INTERVIEWING TIPS

  
Well, its that time again. Time to prepare yourself for the journey that lies ahead. It can be a
little scary, but with the proper preparation you will do much better. Below are some general tips
to get your focus on track. With a few interviews you'll be on your way!  

Interview Tip 1: Plan Ahead - Do a little homework! Research the company and the position if
possible, as well, the people you will meet with at the interview. Review your work experiences. Be
ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the
companies needs. Have your facts ready!

Interview Tip 2: Role Play - Once you have finished studying, begin role playing (rehearsing). Use
the general questions provided below in the Interview Preparation Area. Write down answers if it
helps to make your presentation more concise. Try to keep your answers to the information your
new employer will want to know.

Interview Tip 3: Eye Contact - Maintain eye contact with your interviewer. Show you want the job
with your interest.

  
Interview Tip 4: Be Positive - In particular, avoid negative comments about past employers.

  
Interview Tip 5: Adapt - Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer. Pay attention
to those details of dress, office furniture, and general decor which will afford helpful clues to
assist you in tailoring your presentation.

Interview Tip 6: Relate - Try to relate your answers to the interviewer and his or her company.
Focus on achievements relevant to the position. 

Interview Tip 7: Encourage - Encourage the interviewer to share information about his or her
company. Demonstrate your interest. Some suggested questions to ask the interviewer are
provided in the "Questions You Could Consider Asking the Employer" section

Below are questions you may be asked in the interview

Tell me about yourself? (try to hold your response to 2 minutes)

What do you know about our company?

Why should we hire you?

What can you do for us that someone else can't?

What do you look for in a job?

What skills and qualifications are essential for success in the position of ______?
How long would it take for you to make a meaningful contribution?

How does this assignment fit into your overall career plan?

Describe your management style.

What do you believe is the most difficult part of being a supervisor of people?

Why are you looking for a new career?

How would your colleagues describe you?

How would your boss describe you?

How would you describe yourself?

What do you think of your present or past boss?

What were the five most significant accomplishments in your last assignment?

What were the five most significant accomplishments in your career so far?

Can you work well under deadlines or pressure?

How much do you expect if we offer you this position?

Why do you want to work for us?

What other positions are you considering?

Have you kept up in your field with additional training?

What are your career goals?

What are your strong points?

What are your weak points?

How did you do in school?

What position do you expect to have in 2 to 5 years?

If you took the job what would you accomplish in the first year?

What was wrong with your current or last position?

What kind of hours are you used to working or would like to work?
Do you have your reference list with you? (Remember don't give it out unless it is asked
for).

Can you explain your salary history?

What questions didn't I ask that you expected?

Do you have any question for me? (See Questions for the Interviewer that you might
want to ask below).

Below are questions you may want to ask the

Interviewer 
1. Why is this position open? 
 
2. How often has it been filled in the past five years? What were the main reasons? 
 
3. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this position? 
 
4. What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job? 
 
5. What is most pressing? What would you like to have done in the next 3 months. 
 
6. What are some of the long term objectives you would like to see completed? 
 
7. What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face in this
position? 
 
8. How do you think these could best be handled? 
 
9. What type of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances. etc? 
 
10. What freedom would I have in determining my own work objectives, deadlines, and
methods of measurement? 
 
11. What advancement opportunities are available for the person who is successful in
this position, and within what time frame? 
 
12. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and
services over the years? 
 
13. What significant changes do you foresee in the near future? 
 
14. How is one evaluated in this position? 
 
15. What accounts for success within the company?
 
 16. These questions are presented only as interviewing guidelines. They are meant to
help you prepare for the interview. Some questions may or may not be appropriate
for your interviewing situation.
 
17. By practicing your responses to some of these questions, hopefully you will not be
taken off guard if asked one of them. Most importantly, relax, go with the flow, and
before you know it, you'll be in your next job.

