Interview
Techniques & Tips
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- Interviews :
- Interviewing is normally one part of a selection process. Others include specific assessment testing [including psychometric testing, e.g. personality, values, specific skills, interests, group/individual testing] and the submission of résumés [CVs].
- Within this there are several types of interviews - one on one interview, panel interview, telephone interview or technical/competence-based/stress/“hypothetical” interview.
- It is possible to gain practice formats for many of the standard assessment tests used and there is information on the development of résumés [as well as the provision of samples of resume formats & software] some of which is included on the Careers page.
- The résumé will, and the assessment tests may, affect the final selection.
- However, the interview is your only chance, face to face, to impress a consultant or selection panel, or possibly both. This is your chance to convince them of your suitability for the position. This applies irrespective of the position involved.
- Like all things, you are likely to be more successful if you are organised and plan for an interview.
- The following points are worth considering when preparing for an interview, whatever the format [some points relate specifically to individual formats].
Some basic considerations about Interviews.
- General :
- If you don’t genuinely want the job, don’t waste your own, and other’s, time. Your lack of interest and intent will be picked by an astute interviewer.
- If you do want the job, you are well advised to know the specific job, the company advertising it [where this is known] and its industry or profession. This should include -
- specific job requirements [skills and obligations];
- company size and structure;
- company reputation & values;
- company goals & objectives;
- future opportunities;
- professional development opportunities;
- products;
- production methods;
- overseas links and branches;
- research possibilities …
- Just as importantly know yourself - give yourself an honest [brutally so !] assessment of your particular strengths and weaknesses and be honest in the responses you develop and then present [see final section] e.g. :
- have a clear idea of your strengths and how they would be of benefit in this position and to this company;
- be honest about any weaknesses you have, then consider positive ways to demonstrate how you plan on developing present weaknesses into more positive future aspects for both yourself and others;
- the particular skills you possess e.g. previous experience/competency in this area, languages, computing, language skills [both written & verbal];
- self-starter;
- if you need time off for representative sport … .
- Having done so, make sure you are clear about what you expect and want from this interview !
[Make sure your understanding of these questions flows into the creation of your résumé/CV so there is a common message in all that you do] - Use this information to consider questions that may be asked :
- what do you think is your greatest strength … ?
- what do you think is your biggest weakness … ?
- in what ways do your studies relate to this position ?
- where do you see yourself/your career in five years from now … ?
- what do you believe is your greatest achievement to this point … ?
- what do you know about … ?
- how would you handle this situation … ?
- how would you use this … ?
- if you were asked to do ‘X’ … ?
- tell us about yourself … .
- Work out appropriate answers, including how your strengths would apply in these situations, and revise these [numerous times !] prior to the interview. You might use the virtual interview sites noted on the Careers page. Also see the Presentation section below.
- Work out how you will respond to questions about previous employment/employers. Always concentrate on positive aspects, never on any negative aspects. If it was positive tell them, but also clarify why you are moving on. If it was a negative experience, work to achieve a positive ‘spin’. You might consider something along the lines of e.g. ‘I believe that moving on will allow me to/provide me with the opportunity to … .’
- Work out how you will respond to questions you consider to be inappropriate or just plain uncomfortable. These could be questions about family situation, religion, culture, ability to work with/for certain people, totally illegal questions [industrially/ discrimination] … . There are multiple ways of responding from answering to trying to change the subject to verbal confrontation about what has been asked. Work out what you see as inappropriate and what method you prefer, and see as best, to use in responding to various scenarios.
- Be prepared to ask questions. Make sure they are specific, relevant and don’t just make you look purely interested in salary and conditions. Most interview[er]s give an opportunity to ask one or more questions, while many panels will respond to questions you have from the discussion.
- Many interviews provide an opportunity for you to make a statement about yourself. Prepare using the information indicated above, other achievements and specific qualifications.
- remember : this is going to tell them about you and what you bring to the position. It has to be relevant to the position you seek and present you in the best way [however - see ‘Be Honest’ below].
- You should visualise how you would operate in the specific role and incorporate this into what you say.
- What you present has to be relevant to the role. Your presentation and responses to questions and opportunities posed by the panel must follow this dictum. Nothing is worse [from experience !] than an interviewee who does not address the requirements of the position for which they apply.
Presentation, Presentation, Presentation, …
- Presentation :
- Remember, everything you do from the time you leave home [yes, really !] will impact on how you perform.
- Never be late. If you are running late, you will be anxious about arriving on time [or should be !], so make sure you leave in plenty of time. Allow enough time so you arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview. If you are unavoidably delayed, make sure you or another trusted person notifies them, provides the reason why you have been delayed and asks to re-schedule.
