PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW

Preparation is critical for the achievement of a successful interview. Understanding what makes you a
strong candidate and being able to convey that to a potential employer will greatly improve your chances
of being hired.

Most candidates spend time preparing for skill based questions but are never prepared for the “interview
traps” that may come up. Here are a few tips that highlight the areas that you should look out for in a
typical interview, as well as some example questions at the end of the document to review.

DO

 Research the company

You should research on the company as thoroughly as possible prior to your first client meeting. There are
many research methods available to you such as visiting the Company’s website, researching recent news
articles and identifying people in your network who could give you valuable insight into the company.

 Know your work history and background

Review the skills they are looking for and be prepared to discuss 1-2 specific examples of how & when you
have worked with the technology/tool or used the skill they are looking for in the past. Often it is helpful
to create a list for yourself so you can easily speak about your skills in the areas the client is looking for.

 Dress for interview success

It’s better to be overdressed than too casual. In ANY interview business formal attire should apply UNLESS
told otherwise. You will never be faulted for appearing in a business suit, clean shirt and tie (for men) and
a respectable suit or dress for the women.

 Turn your phone off

It’s not professional to take a call or look at your phone in an interview. Enough said!

 Be on time
Be punctual, that means not late and not too early. Remember, the interviewer’s time is valuable – and
you must respect that. The interviewer will likely have a predetermined time limit, you should ask how
much time they have for the interview and gauge your progress accordingly.

 Make a positive impression in the first five minutes

When first meeting the interviewer, be friendly, be alert, and give a good handshake. Be aware of your
body language and speech patterns. Make sure that you present yourself in a way that is comfortable to
the interviewer. If the interviewer speaks slowly and deliberately, do not rush your responses. If the
interviewer leans forward to make a point, do not slouch as you respond. In other words, ensure that you
and the interviewer are on the same non-verbal page.

 Be clear and concise with your answers

Follow up the points you have made with relevant examples of your accomplishments. When you have
finished your answer, STOP TALKING! Although silence can be uncomfortable, further comments will
probably be redundant or off topic. If you are not sure if you have provided your interviewer with enough
detail you can always stop and ask them if they would like for you to provide a more detailed explanation
on the issue.

 Look at the practice questions on the last page and think of some examples
Behavioral interview questions focus on examples of how you handled workplace situations in the past.
Review examples of the questions you may be asked during a behavioral job interview and think about how
you would answer them. With a little thought in advance you’ll be prepared ahead of time rather than
having to think of a response on the spot during the interview.

 Show a willingness to learn

You will often be asked about skills that you have not yet developed. If you have been requested to
interview, the interviewer already believes that you can do the job. Therefore, when these questions arise,
discuss your ability to quickly acquire new skills and become productive; provide past experiences that
illustrate your skills are transferable. Example: “I have not worked with WebSphere but I have extensive
experience with Weblogic which I have found in my research to be very similar. I am confident I can quickly
learn and adapt to the minor differences between the two products.” Furthermore, if you only have partial
skills in an area, be sure to talk about the 50% you know and not the 50% you don’t.

 Focus on your skills and experiences and how they will meet the needs of the client
When speaking about your work history, ensure you focus on your role and you accomplishments rather
than what the project was about or what the team did. Most importantly, be an Analyst. Clients only hire
if they have some kind of need so identify the problem/determine their requirements and sell yourself as a
solution.

 Listen and Answer

Be sure to take the time to listen to the question and formulate a response that answers the question they
have asked. Nothing frustrates an interviewer more than not being able to obtain clear and concise
answers to their questions from candidates. If you are not sure what the interviewer is asking you, please
ask them to clarify. A better approach is to be straightforward and honest but positive and friendly. Trying
to avoid the question never works and frustrates the interviewer.

 Always have questions prepared

It is important to prepare questions for the interviewer, and best if they have something to do with the
research you have done on the company. It reveals a greater level of interest. Thoughtful questions are
also an indication of how well you will do your job. However, do not ask questions that have already been
answered or that add no value to the conversation. If nothing else seems relevant, you may ask: “Are there
parts of my experience that you are unclear about, or would like me to explain in more detail?” Closing
questions will clearly demonstrate your interest level.

 End on a high note

Leave the interview with a strong impact on the interviewer. Always remember to reiterate that you want
the position, prior to leaving. This can be done with a simple statement such as “I feel that this position is
exactly the next role I am ready for”. Do this positively stating “I feel that I could make a significant
contribution to your company, the project and its future growth plans.” Above all, you want the last
impression to be that of a confident, intelligent, honest individual that is able to bring value to the
Company.
Important – Do Not:

 Discuss money or other terms

Please do not discuss money, planned vacation, start date, other opportunities, etc. Procom is your
personal representative and money, vacation, etc. should be discussed with us only. If you have any
scheduled vacations that will arise during the duration of the project, please ensure your recruiter is aware
of this prior to the client interview.

 Lie or exaggerate your skills

Do put your best foot forward, but do not lie about or misrepresent your skills and experience.

 Be late
Please phone ahead if there is a chance you are running late. Late candidates will often miss out on the
opportunity to interview or reschedule, so please call your recruiter ASAP if you are running late.

 Be negative or unfriendly
Respect your interviewers by being courteous, friendly and upbeat. Never speak ill of your current
employer or anyone you have worked with.

 Act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment
Employers hire capable, in-demand candidates. Showing frustration with your job search or acting
desperate does not inspire confidence. Stay positive and professional!

After the interview

Please contact your Procom recruiter as soon as possible following the interview to review how you feel it
went and to discuss any concerns, questions or feedback.

For starters, we need to know if you want the job, based on your impression of the company environment
and the people you’ve met! We will want to understand as much about your interview as we can, so we
can go back to the client prepared to answer their questions with an understanding of your desire to move
forward in the process. If you feel the client may have some concerns about your interview, this will also
give us some time to develop a strategy to manage those concerns ahead of time. This will give you the
best chance possible of being given a job offer, despite any pitfalls during the interview.

We wish you all the best with the interview and look forward to our success together. We have
confidence in you.

(Interview question examples on next page)

Examples of Behavioural Interview Questions
Remember to review examples of the questions you may be asked during a behavioral job interview and
think about how you would answer them

 Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them.

 Did you ever fail to meet your goals? What happened?
 Describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it.
 Give an example of an occasion where you solved a problem. What process did you
undergo to solve it?
 Tell me about a time where you went above and beyond the call of duty.
 Have you handled a difficult situation with a client or vendor? How?
 Tell me about a time that you worked conveying technical information to a nontechnical
audience.
 Have you been in a situation where you didn't have enough work to do?
 Did you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?
 Did you ever postpone making a decision? Why?
 Have you ever dealt with company policy you weren't in agreement with? How?
 Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled implementing it.
 Tell me about a time when you were working on multiple projects. How did you prioritize?
 Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't happy about? How did
you convince them?
 Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who wasn't doing his/her fair
share of the work. What did you do and what was the outcome?
 Have you worked with someone you didn't like? If so, how did you handle it?
 Share an example where you were able to motivate employees or co-workers.

Examples of Common Non-Behavioural Questions

 What are your strengths?
 What are your weaknesses?
 What excites you most about the position and what do you think would be stretch for you?
 What inspires/motivates you in a job?
 What did you do during this six month gap in employment?
 Describe your dream job.