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How To
Succeed at an Interview
Preparing for an interview at short notice can leave you terribly
nervous – it’s the last thing you need when trying to make a positive
impression. To help you out, we’ve summarised our comprehensive
interview section.
Firstly, your primary aim
is to convince the interviewer that:
l You would be able to do
the job competently
l You can bring enhanced benefits to the company
l You are the best candidate on both of the above counts
Preparation
In order to approach this successfully you would need to conduct a
mini-self assessment of your professional profile, your work
experience so far, the qualifications you possess and where you want
your career to go. Write down a few points about your strengths and
weaknesses so that you have a clear idea of what to say (and what not
to say) in the interview. Here are some of the core traits to
consider:
1. Leadership by example
2. Self-confidence
3. Commitment and determination
4. Enthusiasm and stamina
5. Competitiveness
6. Good judgement and confident decision-making
7. Willingness to take responsibility
8. Initiative and creativity
9. Organisational ability
10. Sensitivity to people
Ask yourself:
l In which areas can I really improve?
l What were the tasks and situations I had the most difficulty with?
l In which instances did my colleagues react negatively towards me?
l Were there any reasons for hindering my progress and promotion?
l Why am I leaving my present job?
These will be some of the questions ‘fired’ at you in the interview
and this task will help you formulate suitable answers.
For more details visit our section on Interview preparation.
Positive thinking
The most important thing to take with you to the interview is a
positive attitude. If you’ve recently been made redundant, then this
will no doubt need particular attention. If you don’t believe in
yourself, then how on earth are you going to convince the interviewer
to believe in you!
Remind yourself that
they’ve short-listed you from many other applicants, therefore you
must stand a pretty good chance. Feeling a little nervous before the
interview is perfectly natural. It’s sometimes surprisingly effective
if you go into an interview with the attitude that they want you more
than you want the job, but don’t become over-confident!
The core of positive
thinking is your own sense of self-esteem. In order to be positive in
an interview you need to ensure that you have a buoyant self-esteem.
Take some time to reflect on how you see yourself and how you feel
about your career successes so far. (note that I have not mentioned
career failures).
There are basically two
types of self-esteem;
Internal:
which rests on your own beliefs about yourself
External:
which is based on your reaction to the environment around you. Always
remember that ultimately ‘you let others tell you how good you are.’
Try to put everything in perspective and dwell on the positive aspects
of your character. Ultimately you want to avoid leaving an impression
that is less than you deserve.
The job brief
If you are preparing for a specific interview, it’s worth
familiarising yourself with the job description or brief before
tackling this task. Ask the recruiter for as much information on the
company as they can supply. How big is the company? How long have they
been operating? What are their key income revenues and core areas of
business? Who are their major competitors? Have they recently had any
major upheavals or successes?
Someone who goes to the
effort to find all this out is likely to put the same effort into
their job and the sense of enthusiasm will certainly help you outscore
other candidates. At a professional level, knowing this sort of
information about the company is expected.
So, how do you research a
prospective employer. The internet is an easy place to start, most
companies have a website. Calling their marketing department and
asking for a company profile or press kit is also quite practical.
Your request may even filter back to the recruiter who will be
impressed before you even step in the door. Alternatively you can pose
as a potential customer and quiz one of their sales members over the
phone.
Dress and body language
Although the acceptable style of dress varies according to the
industry you work in, it is generally better to over dress rather than
under dress, and a suit should almost always be worn. Avoid arriving
for an interview overloaded with bags, and try not to wear an item of
apparel that hasn’t been worn before, it could turn out to be
uncomfortable and distracting. Gents should avoid white socks with
dark suits, short sleeved shirts and cologne. Prefer fabrics that
crease less easily, ladies remember a spare set of tights (just in
case) and favour sensible shoes and styles. Remember, you are
attending an interview not a date!
According to research, employers’ impressions are made up in the
following way:
l Body language and image (70%)
l Tone of voice (20%)
l What you say (10%)
Remember to speak clearly in a controlled range of tones. Avoid a
monotone and always pause before speaking, this avoids instinctively
reacting and saying the wrong things. Speak slightly slower than
normal, and vary your tone and dynamics a little. Let your voice show
your enthusiasm and keenness, but try to avoid a nervous ‘sing-song’
tone. Ultimately, you should try to be natural.
Fidgeting shows boredom and restlessness, crossing arms indicates an
unwillingness to listen and tapping your foot is distracting and a
sure sign of boredom.
