Job Interview Preparation Guide

Tamar Dolidze, PhD

Batumi

2015
Job Interview Preparation

Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first

impression. However, good preparation takes the pain out of the
process.

Remember: Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Preparation is essential and greatly enhances your chances of

performing well, So:
know your CV
know your potential employer
understand commonly used interview styles
 Best Job Interview Tips

Ensure your consultant has provided you with a detailed understanding of

the position description, the team environment and the organisation.

Conduct additional research on the organisation by reading annual reports and

researching on the internet. Understand the organisation's products and services,
size, locations, financial situation and growth potential.

Make sure you know exactly where you're going and ALWAYS BE ON TIME.

Dress conservatively and pay attention to all aspects of your dress and
grooming.

Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer's full
name and the correct pronunciation of their title.

Spend time reviewing your resume and experience and its relevance to the
position. Identify the specific examples in your background that are directly
relevant to the position description and demonstrate your ability to do the job.
Refresh your memory on the details of present and past employers and
your work history for each. You will be expected to know a lot about a
company for which you have previously worked. Pay particular
attention to how you will describe your most important achievements.

Be prepared to communicate why this role appeals to you, why you

should be considered for this role and what sets you apart from other
candidates.

Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview. Remember
that an interview is a two-way street. The employer will try to
determine if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You
must decide whether the company will give you the opportunity for the
growth and development you seek.
"LUCK IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY"
Are you preparing for a job interview and want to give yourself the best
chance of getting an offer? Then you need to master the art of the
interview with help from our interview guide.

Drawing on our extensive experience interviewing and placing

candidates, combined with our understanding of organisations and what
they seek, we are able to provide you with expert advice on how to not
only survive, but thrive, at the job interview.

Hudson’s interview guide provides valuable tips for every candidate,

covering all stages of the job interview process from how to prepare for
the interview to closing the deal.
 JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
While every interview you attend will take its own unique direction, you
can often predict the type of questions you’ll be asked. For that reason,
it’s a great idea to prepare yourself beforehand by thinking about how
to answer some common interview questions.

Thorough preparation is key to your success – so we’ve put together

some sample job interview questions to help you formulate the best
types of responses (though obviously, you’ll tailor your answers based on
your own particular skills and experiences).

Here is our pick of five of the most common interview questions, some
tips on how to answer them, and some suggested openers to help you in
your interview campaign.
HOW TO ANSWER THE 5 MOST COMMON JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Q: What prompted you to apply for this job?

A: “I’m excited by the possibilities presented by your company. I’d

like to be a part of its future success, and I want to help it to
continue to grow by…”

“This role offers exactly the types of challenges and responsibilities

I’m looking for and is ideally suited to my skills and experience…”
 Interview answer tips:

Focus on emphasising the match between your skills and experience

and the operations and culture of the company you’re applying to.

Be honest and upfront about your motivations, while explaining why

you’re passionate about the role. These qualities will shine through in
your answer and impress much more than simply trying to tell them
what you think they want to hear.

Demonstrate your understanding of the company and show that you’ve

researched your potential employer thoroughly, and have good
reasons for wanting to work there.
Q: Why are you the best person for this job?

A: “This job is perfectly matched to my core competencies. I really

feel like your company is the ideal fit for my interests,
qualifications and passions...”

“My years of experience have given me the organisational /

teamwork / sales / managerial skills to make me an invaluable
employee for this company…”
Interview answer tips

Referring to the specific requirements of the role, emphasise

what you can offer to your potential employer, rather than what
they can do for you.

Choose two of your most unique qualities that you think set you
apart from other candidates and use them as compelling reasons
to employ you.
Q: Why did you leave your previous role?

A: “I found myself a little ‘stuck’ and decided I needed new

challenges that weren’t readily available in my previous role…”

“I’m interested in a job with greater responsibility, and feel that a

role like this would better offer those kinds of opportunities...”

“I was laid off due to a company restructure...”

Interview answer tips:

Whatever your reasons for leaving your last job, resist the urge to
bad-mouth your previous employer as it can appear
unprofessional and disloyal.

Focus on the future, and ensure you sound positive and optimistic
as you elaborate on your chosen career goals.
Q: WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AS YOUR KEY
STRENGTHS?

A: “I’m organised, efficient and take great pride in doing the

best work possible, and exceeding expectations…”

“My previous employer often commented on my ability to

motivate and manage my team members – and I was even
commended on my abilities with an industry award…”
Interview answer tips:

There’s no point reeling off a list of strengths that aren’t

relevant to the actual role in question. Think about the types of
skills your potential employer is looking for (i.e. from the job ad)
and then select from your list of strengths, to illustrate exactly
how you’re the ideal candidate.

