how to tackle an interview

we have all been there before... your hands are sweaty and your voice is shaking and you think the questions will never end. you get a question you have no idea how to answer…you stumble stammer and say something that has no relevance or doesn’t make sense. leave the room wondering if everyone else has done as badly as you!!! not anymore!!!

with a little help from jobwire, we hope this will be a distant memory and interviews will become a piece of cake. simply spending a bit of time following the advice in this article will double or even triple your odds of landing your "perfect job".

don’t sit worrying and sweating about your next interview! it doesn’t matter how strange or unusual the question is, you can have the ability to deal with it and get that job!

preparation is the most important part of the interview. going in loaded with information about the job, the company and yourself will give you the confidence to handle anything the most experienced and hardened interviewer can throw at you.
there are 2 ways you need to prepare yourself.

1. practical preparation
2. knowledge preparation

 practical prep – make a good impression

you can make a good impression on an interviewer without even opening your mouth to speak. the outcome of an interview is largely dependent on the impression you make in the very first 5 minutes.
 

• do what ever it takes to arrive a few minutes early. this may be that you catch an earlier bus or make the journey the night before and time yourself. there is nothing worse than arriving to the interview late in a fluster this shakes your confidence and can affect your appearance
• an umbrella in your bag is always a good idea incase it rains
• look the part and dress smart. jobwire suggests that you always dress smart and wear a suit if possible. a picture is worth a thousand words. the interviewer will simply just turn off to someone dressed in scruffy clothes.
• hair should be neat and any smelly stuff no matter how expensive shouldn’t be overpowering. jewelery should be kept to a minimum too
• remember a firm hand shake shows the confidence you have and makes the right impression
• body language is important! sit still and possibly slightly forward in your chair so as to look interested (not too far though you don’t want to end up on the floor now!!!)
• actively listen! when in the interview the odd nod, um, ah, I see...shows interest in what the other person is saying

knowledge prep – show good attitude

• the best way to get your job is to prepare some knowledge. this may seem obvious but time after time interviewers will show their disappointment that a candidate knew nothing about the company or the industry
• look into the position and find out as much about the position as possible. talk to your office "angel’s consultant" and ask to see the job description. remember we visit our clients and have seen the type of environment the position is in have extensive knowledge of what type of person they are looking for
• look into the company use the internet at jobwire – we can provide access to this for you and often have company brochures you can read through
• look into the industry! look at the competitors and try and find out what type of clients or customers they have. remember these people could be the people you will be speaking to on a daily basis
• most importantly remember to look at yourself! this is an opportunity for the employer to get to know you. It can be very strange to them if you can answer questions about them but struggle on ones about yourself
• sit down and actually look at your cv
• look at skills and job history! prepare to answer questions about your personal traits and characteristics. e.g. practice describing experiences you’ve had or responsibilities and accomplishments you have gained
• look at your cv! check for any trouble spots like career gaps, or changes in direction for example you may have changed university or college course half way through. make sure you have an honest sensible answer ready stumbling at this stage could give the impression you haven’t made up your mind yet

on the day

there are several questions that will usually come up at an interview! it is helpful to look at these and have a ‘realistic’ answer in your head before you get there. even if you change your answer a little in the interview a familiar question will stop you panicking.

make sure you are specific when answering questions e.g. don’t just say you have used computers and phone before, tell them what packages or switchboards you have used.

always use examples, never answer yes or no to a skill query always back up with an example!
e.g. In my last role it was important  had an excellent telephone manner as our biggest clients, managing director would call frequently and leave messages.

frequent questions

what do you know about our company and industry we operate in?
this is your chance to impress, tell them what you know and if appropriate how you found it!! 

why do you want this job? why do you want to work for this company?
concentrate on list of positives; do not talk about any negatives of your current or last job. 

what qualities do you think are required for the role?
ask for a job description from your consultant at jobwire and ask us for advice, we know the role, the person recruiting and their idea of an ideal person. 

how ambitious are you?
this depends on the type of role you are going for check with your consultant if there is scope for progression to give you an idea of the amount of ambition they are looking for. usually they will be looking for a balance some sound ambition but not looking to take over company in 2 mins. the worst thing you can do is say you want the interviewers job….this doesn’t go down well. 

would you prefer to work for a large, medium or small company? do you like lively or reserved office environments?
here just remember where you are! ask your consultant what the company is like as they will have been to visit and seen the environment 

what are you looking for in a new role?
remember where you are…look at job description your answer is there and combine with your own thoughts.
e.g’s scope for progress, lively environment, chance to learn new skills, chance to implement old ones, friendly atmosphere, teamwork, work on your own, flexible hours, stability, defined career path, training, chance to earn commission, meet people, deal with customers, problem solving, varied role etc etc etc…. 

