Interview tips

There are many schools of thought about how best to prepare for an interview. You can usually find useful tips on job search websites, including Career One and Seek. Seek also provides a handy Interview Wizard to help you prepare. You can find more links to other authorities on Interview Tips.

At Repforce Plus we like to ensure all our candidates are prepared to the best of their ability. The most consistent way to ensure this is to build an Interview Plan. Your interview plan will be unique to the position and organisation to which you are applying. Here are some points to consider in your plan;

Preparation

Organise your clothes for the interview in advance. Remember to dress appropriately to the culture of the company, the position and the image you wish to project should you get the job.

  • Assemble relevant information beforehand (eg documentation, qualifications.)
  • Ensure you have an agenda or list of questions at hand (see closing the interview).
  • Understand your remuneration package and the package on offer.
  • Research the company (using published materials like their website and contacts) so that you are able to ask “intelligent questions”.
  • Interviewers often seek practical examples of past behaviour, which help demonstrate your competencies. You should mentally prepare examples of achievements or past behaviours. Ensure you describe the situation, the action you took and the results or outcomes of your action. If you can, practice with someone you trust.

Arrival

Be on time. Ensure you arrive at reception at least 10–15 minutes prior to the set time.

Ensure the information you bring is neatly bound and as brief as possible. Smile. Make eye contact and give a firm handshake.

Interviewers frequently use ‘small talk’ to break the ice. Follow the interviewer’s lead on this, but don’t initiate a lot of small talk yourself. This could set the wrong tone.

Interview structure

No two styles of interviewing are the same. Go with the flow, but remember that interviewers value such qualities as:

  • warmth
  • brevity
  • honesty (never lie)
  • rapport
  • energy
  • enthusiasm
  • clear communication.

Normally, the interviewer gets information from you and then tells you about the position. However, this order of doing things varies from one interviewer to the next.

If you feel your body language is conveying anxiety, it is usually best to verbalise it. (For example, ‘I haven’t interviewed in years and I’m a little surprised to find myself nervous.’). Verbalising your nervousness often reduces it and interviewers are usually empathetic.

Ensure you have a note pad to make notes. Lean forward, make eye contact and write down the things that are important in short bullet points. This signifies you are taking the position seriously.

Preview for the questions they’ll be asking here: Common Job Interview Questions.

Closing the interview

Prepare pertinent questions to ask towards the end of the interview. Some examples include:

  • Is it a new or existing position?
  • What are the responsibilities and priorities?
  • What are the reporting relationships?
  • What resources are accessible to the position?
  • What is the criteria for measuring success?
  • What is the next step?
  • What long term career opportunities are available?

Don’t initiate any discussion about remuneration at the first interview. However be open and honest if the interviewer asks.

Ask (if you haven’t been told) what the process will be after the interview has been completed.

Have a couple of positive comments to make that recap some of the highlights of the conversation. Ensure you reinforce any action points to arise during the interview, like providing a copy of a qualification or additional information. Reiterate your strengths. If you are genuinely interested, say so. Leave the interviewer with a good impression: smile. Firm handshake. Don’t blow it by relaxing too soon.

Follow up

Immediately after the interview, contact your consultant to debrief regardless of how you think the interview went.

Common traps

  • Being over-friendly.
  • Not listening to questions carefully or attentively.
  • Saying ‘we’ instead of referring to your own achievements.
  • Making very general statements that lack substance.
  • Being over-enthusiastic.
  • Being poorly prepared, not having a plan.
  • Slouching, mumbling, speaking slowly.
  • Not making eye contact
  • Knowing nothing about the company to which you are applying.
  • Making derogatory remarks about your present or former employers, customers or workmates.

Remember, not all positions you are applying for will be right for you. The purpose of the interview is to help you (as well as the company) sort out if the ‘fit’ is right, so don’t be afraid to interview the potential employer.

Remain positive.