Interview hints
First interviews
Before meeting your potential employer you'll need to be aware of what the company does and how it runs. If you haven’t already done so, read through our Research Tips for advice about how to find out about the company.
The golden rules are: be yourself, be on time, relax and try to enjoy the experience!
- Get organised - be prepared
Plan your journey to ensure you arrive at the interview location at least half an hour early, more if you have a long journey.
Know who you're meeting, where and how to get there.
Take with you the advertisement, your job application letter, spare copies of your CV, the job brief and any vital company or product literature. Make sure you can get to them without spilling them, but avoid producing them unless it appears necessary.
Be quietly confident: study the job specification again and match it to your CV so that you can provide evidence that you meet the job requirements.
Check beforehand whether the company has a policy on paying your expenses for the interview. If they do, keep receipts of all expenses.
Sign-in at reception no earlier than 5 – 10 minutes before the interview time. Aim to have time to spare and use it to look about, read any company literature or notice boards, and observe how the company appears to operate.
If you are unexpectedly held up, phone ahead and give them a revised arrival time that allows you enough space to calm down before you sign-in.
When you arrive for your interview, remember you're already making an impression on your potential employer; anyone you come into contact with may directly or indirectly influence the outcome.
Refresh yourself after the journey and, if possible leave your coat, umbrella etc at reception.
Talk to the receptionist/secretary and gain information if he or she has the time and inclination.
There may be more than one interviewer. Make sure that you remember their names when introduced so that you can address them throughout the interview.
If you have a problem during the interview, bring it to the interviewer’s attention so that you can concentrate on the job in hand.
Dress appropriately.
Greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake.
Establish how the meeting will proceed, and check how much time is available.
Respond with interest to what the interviewer is saying, and ask appropriate questions.
When you give the interviewer information, ensure it is relevant to their needs and demonstrates your value. Remember, you will always interest potential employers if you can relate your skills and experience to their needs.
Answer questions briefly and positively: avoid yes/no answers. Be articulate. Try to avoid making the interviewers probe to get the answer they need.
If there are periods of silence, don’t feel you have to fill them; conversely, never interrupt.
Keep cool even if provoked; some interviewers may try to upset you to see how you react to stress.
Never criticise your past employer or colleagues.
When answering questions try to structure your answer along the lines of:
- the situation was…
- the action I took was/the result was…
- the benefit to my employer was…
Listen and observe your interviewer’s reactions.
Adopt a positive, enthusiastic attitude – you want a positive result.
Avoid talking about your own needs until the employer is committed to you.
Don’t oversell yourself and don’t push the interview to meet your timetable or your needs.
Some questions may be difficult to answer; interviewers do not always expect an immediate response:
- pause and think about what the question means
- ask for clarification or more information if necessary
- check that your answer was sufficient
Expect some questions about compatibility – your style and how you relate to other people.
The interviewer will try to establish whether you will fit into their team and/or organisation.
In first interviews, there may be little time for your questions. If you are given the chance, take between 5-10 minutes to ask appropriate questions about the job, not about the remuneration package.
The interviewer will normally signal when the interview is at an end. Ask what will happen next, thank them for their time, even if you found it difficult, and reinforce your interest in the job. Even if you have reservations, remember you can’t turn down something you have not been offered.
After the interview, contact your consultant to discuss your thoughts and impressions. Focus on what went well and what didn’t go well. What lessons can be learnt for the future? What are your concerns? What did you like?
Second interviews
Congratulations! Having got through the first interview, you know that you are in with a good chance to make that job yours.
The second interview may be with only one person, perhaps the prospective line manager or department manager, or it may be with several staff members in a panel interview. Find out what the format is going to be before you go so that you can be prepared. The second interview will be much more in-depth than the first, and will be more specific and challenging in terms of the questions asked.
- Before you go, build on the company knowledge you already have. Look deeper into the culture and philosophy of the company. Do you know anybody who works at the company? Can you learn anything else from this person to demonstrate your knowledge and interest in the company?
- Consider how competent you are to do the job. Have some practical examples in mind in order to answer the more challenging questions that examine your skills and experience. In addition to giving practical examples of success, be prepared to say what went wrong and what you would do differently next time. Do your skills exactly match what the organisation’s needs?
- Was there a gap in your knowledge from your first interview? This may be probed further in a second interview. Any questions you found difficult the first time around may well be asked again, so be prepared.
- Are you going to fit in with the company and work well with others? Your personality and the personal impact you make are extremely important and may well be the deciding factor. So be yourself and show what sort of personality you have. Be enthusiastic, positive and above all honest.
- If at any time you are not clear about any question, seek clarification. Do not be afraid to check what is being asked.
Generally the questions are more searching than in first interviews so you'll need to be able to give fuller answers to a wider variety of questions.
Questions to ask
Asking questions shows initiative, enthusiasm and that you are interested in the position.
Think about what you would like to know if you were offered the position:
- What am I expected to accomplish in my first six months?
- How will I know if I am achieving this? What feedback will I be given?
- What support will I receive for my professional/personal development?
If there was information from the first interview that you would like to follow up, this is the time to do it. Also be sure to clarify any of your doubts about the organisation, the training they offer and any details about the job itself.
Some companies will show you round the department where the job is based. Do the employees seem happy, busy, bored, overworked? Essentially, do you think you will like them and the environment?
Second interviews are often occasions for you to be introduced to potential colleagues as well as the manager – in order to check whether they will get on with you as well as you with them. If you are fortunate enough to be introduced to people who would effectively be your peer group, don't be afraid of asking what it's like to work there. You could ask what the office atmosphere is like, whether people socialise together, even what it's like to work in that area if appropriate - shops, transport links and so on.