company wants so you can match it. This question is often followed by What are your weaknesses? Talk about a specific occasion when you did not do well, and then tell the interviewer what you learned from the experience, and what you would do differently in future. You only need to come up with one weakness! Why should we give you the job? It is time to be positive about what you have to offer. Think about what you have to offer that the other candidates dont or what makes you stand out from the others. Where do you see yourself in five years' time? The correct answer is not in your job it has been said too often. This is another opportunity to show that you have researched the company and the industry by intelligently assessing where you are likely to progress to. What relevance is your degree to this industry/company? Think about not only the information you have learned, but also the skills you have gained, such as research, report-writing, team-working and presentation skills. All these questions are easy to answer if you have prepared beforehand. At the end, the interviewer will probably ask you if you have any questions. If you tend to go blank at this point, take along a list and consult it. The employer will be impressed by your forethought. If they have already answered all your questions, say so. Do not ask questions just for the sake of it. You can ask politely about the salary and always ask when and how you will hear about the outcome of the interview. Thank the interviewer for his/her time at the end, they are human beings too, and everyone likes their efforts to be appreciated. Finally, do not worry about the mistakes you have made: no-one ever does a perfect interview. The people who get the jobs are generally those who kept their mistakes down to a minimum. After the interview, think about what went well and also where you could have improved and learn from the experience ready for the next interview.

Sources Of Help In The Careers Service

Workshops The Careers Service offers a regular programme of workshops including workshops covering Interviews, Assessment Centres and Psychometric Testing. DVDs/videos - Watch the AgCAS DVDs Why ask me that? and The Assessment Centre and the The Essential Interview Video. Available to view in the Careers Service. Books Copies of the following books are available in the Careers Service Handling Tough Job Interviews by Julie-Ann Amos, Success at Interviews by

Judith Verity, Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions by Martin John Yate and The Ultimate Interview Book by Lynn Williams. Online Advice - Go to www.prospects.ac.uk. On top menu, click on Applications and Interviews. Then click on Interviews. One to one advice - book an appointment with a Careers Adviser who will go though the interview process with you and will also ask you some practise questions.

Example Questions
About your course: Why did you choose your course/university? What did you find most enjoyable/difficult about your course? If you could make any changes to your course what would they be? Are your grades a true reflection of your academic ability and if not, why not? Why did you choose your dissertation and how did you go about your research and what did you learn from it? About your career aims Why have you chosen a career in ..? What other careers are you considering and why? Do you have any plans for further study? What made you decide on this career after doing a degree in a completely different subject? What are your long and short term objectives? Why are they important to you? What do you see yourself doing in 5/10 years time? Have you applied to/had interviews with any other companies? About the Company/position Why do you want to work for this company? What do you know about the company? Who are our main competitors? What challenges are facing the company? What do you feel this job entails? Why should I appoint you? What can you contribute to the Company? How does your previous work experience/employment relate to this post? What qualities would you look for if you were recruiting a student/graduate for this position? What do you look for in a job? What do you want to get out of your placement? What starting salary do you expect? What type of work environment do you prefer? Do you have a geographical preference? Why? Are you willing to relocate/travel?

About you and your skills remember to provide examples of how you have developed and used your skills where appropriate. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How would a friend/colleague/employer describe you? (This is the same as asking about your strengths and weaknesses.) What interests and hobbies do you have and why do you enjoy them? What achievements have given you most satisfaction and why? How well do you work under pressure? Describe a time when you have had to deal with someone in a difficult situation? Tell me about a problem/challenge you have faced and how did you dealt with it? Tell me about a time when you have had to use your initiative to overcome a problem? Tell me about a time when something has gone wrong at work and what you did about it? What did you learn from the experience? In what ways have you demonstrated leadership qualities? Have you ever had to manage a project and if yes, what was involved? What is the most risky/difficult decision you have had to take and how did you go about it? What makes a good team player and when have you demonstrated these skills? Have you ever had to motivate a team and how did you go about it? What qualities should a manager possess? Sometimes you may be asked to do routine, boring, administrative work. How would you cope with this? The Question You Cant Prepare For. You may be asked a question such as, What would you do if In this situation, there is no right or wrong answer. The interviewer is seeing if you can think and communicate under pressure and if you can think logically. Ask for a moment to think about your answer, organise your thoughts and once you are ready give your answer. Remember to include the reasons as to why you would take the action that you have outlined. Remember interviewers are not trying to catch you out. They want to give you the opportunity to explain why you are the perfect person for the job and company, so make the most of it! Careers Service - Bournemouth University August 2006