what do you currently do on a day to day basis in your current or last role?
stress the positive aspects of the job no negative!!! They do not want to hear you going on about how you hate your job now, it gives a negative view of you as a whole! 

you have not done this job before. how will you cope?succeed?
say that you are the type of person that adapts quickly and aims to succeed at everything you do, you are determined to get the job done what ever it takes. 

how would you describe yourself?
pick out your best attributes, bubbly, confident, patient etc. 

do you work well with others or do you like being alone?
this depends on the job role but teamwork is always important although I would stress that you are self-motivated but enjoy working with others. 

what motivates you?
here be truthful, it might be career growth it might be money (if it is a sales job this is important) it might be just good co-workers and teamwork.

difficult questions

why are you leaving your job?
as before 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. 

why are you changing careers?
this question should really only be asked if you are having a radical change in career. always stress the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative aspects of you previous career, you don’t want to come across as someone that is moving just because you hate your old career. say why you think you will be good in the new career – this should come from your experience and achievements, stress the transferable skills you have such as customer service etc. 

have you ever been fired?
if you have you will have to handle this question with great care. try and put yourself in a favorable light as possible without being too dismissive. if you have later been able to correct the problem that lead to you being fired you should tell the interviewer

if you have changed jobs a lot you may be asked how long you would stay at the new job?
you need to make sure they know you are looking for a long-term opportunity to progress and grow professionally in that organisation. stress that stability is important to you

what level of salary are you looking for?
be careful when you answer this question - you do not want to appear to be greedy. if there is a salary range and you have an idea of what you are looking for you could ask what experience they would be looking for the top end of the salary range. (if you simply can’t answer a question, stay calm and say ‘i am sorry i don’t really understand the question…could you repeat what you mean?’ they may then explain in a different way you understand)

few ideas…….

example answers and phrases you can use and change to suit your personal skills and the job you are applying for…. 

• i like challenges I always set personal goals and to try to push myself, i work outside my expected duty, i want to work with a company that recognises this. 
• i aim to become a thorough professional with a clear understanding of the company, the industry and know where the biggest challenges lie.
• i want the opportunity to learn the business, face new challenges and learn from experienced professionals.
• given the parameters of my last job, my progress has been excellent. i feel i have made significant contributions in my time there.
• i find working under pressure stimulating but also believe in planning and time management to reduce panic deadlines.
• i try not to let things pile up on me. if i can i will break big tasks up into little ones.
• my manager always rated my job performance well in fact i was always rated as being capable of accepting further responsibilities, but there was just nothing available there for me.
• my ideal job is one that combines my education and practical work skills.e.g. this would be incorporating my degree in finance, my knowledge of customer service experience of computer packages and admin skills.
• i enjoy facing and overcoming the challenge of making a sale, with preparation, i feel confident approaching people i don’t know, and convincing them they need my product or service.
• i understand that my success is partly down to how much i dedicate towards my goals
• i believe i have a combination of qualities to become successful in this career, i have a strong interest, with solid well-rounded experience and the determination to succeed.
• my greatest strength is my flexibility, i have learned that activities at work change from day to day and through out that day. i realise that certain projects require individual attention and other involve teamwork approach.

strengths

might use some of the following to point out your personal strengths.

• drive – goal orientated, set personal goals and work well to targets. 
• determination – motivated, don’t back off when things get tough
• focus – dedicated to my role, do whatever it takes, work hours needed
• direction – want to be success
• good communicator – give example
• analytical skills – example
• energy to the job – give example

weaknesses

interviewer might try and catch you off guard and ask for a weakness, as we always know our strengths but not weaknesses.pick things that are either unrelated to the job or can be seen as a strength as well.

• perfectionist – like things done right, get annoyed when people don’t’ put a lot of effort in
• can’t delegate – sometimes take too many things on instead of sharing them out, just because you like things doing right sometime
• too analytical – although a strength, aware of the time this takes

the end ...
there is always opportunity at the end of an interview to ask questions, you can write these down before you go in to remind yourself if you like. try and concentrate on issues, which are both important to you and in the interest of the company.
remember be persistent and don’t sell yourself short, don’t fall into the trap of the first five minutes….’i haven’t got this job’ the interviewer probably won’t have notice whatever has thrown you but will notice a change in you attitude.

rehearse rehearse rehearse

you can come in and talk through your answers and questions before you go to the interview, just remember to keep in contact with your consultant at jobwire. we are here to help.

be:
positive!!!  
enthusiastic !!!
confident !!!