Smash the Interview

The fact that you have been invited to interview is a sign that the selectors are already impressed
with what you or your CV has to say. The next step is to show them that you are as good as your
application has suggested. This article will address the following:

1. Interview preparation

2. Making a good first impression

3. Body language

4. Answering and asking questions

5. What to avoid

Interview Preparation

Everyone approaches a job interview with some degree of apprehension. Nerves are perfectly
natural; the trick is not to let them weigh you down. The main thing to remember is that the
employer has asked to see you because they think you are capable of doing the job. Their time is
precious and they will be hoping, just as fervently as you, that you are the perfect solution to the
vacancy. At the interview, your main aim is to reinforce the excellent impression made by your CV.
You do not want to be stuck for words, so it is important to think about what you are going to say,
how you are going to say it and how you are going to act, beforehand. Here are a few proven
strategies that will help you take control of the interview and ensure that the whole process goes
smoothly.

Think about yourself: It is important to remind yourself of the messages you have conveyed through
your CV and to be prepared to discuss anything you have included.
Read through your CV and imagine you are the interviewer. What questions would you ask in their
position? Also ask yourself these questions:

 Why do I want this job?

 Why should this organisation select me?
 What are my ambitions?
 What are my strengths and weaknesses?
 What have I gained from my educational / professional qualifications?
 What skills have I gained from my work-related and extracurricular activities?

Think about the job: It sounds obvious but it is important that you know what job you are applying
for. You will struggle to explain how your qualifications, skills and experiences relate to the
opportunity on offer if you do not have a clear understanding of what the job entails.

You do not need to know exactly what you would be doing but an understanding of the types of
activities you would be involved in will help. Ask yourself:

 What does the job involve?

 What skills will I need to perform the job well?
 What skills, interests and motivation do I already have for the job?
 What examples can I give from work, academic study or outside interests to show I have the
skills the employer is seeking?

Think about the organisation: This will demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for working for
this particular organisation and will enable you to prepare some questions of your own for the
interview.Most employers will expect you to display some understanding of the business, its size,
products/services and the sector in which it operates. Memorising the year's financial performance
is not necessary but it is important to read recent information about the organisation and to be
aware of its competitors. Read their graduate recruitment brochure, have a look at their website
and, if possible, their annual report. Many employer websites have press archives of articles that
have been issued by them or have appeared in the local/national press. Questions to ask yourself:

 What do I know about this organisation/function/subject?

 What attracts me to this organisation/function/subject?
 What relevant work experience/degree modules/research project have I done?
 What experience do I have of relevant technical skills/techniques?
 What kind of training/additional skills would I like to gain?

Making a good first impression

First impressions are important. An interview may last for 30 minutes or more but studies have
shown that someone forms judgements about you within four minutes of meeting you and that
these judgements affect their subsequent impressions. Research shows that first impressions are
made up of the following:

55% visual impact, ie dress, facial expressions and body language;

38% tone of voice;

7% from what you actually say.

All is not lost if you are very nervous at the outset but try to create the best first impression you can
- a warm smile and firm handshake will help.

Tips
Look smart and professional. When it comes to dressing to impress, always err on the side of
'traditional' rather than 'trendy'. In accountancy and finance, a suit is always recommended. Ensure
that you maintain impeccable standards of personal hygiene but avoid using overpowering
deodorants, aftershave or perfume. Your hair should be neat and tidy and your shoes and clothes
clean. Avoid inappropriate jewellery. Visible body piercings, ankle chains or personalised necklaces
may not be suitable. Men should restrict jewellery to cuff-links and a signet or wedding ring, and
should avoid short-sleeved shirts and gimmicky ties or socks. Women should avoid very short skirts,
low tops and heavy make-up. Make sure that your interview outfit is ready the night before your
meeting.

Make sure that you plan your route and allow plenty of extra time to get there - you may be delayed
by traffic or other reasons.