- Ensure dress and appearance are appropriate for the position and company concerned. Do homework on what is suitable and wear that. If you are going to err, do so on the conservative side.
- Appearance is as important as dress - be tidy, don’t be festooned with extraneous things. Brightly coloured, punk haircuts and ‘daggy’ clothes usually don’t impress ! If time permits [and it should], you may want to ‘freshen up’ just before interview time. Having some anti-perspirant available can be useful, especially if you sweat a lot.
- Make sure all your electronic ‘toys’ [e.g. telephones] are off ! Unexpected interruptions are not appreciated and say a great deal about the importance you give to the interview. In case a genuine emergency occurs, make sure you leave the business phone number and contact name as a contact method. This is more professional.
- Be yourself. Don’t try to be familiar with the panel, adopt a ‘professional’ attitude - open, enthusiastic, clear in what you say, responsive to questions, focussed on the task and your evidence in support of the application.
- Speak clearly - don’t race what you say, don’t mumble :
- Don’t speak so slowly the interviewers think you are treating them as cretins;
- Don’t speak too loudly;
- Don’t use foul language or slang;
- Speak at normal pitch and pace with emphasis on those aspects you want to be certain are heard and understood.
- Don’t ramble. If something is relevant, say what is appropriate, then allow the interview to continue or be finalised.
- If asked about yourself, do not start from your birth and work through till today. Only talk about those aspects of yourself and your life relevant to the question, and the position, unless specifically asked about some other aspect of your life [see inappropriate question section above].
- Don’t try to be ‘humorous’, it seldom works. If you are determined to do so, and it doesn’t succeed, make sure you know what your fall back position is and how you are going to get there.
- If you are not certain what is being asked, don’t answer on the presumption you know what they have said. Seek clarification, e.g. ‘I am not fully clear about what you are asking, could you clarify this for me ?’, ‘Could you rephrase that ?’.
- Be willing to take a brief time to ‘marshal’ your thoughts before answering. Sometimes leaping in with an immediate response doesn’t result in answering the way you want, or the way they would like.
- If you realise what you are saying is not what you planned, or may be coming across incorrectly, be prepared to stop. Settle yourself, then tell the interviewer[s] you are going to start your answer again. You should indicate you were unhappy with how you had started to respond, and that you feel you can provide a better answer, more appropriate illustrations to clarify what you mean, … . Attempting to correct yourself midstream, without clarification, often makes things worse rather than better, both for you and for their understanding of what you are trying to achieve.
- Think about body language. Good interviewers read this as well as listening to what you say. No one expects you to sit like a statue but don’t :
- fidget;
- continually cross and uncross your legs;
- wave your hands around;
- nod your head at everything that is said, etc. …
- It is best to remain relaxed as possible [see finally below] :
- adopt a comfortable position and remain in it;
- use your hands for emphasis where necessary or appropriate;
- speak clearly [see above];
- maintain eye contact with all members of a panel, no matter how many.
This does not mean look at each in turn, but ensure you look at each regularly during the interview; - exude ‘quiet’ confidence at all times;
- don’t just sit like a ‘store dummy’. Use the points indicated to become an integral part of the process;
- When the interview is complete, take the opportunity to thank the panel and indicate you look forward to hearing from them. The latter expresses interest on your part and tends to be remembered.
Other Points to Consider [Well before the interview !]
- Other Points to Consider :
- be organised ! we can’t emphasize this enough.
- If you have planned, arranged, practised [see finally below], you know what to do and how you are going to do it - then you have more chance of success. You need to plan :
- how to find information [if you don’t already have it];
- how to present yourself [see above for more detail] -
- dress;
- appearance;
- stance [body language];
- information about yourself;
- additional written material if required, … .
- how to get to the interview in plenty of time so you are not rushed, sweaty, anxious, unprepared [transport, time factors, … ];
- how to follow up the interview, especially if you are unsuccessful. How long to wait for a response ? Decide on a reasonable period of time. If a specific time period is indicated, do not contact them earlier. However, make sure there is contact to find what is happening;
- What to do if you are successful - have they told you ? If they haven’t -
- how are you going to find out ?
- who do you contact ?
- what do you ask ?
- where do you get and take forms ?
- when do you do this ? …
- If you were unsuccessful, what can you learn from the panel to give you more chance at future interviews ? Don’t be afraid to ask questions e.g., -
- ‘Can you give me examples of where I could improve … ?’;
- ‘Was there something specific … ?’.
