Interview Tips and Advice
The key to a successful interview is preparation!
The basics- First impressions count!
- Dress corporately and conservatively.
- Polished shoes.
- Do not wear too much jewellery and avoid revealing clothing.
- Make strong eye contact and maintain this throughout the interview. Never look down.
- Give a strong, confident handshake.
- Arrive early (perhaps do a dummy run if you are not familiar with the area)
- It's a good idea to arrive early find the interview location and have a coffee locally this will give you time to relax before the initial meeting.
- Know the full name and title of the person you are meeting.
You MUST research the company and the industry you are seeking to join.
You will impress a client greatly if you have an understanding of their industry and their company, i.e. know their mission statement, be aware of the content of their website, values, etc.
The interview itself- Maintain good posture throughout the interview, do not slouch.
- Read the interviewers body language - let them lead. This is something easily missed but quite important i.e. mirroring body language if someone is to move their body inwards towards you this shows interest and you should reproduce this.
- Show openness by keeping your arms on the chair and not folding them.
- Know your CV! Experience, key responsibilities and achievements.
- Have clear reasons for leaving previous employment (remembering never to be too critical about past employers/managers).
- Have clear examples ready for competency-based questions.
- Have examples of previous successes i.e. how where you targeted?
- How were you performing to those targets?
- How were you performing in comparison to your colleagues?
- How many clients were you working with?
- Did you win this business?
- If so how did you do this?
You will be asked about strengths and weaknesses. With regards to weaknesses be honest here, but have examples to show how you can easily overcome them.
Finally the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. Have some questions prepared as it is important to show that you are interested and have thought about the role.
Example questions- Ask with regards to the structure of the team?
- What career progression is available?
- What is the company culture?
- What will they expect from you in the first 6 months?
- What are the company's aims and predictions for the next 6-12 months?
- What attracted them to join and stay with the company?
- What are the KPI's? (Key performance indicators)
- What training is available?
- What will the next stage be and when will you hear?
- Do they have any reservations about you, which you can answer there and then!
- Avoid questions with regards to salary at the first interview stage.
- Finally 'ask for the job!'
- Reflect on the interview, this will assist you in any future interviews, particularly if you think you could have performed better.
- Provide feedback to your Jackie Kerr Recruitment consultant, who will immediately contact the company for their feedback.
- If you are successful and you are still interested in the position your Jackie Kerr Recruitment consultant will arrange the next stage.
- If unsuccessful we gain constructive feedback from the client in order to assist in further interviews.
You start the job - or it's on to the next interview!