Take with you:

 The interview letter, with the name(s) of the interviewer(s) and their address and phone
number
 A map of how to get there - consult an A-Z if you have not been sent a map
 A note of the key points you want to make and any questions you want to ask;
 Money, in case you are running late and need to get a taxi or to make a phone call if
necessary
 Mobile phone but remember to switch it off when you arrive
 Be polite and courteous to everyone, including the receptionist and anyone else you may
meet.
 Take a copy of your CV with you. Even the most efficient companies can mislay or forget to
bring a document.
 Be courteous, smile and shake hands firmly.
Body Language

Body or non-verbal language might be defined as ‘what we say without saying anything'. Much of
the impact you create at interview is based on your visual and non-verbal presentation. You may be
superbly qualified for a job, but you must also look motivated and interested. The way you act, your
posture, gestures and facial expressions, will reveal a lot about you.Top tips on body language:

 How you walk, sit, and act - sit reasonably upright - slouching or leaning too far back in your
chair can give the impression that you are too casual about the whole thing. If you tend to
flap your hands around a lot when you speak, try to hold them together. However, don't
cross your arms as it can make you appear defensive. Moderate hand movements are
perfectly acceptable and can enliven the conversation;
 Eye contact - good eye contact is essential and is an excellent way of conveying your interest
in the job. Looking downwards or at anything other than the interviewer can make you
appear disinterested and insincere. Maintaining good eye contact can also help you gauge
the interviewer's reaction to what you are saying (to see whether you should be expanding
on your answers). With panel interviews, the best advice is to look at and answer the person
asking the questions, with a glance from time to time at the other interviewers;
 The style, tone and delivery of your voice - try not to talk too fast and keep your tone
moderate. This can be difficult when you are nervous but take a deep breath before you
start to answer a question and work on keeping your answers concise. Rehearse your
answers beforehand and monitor your speed and tone. Don't use slang and watch out for
too many ‘ers' and ‘ums'. Practicing beforehand, especially in front of someone else, can
help you identify any bad habits;
 How confident you appear to be - try to relax. An interview is also about deciding if you will
fit into the organisation so try to smile and establish a rapport with your interviewer.
 Panel interviews - You may be interviewed by more than one person. To do well in a panel
interview you will need to identify the important figures on the panel and which role each is
fulfilling. The chairperson is easy to identify as they will generally make the introductions.
You will also need to identify the person whom you will be working for directly - make sure
you give them plenty of eye contact. When you are talking to the panel, remember that you
are talking to all of them and not just the person who posed a particular question - your
answer has to be the correct one for each panel member! If there is one particular panel
member who everyone else seems to agree with, you should make sure you impress him or
her.

Answering and Asking Questions

To do well at the interview you will need to convince the interviewer you are technically qualified to
do the job. You will also need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well
and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will
work. It is vital that you think about the type of questions you are going to be asked. Thinking about
the questions you are likely to be asked and practicing them with someone will make it easier to
remember when you get to the interview. Use the third person when talking about the job. Avoid
sounding as though you assume the job is yours. Relax, be honest, and keep in mind the points that
you want to make about yourself. Always emphasise the positive. Be prepared for the following
questions:

 Tell me about yourself? Keep your answer to one or two minutes. Don't ramble. If you have
a profile or personal statement at the top of your CV use this as your starting point.
 What do you know about our business? Research the company's products, size, reputation,
image, goals, problems, management style, people, skills, history and philosophy. Be
informed and interested. Let the interviewer tell you about the company, let them define
their business in their terms.
 Why do you want to work for us? Don't talk about what you want; first talk about their
needs. You want to be part of an exciting forward-moving company. You can make a definite
contribution to specific company goals.
 Why do you want this job? Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects
which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects
of your current job or the job in question.
 What qualities do you think will be required for this job? Their advertisement for the job
may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be
required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication skills,
interpersonal skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc.
 What can you contribute? This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements
in your previous position(s) which are relevant to the new position you are applying for.
 Why do you want to work for this company? Emphasize the positive reasons why you want
to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These would
not endear you to a prospective employer.
 What do you know about this company? This is your chance to impress the interviewer with
your knowledge of their company. Give them a rundown of their products/services, sales
figures, news, company figures, customers, etc.
 Why should we employ you? The answer to this question will be based on your previous
experience and achievements which relate to the company. At the end you could add that
you think there is a good fit between you and the job, and do ask the interviewer for their
opinion.
 What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? Likes: stress things such as a
new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company. Dislikes: Imply
there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why you are so interested.
 Why did you choose a career in accountancy? Be positive about your reasons. If you have
changed careers make a logical argument as to why you did so.
 How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the
differences? The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position you are
 applying for. So you should stress the similarities rather than the differences. When it comes
to discussing the differences it will help your case if you can show that either you have done
something similar in the past or that you can quickly pick up the new skills.
 Why did you join your previous company? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are
you leaving now? Always be positive about your reasons for joining and leaving a company.
Be very careful that you do not say anything negative about your present employer. If you
do, the new company will wonder what you will say about them when you leave. You might
want to stress that you are looking for a new challenge and that you feel that the company
who is interviewing you fits the bill!
 What are you looking for in a new job? Make sure your answer fits in with the company who
is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you
can apply your existing skills and learn new ones.
 What would your ideal job be? Again, remember where you are! Describe the job in terms of
the criteria they have used to describe their job. An ideal job might include things like
challenging work, a fair rate of pay for the job, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good
team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills, etc.
 Are you considering any other positions at the moment? If you are say so, but do not give
too many details away - it will weaken your negotiating position later. If you do not have any
other job offers at the moment just say that you have a few irons in the fire.
 What level of salary are you looking for now? Be very careful when you answer this question
- you do not want to appear to be greedy. If you are applying for a specific vacancy you could
ask them what the salary range is. Once they have answered you could say "I think my
experience would place me at the top end of your range, don't you?" If they ask you this
question fairly early on in the interview you could delay answering by saying "It is hard to
discuss salary without first knowing a little bit more about the job and the responsibilities."