- Good interviewers should give some indication [and specific examples] of what prevented your success.
- Do not throw away any planning [or results]. Use them to prepare for future interviews, whether successful or not. Remember, most people will probably change employment several times. This way you will not have to start from the absolute beginning in future.
Finally, don’t forget these …
- Finally :
- Practise, Practise and More Practise !
- There is virtually no one who will achieve their best without this.
- Practise :
- answering hypothetical questions;
- presenting your personal statement;
- asking questions;
- presenting your knowledge of the position/company/industry/profession;
- doing this in different order and sequences, with different people;
- how you enter the room, how you sit, what you do with your hands, etc.;
- eye contact while talking with people. Remember, have eye contact with all people on a panel;
- how you are going to present documentation if this is required [where will I have it ? how will I hand it over ? who will I give it to … ];
- with family, friends and especially others who have expertise, with virtual interviewing procedures, video role play, etc.;
- Seriously ! It will pay dividends.
- Be honest ! :
- put bluntly, astute interviewers usually have an inbuilt ‘crap detector’ triggered by gut instinct, inconsistencies, clashes with other information, impossibilities, attitude, ‘apparent perfection’ [no one is perfect] and other things.
- astute interviewers pick up ‘vibes’ very quickly. Once picked up - you are finished !
- even if you are able to get through an interview, inconsistencies can still occur even when you have commenced the position. Not getting the job is less damaging than being removed for lying and/or incompetence. Your integrity is essential for this and future positions. If questioned, your reputation may suffer for years.
- Don’t restrict development of Interview Techniques to this brief article. Gather information from reliable sources including those listed on the Careers page.
Links to further Interview Information, Techniques and Advice
- Australian Sites :
- Hays Personnel Services - Interviews
A shortened listing of common sense ideas related to successful interviewing technique. There are also links to other aspects of gaining employment. - Interviews
Surprisingly done by a clothing group, but still containing a range of common sense ideas regarding many aspects of interviews. You don’t even have to buy clothes from them ! - Interview Workshops
Find out the ‘good oil’ on how to handle interviews. Try a virtual interview and see how you go. Find out about body language and other ‘giveaways’. - new !Job Interviews
‘Interviews are the final hurdle. The most critical time is the interview. It’s taken you a lot of hard work to score one … so don’t blow it !’ Multiple sections help cover the topic in considerable detail. - new !The Essential Interview Techniques
Covers both Pre-interview and In the Interview. From Leisurejobs. Information about you and the job which need to be included. - Seek - Virtual Interviewer
A useful tool for those preparing for interviews. Select from a range of potential questions under several headings, then you practise providing answers. There are hints available to guide you as well as discussions of what such a question would involve, answer assistance and more.
Well worth visiting ! - Other Advice :
- Alec’s Interview Techniques
‘Contains a vast amount of job interview advice, including interview techniques, questions the interviewer may ask you, questions you may want to ask the interviewer, general interview guidance, panel interview and group interview tests.’ - Bradley CVs
While there is a Fee-based service, there is a wealth of Free information about CVs and Interviews also available from this site. - General Tips and Advice
Basic information, a range of Free resources, Free training courses and much more. Extensive range of information. UK based group. Links to Alec’s Interview Techniques. - Get the Job
A UK based site that provides a wealth of information particularly for UK based people. However, there is a good section on CVs and another on Interviews & Assessments which could be of value. - Interviews [2]
From the University of Leceister Careers Service. Find assistance with Telephone Interviews, Face to face Interviews, different types of interviews, typical interview questions, interview insights and other information and resources. An excellent resource, even though geared to the UK career market. - Interviewing Information
‘Some insights designed to help you successfully interview and get the job you want -- and then negotiate the very best job offer !’ - Interview Techniques [2]
A range of sections cover every aspect from the types of interview through mock interviews, preparation, what employers are seeking and then on to all the regular aspects of interview technique. Done by the University of California. - Interview Techniques :
Making Your Move
A series of links to direct you to information on - ‘preparing your armoury’, ‘Dressed to Kill’, ‘First Impression, Last Impression’ and several other relevant directories. It also includes a ‘10 minute Guide to Succeeding at Interviews’. - IUS - Career Services and Placement
This site covers the phases of an interview, two main types of interviews and a number of interview preparation tools. This is a US site so the sample of an interview form may be interesting but not all that relevant in the Australian setting. - PwCjobs.com - Interview Techniques
A fairly succinct and simple page of advice from Price Waterhouse Coopers about successful techniques to use. There is a link to some standard types of questions asked.
