Interview Techniques:

The day of your interview has arrived and you need to now consider what your action plan will be. Remember its important for you to remain focused and be prepared.

Travelling To The Interview:

When you are travelling to your interview the last thing you want to be doing is sitting on the bus, on the train or in the car fretting that there has been an accident up front or that the bus or train is going to be late. Your time travelling should be used constructively, thinking about how you are going to perform, going over your answers and trying to relax. At this point you do not want to get yourself into a fluster about things that are out of your control. Everyone knows that being late is not only discourteous but shows bad organisational skills and time keeping and you do not want the interview to get off to a bad start. So how do you combat this problem? Well firstly you should plan your route with military precision. If you are taking a bus catch one that will get you where you want to be with half and hours grace, the same goes for the train. If you are going by car then it’s a good idea to drive to the premises and see how long it takes and then gauge your journey with an extra half an hour’s leeway.

Whatever method of transport you take make sure you are going to get there in good time. It doesn’t matter if you are early you can always spend the spare time sitting on a bench reading a paper or find a suitable café where you can get a drink, the important thing is that you aren’t going to get yourself into a panic worrying you are going to be late. Of course things don’t always run smoothly so make sure you take your mobile with you just in case there is an unavoidable hold up at least you can call and explain the situation (and don’t forget to turn your phone off before you go into the interview).

Upon Arrival At The Interview Destination:

OK so its time to get down to business. If you have taken our advice so far you have reached your destination in plenty of time and are standing outside of the building composing your thoughts. When you walk into reception ask the security guard or reception clerk whether there are any toilets or bathrooms. Now is a great time in the last few minutes prior to the interview to check just how good you look and use the toilet should you need to (and most of us do as the nerves set in!) Most of us like to check on our hair, straighten our tie, make sure we haven’t got any foreign objects attached to our teeth, give our clothes a quick brush down and just check our general appearance for that final few moments to make sure that we really do look the right candidate for the job. If there are no bathroom facilities its always fairly easy to find a window to see your reflection in to check your general appearance. Finally if you are nervous give your hands a wipe with the nice clean tissue you will have remembered to put in your pocket before you left.

The Basic Structure Of An Interview:

Not everyone has attended hundreds of interviews; many people have only ever had one job and if you have just left school or University it is fairly unlikely that you have had experience of a formal interview. However, generally speaking, the structure of an interview is fairly standardised and most probably as you would expect. Once you have been greeted by your interviewer you are usually offered some form of beverage, perhaps a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of water. Your interviewer will be trying to do their best at settling you (remember they want to see your real side not the false bag of nerves that isn’t really you) by making you feel welcome so they will often engage is small talk asking how your journey was or if the traffic was bad because of the road works on the main island! Once you are settled there often follow a standard set of generalised questions. Don’t forget the interviewer already knows a little about your background as he will already have read through your CV or application form so he will be aware of your general interests, hobbies and achievements and these may be areas he would like to expand on at the start of the interview. It may be that your interviewer then asks you a set of questions relating to things stated on your application form or CV. It could be that you have said that you are excellent in report writing or that you excel in organisation skills but whatever the question the interviewer will be looking for you to offer examples of your achievements in your reply. When your interviewer has covered all of the areas on his check sheet and is happy with you answers you have given he may then offer you the opportunity to ask any questions that you have regarding the role or about the organisation. However as you will see later on it is important to do some research on the organisation prior to the interview so now is not a good time to ask any questions about the company that will make you look like you haven’t bothered to do your homework. As the interview progresses your interviewer will be making notes picking up on things you have said or thinking of questions he may want to re explore later. Don’t worry about this. All interviewers are looking for solid answers to the questions they pose, how else can they be certain that you are the right person for the job? It is important therefore that you understand the reasoning behind the interviewers persistence if he keeps going back over old ground asking, what you may consider, the same question again and again in a different format, one which you think, has already been covered. If this happens you should realise that the interviewer may be looking for reassurance on a particular issue and it is important that you clarify any questions that the interviewer poses as comprehensively as possible. It can be hard to read this but you have to remember that the interviewer wants to satisfy himself, in a relatively short time scale, that he has satisfactory answers to all of the questions he has asked. Try and be as honest in your answers as you can be. Very few people have a perfect career history but the secret is to be prepared for any skeletons which you may have hiding in the cupboard!

The Formal Greeting:

If the interview you are attending is for a position internally within the organisation that you work in it should be treated no differently to an external interview. It can be very easy to be too familiar at an interview especially if it is with someone you may already work with. Obviously the questions relating to your background in an internal interview may be less dominant due to the fact that your interviewer will already have a good insight into who you are and what you are about as they will have you’re your employee file but the basic structure of the interview will probably remain the same. There are several key areas to dealing with an internal interview that you must not forget. Remember you are still applying for a new job, just because you may know your interviewer doesn’t give you the right to treat them with any less respect than you would a stranger. Don’t;

(a) Make jokes about your colleagues;

(b) Criticise other members of your team;

(c) Be any less professional than you would be with a new employer;

(d) Let your guard down.

