Interview Advice
TOP INTERVIEW TIPS
A winning face-to-face job interview can take you from candidate to new hire. Good preparation takes the pain out of the process; do your homework. As you get ready, follow these tips:
- Know your CV
- Know your potential employer
- Understand commonly used interview styles
Example interview questions
Be prepared with answers and supporting examples to typical interview questions. Even if they don’t come up, they will get you in the right frame of mind. Example questions include:
- What are your career aspirations?
- Why do you want to work for our company?
- What interests you about our product or service?
- Of your previous jobs, which did you enjoy most and why?
- How have you managed conflict in the past?
- Describe what you have done in your career that shows your initiative.
- What are your weaknesses? Your strengths?
- What style of management gets the best from you?
- What have been your major achievements to date?
Remember you are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to hire somebody – not because they want to trip you up or embarrass you. Through the interaction that takes place during the interview, they will be searching out your strong and weak points, evaluating you on your qualifications, skills and intellectual qualities and will probably also seek to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity.
Making a strong positive impression
Succeeding at interview is more than just giving great answers. Your potential employer will be evaluating your total presentation and performance – not just your verbal responses – before making a decision. Here are some simple things likely to leave a strong positive impression:
- an interested, balanced approach
- open, informative replies
- maintaining eye contact
- a firm handshake
- asking intelligent questions about the job
- preparation and knowledge of the company and industry
- enthusiasm for the role and the organisation
- clear thought about your career planning and objectives
- a positive ‘can-do’ attitude