Elaborate on your named strengths and demonstrate how they’re

useful in action by using real examples from your past
experience. Make sure you highlight the actual benefits of each
strength in ways that are relevant to the employer.
Q: What would you describe as your main weaknesses?

A: “I know that public speaking is the number one phobia for most
people, and I’d say that’s the main area I’d like to work on,
especially as I know it’s part of the job description for this
role...”

“I’m very detail oriented and meticulous, which means that I can
sometimes take a little longer to get a task done, but I’m working
on getting the right balance between attending to the detail and
being as efficient as possible…”
Interview answer tips:

It can be tricky, but presenting some of your more minor

weaknesses – obviously not ones that will greatly impact your ability
to do the job – is the best tactic for answering this question.

Alternatively, mention areas that you were once slightly weaker at,
but which you’ve been working on improving (successfully).

You could also mention tasks you know are a part of the role you’re applying for, which
you’d like some further training or support with – for example, a particular software
program. If you can be honest and ask for help where you feel you need it, this
demonstrates that you’re keen to continually learn and improve yourself.

With any weakness you mention, emphasise your awareness,

willingness and efforts to improve.

If possible, try to avoid overly clichéd answers such as “I’m too

much of a perfectionist” or “I work too hard”.
THE BEST QUESTIONS TO ASK AT AN INTERVIEW

Ask the right questions and your interview will be less like a one-
sided interrogation, and more like an actual conversation. So when
your interviewer asks if you have any questions, this is your
opportunity to create engagement and build a dialogue, while
gleaning valuable information.

Not only that, but when it comes to the right questions to ask at an
interview, this is your one opportunity to stand out from the crowd. By
asking some really thoughtful and thought-provoking interview questions
rather than just replying with the standard “No, I think you’ve covered
everything”, you’re more likely to leave a lasting impression in your
interviewer’s mind.

So here they are – our top 7 questions to ask at an interview so you

dazzle your prospective employer – and 3 others to definitely
avoid.
1. WHY IS THE POSITION VACANT?

It’s always interesting to know why the position became

available. Was it because it’s a newly created role, or was the
previous employee promoted? If so, that bodes well for your
opportunities for growth. However, if the previous employee
was fired, resigned or was made redundant, you might want to
consider the role more carefully.
2. What do you most enjoy about working here?

This is a very good question to ask in an interview – because it

invites your interviewer to connect with you more personally,
enables you to get a better insight into the working culture of
the place and clarifies the key benefits of working there. If
they struggle to reply, that also gives you valuable information
about the company.
3. WHAT TYPE OF SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WOULD
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE HAVE?

This coaxes your employer to reveal exactly what they’re

looking for and lets you better understand if you’re the right fit.
If any skill sets are mentioned you haven’t already covered, it
gives you the opportunity to highlight them before the interview
finishes.
4. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WORKING CULTURE
HERE?

It’s often hard to get a real-world sense of what it would be like

to work for a particular company from a formal interview – so
this is a great question to give you more personalised insight.
5. CAN PEOPLE DEVELOP QUICKLY HERE?

This question shows the interviewer that you’re ambitious and

committed to learning and growth – and it also gives you
information on whether there is actual opportunity to develop
and progress.
6. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE TEAM I’LL BE
WORKING WITH?

Not only is this question phrased to plant a positive seed in the

interviewer’s mind about you working there, but the answer
will reveal something about the people you’ll be working
closely with, and whether you’re likely to work well with them
or not.
7. WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FROM HERE?

This is a good question to finish off with. It shows you’re

interested in the role and the process, and that you’re ready
to move forward to the next stage – and with a bit of luck,
your interviewer might tell you how many others you’re up
against, enabling you to better rate your chances.
AND FINALLY, 3 QUESTIONS TO AVOID ASKING AT AN
INTERVIEW

1. Could you tell me a bit more about what your company does?

Employers expect you to do the work to find out about their

company beforehand. Asking this question shows a lack of
initiative and prior preparation.
2. WHAT IS THE SALARY?

A first interview is generally not the time to ask about salary.

It is better to wait until the interviewer raises the issue in due
course, when you are at the offer stage or at least when you
have returned for a subsequent interview.
3. I have a holiday booked quite soon – can I get time off?

This is a little inappropriate to ask at this stage in the process.

Instead, wait until you get the offer before negotiating any prior
commitments.
 Good luck with
your job interview!!!