Here are a few important
points to be mindful of:
1. A smile is the most positive signal you can give, it re-affirms
your enthusiasm and good nature
2. Maintain regular, attentive eye contact
3. Relax! Give off calm signals and don’t rush through the interview
but be mindful of time, let the interviewer dictate the pace of the
interview
4. Mirror the interviewer’s techniques. If they laugh, laugh with
them.
5. Do not hurry any movement, if you’re challenged with a difficult
question, remind yourself about negative body language habits before
answering the question.
6. Try to maintain an alert position, sit up straight, don’t slump,
and adjust your position slightly if you get uncomfortable, but don’t
fidget.
7. Always try to adopt an open, honest and confident attitude: this is
the starting point of managing subconscious body language.
For more detail, visit our sections on body language and dress codes
for an interview.
The interview
A well-trained interviewer will usually break the ice by opening the
interview with a few vague questions such as “did you find the place
ok?”. It’s good to try and build a rapport with the interviewer early
on.
You should always adopt a professional and business-like manner, be
honest, listen intently and use strong positive language. Try to avoid
being over-enthusiastic, it may suggest that you’re desperate for a
job.
It’s a bad idea to get into discussions about your personal life, and
decline any bait to mention secrets of your present employer, this
could be a trap. Also try to avoid negative phrases such as ‘I don’t
know’, ‘I’m not sure’ . Respond by being persuasive, speak in terms of
what benefit you can bring to the company, rather than the other way
around, and remember to remain calm. Don’t rush your answers.
There are all sorts of
difficult questions that can be potential minefields. For model
answers please visit our comprehensive section, slick answers to tough
questions.
Don’t forget to interview
them too. Firstly, it is an opportunity to impress a few points on
them which may not have come up in the interview. More importantly you
will want to find out if this is the right job for YOU. Asking
relevant questions is a good chance to make a further impact about
your seriousness about joining their company. Ask; what sort of
responsibilities the job entails, challenging or mundane aspects of
the tasks, what support and guidance is available, how often your
performance is reviewed and details on any bonus schemes, training and
development opportunities, decision-making processes, future plans
etc.
Make sure you give the interviewer your full attention Wait for them
to finish speaking, before you answer or ask questions. Remember;
l Be enthusiastic
l Speak with confidence and be clear
l Be positive with your answers
l Keep to the point and be mindful of time
l Try to be honest and open
Salary Negotiation
You’ll have to get through the interview first before you’re in a
position to negotiate an offer, but the process isn’t complete until
you’ve settled on the right salary. Negotiating this can sometimes be
tougher than the interview, and if you can’t get the deal you want,
then there’s no point taking the job. Remember, once you’ve accepted
their offer, you salary is unlikely to change significantly until you
get promoted.
In any negotiation, your
two major objectives are:
l To change the other party’s impression
of the strength of your position
l To change the other party’s impression
of the strength of their position.
Before going into the
negotiation make sure you’ve done your homework. This will add to your
confidence - an attribute that is vital when negotiating. Assess your
market value based on advice from recruiters, adverts for similar
jobs, the demand for people with your skills set, salary surveys in
trade magazines and advice from colleagues who have a similar role to
yours.
Firstly, never be the
first party to mention a figure. Sometimes this can be difficult, but
you can respond vaguely by talking about ‘a package in the region of…’
The purpose of this tactic is to avoid selling yourself short. Usually
the job description carries a salary range, you will obviously want to
get as much as you possibly can.
Once they have mentioned a
figure you can then begin levering them with comments such as; “how
much room do we have for negotiation?”, “ what perks does that
include?”, or even call their bluff by saying, “I’m really keen on the
position, but I’ll have to weigh it up against the other offer I have
been made.”
If their opening gambit is extremely low then comments such as “I’ll
have to go away and consider if I can justify that salary to myself”
or “I’m not sure if that’s a very competitive salary” can be used.
Sometimes, a surprisingly effective tactic is to look them straight in
the eye and dramatically ask, “Is that the best you can offer?”
Not all remuneration is
made in hard cash alone, even if it is money that really talks. Some
perks do have a genuine value, while others may even cost you more in
the long-run. For a full list of pros and cons visit our section on
salary negotiation. Be well informed about common ‘sweeteners’ such as
share options, profit share and pensions. Many of these are based on
performance or the buoyancy of the economy.
Finally, take the time to
consider and accept the right offer. Don’t be afraid to turn down an
offer and move onto another interview with added confidence. Beware of
fancy titles, expectations of unpaid overtime, open promises and
so-called ‘opportunities for growth’.
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