Successful Interviews

Making the most of the interview

Overview

Preparing for interviews

The interview experience
Questions to expect and to ask
Different types of interview
Assessment Centres
Psychometric Tests
Interview resources
 Interviews

 Interview = A meeting with an objective

 Employer’s objective is to find the best person for the job
– Employer: reviews candidate’s experience and abilities
• Can you do the job? (skills, abilitie, qualifications)
• Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation)
• How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)
 You: impress employer and assess position on offer
• What does this position offer me?
• How does it fit with my career plans?
 Congratulations - you have passed the first hurdle
 You must prove that you are the most suitable candidate
for this position
 Preparation is the key to success

– Review own skills, experiences and qualities

• Check CV
• Anticipate questions and identify relevant examples
• Prepare key selling points
– Research organisation
• Websites, reports, articles, company literature, etc
• Contacts with knowledge of organisation or sector
• Relevant articles in the press
• Personal visit or telephone call
– Research job and occupational area
• Job description – or similar
• Current issues
– Prepare your questions
– Practice
Watch the Body Language

 First impressions very powerful

– Halo effect or Devil effect
 Allow time to relax
 Dress appropriately
 Entrance, introductions & handshake
 Smile and make eye contact
 Be aware of own movements
 Watch body language of interviewer
 Typical Questions
 About you
– Tell me about yourself - Bring me up to date with your CV?
– Why did you choose that particular degree programme?
– What experience have you had that is relevant to this post?
– What would you consider your major achievements to date?
 About the job
– What interests you about this job?
– What do you know about this organisation?
– What other options are you considering?
– How do you see your career developing – 5 years?
– If you were Head of Department, what would be your priorities?
 General knowledge
– What do you think of the Government’s policy on college fees?
– What’s your opinion of the Ryanair bid for Aer Lingus?
Other Type of Questions

“What if” Questions

– No experience - how are you likely to respond to a
situation
 Probing Questions
– How exactly did you deal with the situation?
– How did you know it worked?
– How did you feel about the outcome?
– Could you have handled it differently?
Competency-based
Interviews
 Company identifies key skills required for job
 Designs questions to elicit evidence of skills
 Emphasis on past behaviour as predictor of success
 Teamwork: Describe a team project you worked on. What problems
arose? How did you deal with them?
 Communication Skills: Describe situation when you had to
persuade others to support your view. Give an example of any reports you’ve
written which illustrate your writing skills
 Interpersonal skills: What kinds of people do you find it difficult to
work with? How do you handle those situations?
 Taking Responsibility: Describe a time when you took responsibility
to achieve a challenging goal
 Problem-solving:Tell about a time when you had several tasks to
manage at one time with conflicting deadlines.
Preparing for Competency Interview

 Identify the competencies required for job

– Review job description or ask for information
 Define each competency in behavioural terms
 Identify past experience to illustrate how you
demonstrated that behaviour
 Prepare examples for each competency
 Practice talking about your experience
 Try to give a complete answer - STAR
Responding to Competency Q

 Q Give me an example of a problem you encountered.

How did you approach it. What was the outcome?
 STAR response
– S: Describe the situation
– T: Explain the task/problem that arose
– A: What action did you take?
– R: What was the result or outcome?
– What did you learn from this experience?
Matching Skills to Requirements

Employer needs Your evidence

Communication Presentation to class
Team work Example from Coop
Leadership Class rep, Committee
Initiative Fundraising for
Customer Care charity
IT Working in
Commercial Superquinn
awareness Designed website
Your Answers

 Listen carefully, seek clarification

 Illustrate answers with real examples and
evidence
 Be positive – constructive criticism
 Keep answers specific and succinct
 Take time to respond
 Be alert to interviewer’s body language
 Speak clearly, smile and show enthusiasm
 Know what you want to say, and find the
opportunity
Qualities Employers Seek

 Good all-round intelligence

 Enthusiasm, commitment and motivation
 Good communication skills
 Team work ability
 Ability to solve problems
 Capacity to work hard
 Initiative and self-reliance
 Balanced personality
Copmpetencies required by X Company

 Adaptability
 Integrity
 Innovation
 Teamwork
 Initiative
 Drive for Results
 Know the Business
 Open Exchange of Information
 Makes Difficult Decisions
Your Questions

 Training programmes
 Career development opportunities
 Types of projects & responsibilities
 Reporting structure
 Performance appraisal
 Profile of staff
 Questions about topics raised in interview
 What happens next?
Interview Marking Sheet

Name Mark-max 100

Communication Skills Max 30
Problem Solving Max 20
Team Fit Max 20
Relevant Experience Max 20
Project Management Max 10

Total Marks
What creates a bad impression

 Poor personal appearance

 Negative attitude – evasive, using excuses
 Lack of interest and enthusiasm
 Lack of preparation
 Poor knowledge of role
 Failure to give concrete examples of skills
 Over emphasis on money/rewards
 Lack of career plan
After the Interview

Review own performance

what went well
what went badly
what you wished you had said
prepare for next stage
Invitation to second / final round interviews
assessment centre
psychometric testing
panel interview
Rejection letter / email
if you can request feedback - use it
Telephone Interviews

 Prepare as thoroughly as for ‘real’ interview

 Select comfortable, private, quiet place
 Advise flatmates re answering phone
 Have copy of CV and company information
 Have pen and paper at hand
 Prepare for usual interview questions
 Practice on phone
– Record answers
– Try standing
– Smile and use gestures
– Avoid monotones
 Be yourself
 Other Types Of Interviews
 Rotating
– Like one-to-one with different interviewers
 Group
– 6-8 candidates
– Group observed while discussing topic
– Be aware of group interaction
 Panel
– 2-5 interviewers, or as many as 13!!
– Try to identify different roles
– Respond to interviewer, include others through eye contact
– May involve presentation
Assessment Centres

 Company premises or neutral venue

 Includes social or informal events
 Meeting with recent graduates or managers
 Activities include:
– Group exercises
– Practical tasks and exercises
– Report writing
– Oral Presentations
– Psychometric assessments
– Interviews
 Simulates real work environment
Psychometric Tests

 Aptitude Tests - measure skills relevant to position

– Verbal comprehension - evaluate logic of text
– Numerical reasoning - interpret statistical data
– Diagrammatic reasoning - recognise patterns
– Watch timing – complete as many as possible
 Personality Questionnaires
– Look at personality style
– No right or wrong answers
– Be spontaneous, don’t try to second-guess
– Tests include built-in checks
– Employers may be looking for different personality profiles
 Practice using online tests on www.ul.ie/careers
 Web Resources for Interviews

 UL Careers website: www.ul.ie/careers

 Gradireland website: www.gradireland.com
 Careers4graduates: www.careers4graduates.org
 Doctor Job: www.doctorjob.com (Virtual Interview)
 Prospects: www.prospects.ac.uk
 Realworld: www.realworldmagazine.com
 Virtual Career Coach: www.windmillsprogramme.com
 BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work