When You Are Preparing For The Interview:

Great news, give yourself a pat on the back and well done. You’ve got an interview for a new job. You have
obviously impressed your future potential employer with your CV and application form to be offered an
interview in the first place. You have probably beaten many other applicants but something in your
application has made you stand out from the other candidates.
An employer isn’t looking to employ any old person to fill their job; hence they have already sifted through
all of the applications and compiled a shortlist which you are now on! All the interviewer needs to do from
there is choose the candidate to fill their job. The only way they are going to do this is meet each applicant
in person. There are many variables in choosing a new person for a job. What one employer classes as an
important quality, another may not. Some feel experience is an important factor. Others value qualifications
or team management skills or a combination of both. What you have got to remember is that you will have
to make a lasting impression on the interviewer to get you nearer to securing that new job. Your future
employer is going to have to make a choice from several applicants. This will inevitably be a hard decision to
make. After all, summing up candidates suitability in a few short hours isn’t easy for anybody, so you must
make an impression. It’s no easier sitting in an interviewer’s shoes than being a candidate. If you go well
prepared then you are able to manipulate an interview to your advantage and get across your strengths.
Prior To The Interview:

Remember your employer knows all about the job they are looking to fill; what it entails and what qualities
they are looking for in a potential candidate. They also have a fair amount of information about you; your
CV and application form. It is always a good idea to take a copy of these with you to the interview. The
interviewer will have a checklist of areas they are looking to satisfy themselves about to ensure you can do
the job. These will encompass some general interview questions and others specifically about you as a
person, such as your interests, hobbies and what you like to do outside of the workplace.
How Will The Interview Be Structured?

Most interviews follow a fairly similar simple format. Usually you will be invited into the interview room,
offered a drink of tea, coffee or water etc and then sometimes a bit of casual chat such as “How was your
journey?” Get the idea! Next, your interviewer will ask some general questions, such as “Tell me about
yourself” or “Are you an organised person?” They may then ask you questions about your CV such as “You
say you are good at time management, can you give us an example?” Once the interviewer feels that they
have satisfactory answers to all their questions they will then give you the opportunity to ask any questions
you may have about the job, the company etc.

Convincing Your Interviewer & Offering Them Reassurance:

It is really important at the interview stage that the interviewer feels happy about all the areas they have
covered. They may keep going back to specific questions if they don’t feel they have got the answer they
require. This is often a good sign as it means they are taking your application seriously and they may just
want reassurance on one or two points. If you can put their mind at rest it will make you a far stronger
contender. If you haven’t been asked any questions, you have either done a fantastic job at clarifying all of
their concerns and queries, or you are unlikely to have got the job. Try and be as open as you can without
going on and on. I know it’s not always easy to judge, but if you think there is a subject that the interviewer
has covered and is not comfortable with, try to get your point across. There are certain areas that can and
will cause concern to an employer, such as lack of experience or missing periods of employment during your
career. These may have simple answers to them, but if the interviewer doesn’t have a good understanding,
because they haven’t asked you the right questions, they are going to be wary. If you think something is
bothering them try and give a good explanation. If you are well prepared before the interview and you think
there is something in your career history that might be of concern you will have a sensible answer ready.
You will then avoid feeling speechless when asked “Why is there an 18 month gap in your employment
history?”
Being Interviewed For A Job By Your Existing Employer:

An interview is an interview! Should you be applying for promotion or a change of job in your existing
company then your employer will already have a lot of the current information about you, such as
timekeeping or time management skills, personal details etc, etc. Other than this information the interview
will follow the same structure as any other interview. However specific questions about your current position
may well come into play and have a more dominant effect on the meeting. It could be that although there
are certain areas they already know about, they may still ask you about them. Things like “How well do you
work under pressure and meeting targets?” They are already aware of your capabilities as you work for
them but they want you to answer this question anyway. Just go ahead and give them the answer they want
to hear!
Just because you already work for them don’t treat this any differently to an interview being conducted by a
new employer. Yes, the interviewer may already know you, so they may well be a little less informal in their
greeting but once you get down to business treat the situation the same as if you were applying for a job
outside of your current employer. A good point of useful information; don’t crack jokes about people you
work with or chit chat about Joe in accounts. It isn’t perceived professional and it will do you no favours in
your career advancement.

Be Prepared For The Questions That Will Be Asked:

It’s almost impossible to know exactly what questions are going to be asked at the interview but you can
expect certain areas that are likely to be explored. Brief yourself on the skills required for the job, including
the experience that you have to do it. Think about questions that may arise from the answers you gave on
your application form and lastly consider any questions that may arise regarding your CV. As previously
mentioned, breaks in your career, work experience and so on. If you work in a sales role you will already
understand the importance of preparation prior to meeting a new customer or trying to close a deal. It is no
different when presenting yourself for an interview to win a new job. You need to Prepare Your Offensive, Do
Your Research, and Prepare for the Meeting. The better organised you are the more professionally and
accurately you will be able to answer each question. This will put both you and the interviewer at ease.