Interview tips

Preparation and practice are the keys to a good interview. You should treat your interview for the Career Ahead program as you would any interview that you are invited to attend.

Before the interview

Prior to the interview you should consider the following:

• Have knowledge of yourself and your skills and experience, the position and the organisation.
• Appearance/grooming.
• Punctuality.
• Confidence/nerves.
• Posture/eye contact.

Knowledge of yourself, the organisation and the position
Review your application beforehand and have a clear understanding of how you can demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for this job.

Researching the organisation is crucial. Ensure that you are familiar with the all of the recruitment literature for the position.

Appearance/grooming
It is crucial that the first impression you create is positive. In general, look professional and dress conservatively.

For males this means a good shirt, tie and smart trousers. For women, dress conservatively in professional attire - skirt or pants with a nice shirt or a corporate style dress. A suit is preferable for both males and females.

Punctuality
Be on time! Plan your travel to the interview, allowing time for traffic and parking. If going by train, check the timetable. Arrive 10 minutes early and register with reception.

Interview formats and styles
Interviews are a two way process. You get to check the employer out and of course they get to assess you. Remember that you are the subject of the interview, and learning to speak about yourself with quiet confidence is a fundamental key to success.

Employers use a variety of formats and techniques. When offered an interview, it is sensible to ask for information about what is entailed, so you do not get too many surprises. The formats used may include one or more of the following:

• First round/second round.
• One to one.
• Panels of two or more.
• Selection tests.
• Assessment centres.
• Targeted selection or behavioural questioning.
• Telephone interviews.

Targeted selection or behavioural based interviewing
It is quite common for employers to use a style of questioning known as behavioural based interviewing. The essence is that they wish to know how you have behaved or responded to circumstances in the past. Past behaviour is a predictor of future behaviour. In this context you should follow the C.A.R.L. approach when responding to selection criteria - - Context, Action, Response, Learning.

So when you are asked to talk about teamwork for example:

• Describe a situation where teamwork was critical;
• What did you do to contribute;
• Discuss what was the outcome, how did others around you respond to your actions, and what did you learn from it;
• Finally, make some linking statements between what you learnt from the experience and how you might apply it to their setting.

Communicating in the interview

The most important component of interview performance is communication. This is more than just speaking - listening skills are an essential element of good interview performance. Don't just stick to a predetermined answer, make sure you have understood what exactly it is the employer is asking of you, and project your enthusiasm for the role through your tone and body language. Prepare for some common questions and make sure you have some questions for them.

Listening skills
You must be totally focused in the interview so you can really hear what the interviewers are asking you. Some questions may appear to be ambiguous or too open ended. Seek clarification rather than answering with a whole lot of information that they are not interested in.

Project your enthusiasm
As well as checking that you have the right skills and experiences, employers want to know that you are motivated and enthusiastic. Consequently you need to project enthusiasm for the role in your answers. Quite often this comes down to the tone or pitch in your voice. Be natural and be positive, and when you are giving examples of past behaviour or experiences it should come out in a positive way.

Answering questions

Practice by preparing answers to some common questions that might relate to the qualities they are seeking, as stated either in the selection criteria or in the job advertisement.

Some common questions
... So tell me a little about yourself?
... What led to you studying in this discipline?
... If you were to start uni over again, what subjects or majors would you change?
... Why should I consider you a strong applicant for this position?
... What interests you most about this position and organisation?
... What do you know about us and our industry?
... What do you see as your strengths as an employee?
... Tell us how you work under pressure?
... Do you prefer to work with others, or by yourself?
... What aspects of the job that I have described appeal to you the least? Why?
... Tell me about a difficult situation you have faced? How did you cope?
... Have you ever been responsible for initiating a new idea or work practice?
... What does the word success mean to you?
... What are the major things you have learned from your working experiences?
... What are the major things you look for in choosing a job?
... How do you think you would respond to relocating a number of times?

Questions for them

Be prepared to ask them some questions, just remember not to ask about the salary and leave entitlements first off, although if they haven't covered this up to that point you are allowed to have this clarified.

Other questions could include:
...How has this position been created?
... If it is an existing position, what is the last person who held the position doing now?
... What other roles within the organisation have the people in this role gone on to?
... What is the opportunity to participate in ongoing training and study - either on the job or at university?