Difficult Questions

Employers may ask questions deliberately designed to see how you behave and react in certain
situations. Giving a positive, fluent answer isn't as difficult as it might seem. With a little advance
planning, it's perfectly possible to anticipate common general enquiries and prepare a coherent,
effective response. In fact, you can turn these questions into an opportunity to take the initiative and
'sell' the exact message you want.

Never answer a question you don't understand with a knee-jerk response. Always seek clarification
before answering and if you don't know an answer, it’s much better to admit this than guess.
Asking questions

Remember that interviews are a two way process. At the end of the interview, the employer will
usually ask if you have any questions about the job or company, so always prepare a few in advance.
This is a good chance to clarify any points of doubt - after all, you need to make sure that the job is
exactly what you expected and what you want.

Prepare two or three questions that you would really like answered. This can be a good opportunity
to reveal positive aspects about yourself that the interviewer's questions may not have elicited.
Good questions to ask are those that demonstrate your eagerness to develop within the
organisation and take on responsibility. Questions about training or what the process is for
progression in the company are also a good idea but make sure these are relevant to the
organisation (saying you would like to develop to managing director as quickly as possible in a
company of ten people is not realistic and may put an interviewer off). This is also a good
opportunity for you to demonstrate your research into the organisation by asking questions about
relevant articles you may have read, for example: "I read in the newspaper last week that you are
expanding into Europe. Is the company thinking of expanding into any other markets?".

Remember:

 Show an interest - ask about the job, organisation, employees, products and processes;
 Don't ask about pay, pensions or other perks - it is not appropriate at this stage;

Questions could include:

 What are the opportunities for career progression?

 What are the training opportunities?
 What will be my responsibilities?
 Where will I fit into the overall organisational structure?
 Who will I report to and where does he/she fit in the structure?
 Who will report to me?
 Where is the company going? Upwards? Expansion plans?
 What are the chances of advancement/promotion in this position? When?
 What is the next step?
Close on a confident note

 Leave the employer with a good final impression. Smile, thank them for their time, say you
enjoyed discussing the job and that you look forward to hearing from them soon. If you are
interested in the job then tell them! Don't add any afterthoughts as you leave the room.

Final Words of Advice

Things to avoid!
 Being unprepared for the interview.
 Poor/limp handshake.
 Talking too much. Listen carefully and answer the questions you are asked.
 Saying unfavourable things about previous employers - the employer will be wondering
what you will say about them when you leave their employment.
 Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively.
 Speaking too loudly or too softly.
 Chewing gum, touching your face, playing with your hair.

Be positive
 Approach the interview with confidence and a positive frame of mind. The person
interviewing you has made time to meet you because they believe you have something to
offer and can do the job you are being considered for.
 If you are very nervous, you may want to investigate ways to relax before your interview eg:
taking a few deep breaths or using visualization exercises / positive affirmations.
 Interviewers like to see enthusiasm but will not expect a word-perfect performance; if you
make a mistake, just forget it and move on.
 Believe in yourself. Prepare properly, relax, be honest, and use this opportunity to shine!