Once you are called into the interview the chances are that interviewer will probably introduce himself first and offer his hand as a greeting. Smile, make eye contact, shake their hand firmly and reply with your salutation. Once you are in the interview room do not sit until you have been offered a seat, it’s considered very bad manners. Your interviewer may ask you if you would like to remove your jacket, some do, some don’t and its up to you whether you take advantage of this. However if there isn’t an invitation to remove your jacket don’t take it off it would be considered as bad manners. Internal interviews are slightly different in that it may be a little less formal and if you feel that your performance could be hindered you might want to take your jacket off if the opportunity arises. Of course not all interviews are one to one. Sometimes it may well be that you are being interviewed by a panel of three or four people. If this is the case the interviewer will generally offer you a seat and then make the introductions around the table. In these circumstances it’s not usual practice to shake hands with each member of the panel just make eye contact with each one and smile as and when they are introduced to you. Once the formalities are over and everyone is seated comfortably you may well be asked if you would like a beverage. If you don’t think that you are going to be able to drink a cup of tea or coffee because you are nervous don’t have one. However often a glass of water is not only useful should your throat become dry but if you get stuck on a question it is a good and valid excuse for you to pause, take a drink and compose your thoughts for a few seconds so its always a good idea to take a drink whether or not you actually intend drinking it. No one will give a second thought to the matter.

Dealing With Nerves:

Right, the interview is under way, the formalities are over and it’s down to business. Inside your shaking like a coconut tree in a hurricane and trying your very hardest to keep it there and not let it show to your interviewer. Look, it’s simple everybody has nerves, no one likes new surroundings, uncertainty, the fear of humiliation or the feeling that you are on a stage and the whole world is watching you, waiting for you to trip up and make a complete fool of yourself and it is perfectly natural! Nerves can make us perform to the very best of our ability. If you were to ask the vast majority of musicians or pop stars most of them would tell you they either throw up before going on stage or if they don’t they feel like they will! Remember when you were a kid and your parents mentioned going to the doctors or the dentist…. It was never as bad as you imagined it to be and you always sighed a huge sigh of relief when the ordeal was over. It’s all about preparation and the secret to keeping your nerves under control is to remain calm at all times. If you have prepared properly for the interview; done your research, checked your CV, arrived on time and covered all of the other areas mentioned then you are halfway there. All you need to do now is concentrate on answering questions posed to you with honest answers and keeping your cool.

Promoting Yourself:

Once you are comfortably sat down and the interview is under way you now have to prove to your interviewer that you are the man or woman for the job. This is the time that you really need to prove to the interviewer that you are a 110% committed candidate and that you give 110% to your employer and your job. You need to show your interviewer that you are enthusiastic; that you are positive and that you will live and breathe this job should you win this new position. To do this you need to give full and complete answers to any questions that are asked and if possible (without going on) expand on each answer that you give offering examples of, perhaps, things you have achieved throughout your career.

What Should You Do And What Shouldn’t You Do:

Many interviewers may have had plenty of experience in interviewing candidates. Your general conduct in what you say and do are going to influence your interviewer in the final selection process so it is a good idea to try and remember the following tips whilst at your interview:

Do:

(a) Try and keep your hands still (ideally placed in your lap to avoid fidgeting).

(b) Listen carefully to any questions that you are asked before giving your answer (and think about the answer before you give it).

(c) Try and keep eye contact with the person asking you the questions.

(d) Keep smiling and calm.

(e) Be honest with your answers.

(f) Try not to waffle on or go off subject.

Equally there are certain things it’s not a good idea to do or say when you are being interviewed so try and avoid the following:

Don’t:

(a) Fidget or rock backwards and forwards on your seat, play with your jewellery or mess with your hair.

(b) Interrupt your interviewer in the middle of a question (its discourteous. It doesn’t matter how much you want to but in so keep quiet).

(c) Give “Yes” or “No” answers, always try and expand on the question.

(d) Cross your arms.

(e) Smoke, even if you are offered a cigarette by your employer;

(f) Chew gum or suck sweets;

(g) Be rude or offensive about your previous employer or work colleagues.

(h) Ask about your salary, bonus, company car or holidays (unless your interviewer asks about your current salary.

(i) Make comments about your political views or religious beliefs (not everyone shares the same idea about politics or religion).

(j) Tell lies (you will nearly always get caught out – an honest answer will be far more respected than a dishonest one).

(k) Be polite and respectful at all times and to all members of staff.