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| INTERVIEW TIPS |
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| 'The best candidate never
gets the job - the best interviewee does!' |
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| General Tips
and Advice - |
| Before your interview
find out everything you can about the company (read
their annual report which can be obtained by telephoning
them). Re-read your application, thinking through
your own career and the questions they might ask
you. You should try to anticipate the general questions
which they will ask and also prepare some questions
to ask them. |
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| To do well at the interview
you will need to convince the interviewer you are
technically qualified to do the job. You will also
need to show that you are sufficiently motivated
to get the job done well and that you will fit in
with the company's organisational structure and
the team in which you will work. |
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| You should dress smartly
for the interview and should leave home earlier
than you need to on the day of the interview - you
may be delayed by traffic or for other reasons.
Be courteous to all employees of the company. At
the interview itself you must be positive about
yourself and your abilities - but do not waffle. |
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| Interview Questions
You May Be Asked - |
Before attending an interview you should think about
your responses to the following questions. Your
answers may depend on the job or company in question,
so you should go through your responses just before
each interview. |
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| Why do you
want this job? |
| Think carefully about
this question. Stress the positive aspects which
have attracted you to applying for this position.
Do not mention the negative aspects of your current
job or the job in question. |
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| What qualities
do you think will be required for this job? |
| Their advertisement
for the job may help you a little bit, but you should
also think of the other qualities that may be required.
These may include leadership ability, supervisory
skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills,
problem solving, analytical skills, etc. |
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| What can you
contribute? |
| This is your chance
to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your
previous position(s) which are relevant to the new
position you are applying for. |
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| Why do you
want to work for this company? |
| Emphasise the positive
reasons why you want to join their company, but
avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours.
These would not endear you to a prospective employer. |
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| What do you
know about this company? |
| This is your chance
to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of
their company. Give them a run down of their products/services,
sales figures, news, company figures, customers,
etc. |
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| What interests
you about our product (or service)? |
| Again, your research
into the company should aid you in answering this
question. |
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| What can we
(the new company) offer that your previous company
cannot offer? |
| Tread carefully here!
Again do not mention money. Stress opportunities
for personal growth, new challenges, etc. |
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| Questions to
Ask the Interviewer - |
| The interview is a
two-way process. The company interviewing you will
want to find out whether you are suitable to the
position and you will want to find out if the company
and position are right for you. You should therefore
ensure that you have enough information to make
up your mind whether you want the job. For example: |
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| * What will be my responsibilities? |
| * Where will I fit
into the overall organisational structure? |
| * Who will I report
to? |
| * Where does he/she
fit in the structure? |
| * Who will report to
me? |
| * Who are your customers?
|
| * How experienced are
they? |
| * What do you expect
me to do in the first 6 months? |
| * What level of performance
do you expect from me? |
| * Where is the company
going? Upwards? Expansion plans? |
| * What are the chances
of advancement/promotion in this position? When? |
* What will be my salary,
benefits and bonuses? [Do not bring this up too
early in the interview -
wait until they are sold on you.] |
| * Will travelling be
required in this position? |
| * Will relocation be
required now or in the future? |
| * What training do
you provide? |
| * When will you decide
on the appointment? |
| * What is the next
step? |
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Interview thank
you letters -
|
| It is good practice
to write your interview thank you letters soon after
you have had any interviews. This will make you
stand out from everyone else who has been interviewed
- as very few people (if any) will bother to write
a letter to say thank you. In this letter you should
thank the interviewer(s) for meeting you and if
possible provide some additional information about
yourself or a problem that the company needed a
solution for. |
