Interview Advice
Employers are interested in:
- Your qualifications, skills and achievements
- Your experience, work history and career aspirations
- Your personality and overall ‘fit’ for their company
You are interested in:
- Is the job the right career move for me
- Would I like to work for this company
- Who are the people I would be working with
You can influence the way you are perceived, based on your preparation. What do you know about the job on offer, any prospects and the company that you are applying to?
Find out all that you can about the organisation and the vacancy. Visit their website and if the interview has been arranged through Additional Resource, ask your consultant for any additional information you may find useful.
- Why has the job become vacant?
- What are the key tasks and responsibilities?
- Who owns the company? Is it part of a larger group or privately owned?
- How many people do the company employ and if relevant, what is their turnover and profitability.
- Where does this vacancy ‘fit’ into the company structure
- Does the role offer progression if this is important to you
- What are the companies core products, services & brands
- Who are their major competitors
As you prepare for your interview, write down any questions, which come to mind. It is vital that you have thought about the meeting and have a good selection of appropriate pre-determined questions. Homework is essential.
First Impressions
Arrive early. Research the location prior to the interview and plan your route. Ensure you have a telephone number in case you are delayed.
Smart attire is a pre-requisite and your appearance, posture and body language will form a major part of the decision making process. A firm handshake, eye contact and a smile go a long way.
Interview Tips
Remember this is a 2-way conversation to find out if there is mutual interest.
- Know why you are there. Be clear on what attracted you to a vacancy and have a positive reason for your interest in applying.
- Know who you are meeting with and their positions in the company.
- Listen to what the interviewer is asking and answer clearly and concisely illustrating examples of similar experiences in previous roles to demonstrate your competencies.
- Ask appropriate questions to develop your understanding of the role and company.
- If you have reservations about the position, or are unsure of areas that are important to you, explore these positively either at the interview or through your consultant at Additional Resource.
- Your motivation for seeking a career move or job change is also a key factor and should not revolve exclusively around money.
- Check your present employer’s notice period
- Do not discuss package at first interview unless asked to do so. If you are attending an interview arranged through Additional Resource, your consultant will have discussed with you your salary expectations, made the client aware of this and will negotiate the right package on your behalf. If you are asked directly during an interview, be honest about your current salary, bonus payments and relevant benefits – remember a new employer will see a copy of your P45.
- Remember to take a copy of your passport or full birth certificate or EU Identity card to the interview. Recruitment agents and potential employers are legally obliged to undertake identity checks. Equally they may wish to see evidence of education and professional qualifications.
Closing the Interview
- Allow plenty of time to see the interview through. If you are asked about your interest remain positive. Give yourself time to reflect and think about this position. Establish what the next step will be.
- Write down any points that you would want clarifying should the interview move to a 2nd stage.
- After the interview, talk through your impressions of the company and the opportunity with your consultant at Additional Resource who will manage any further action required on your behalf to bring it to a successful conclusion.
- Be clear on your salary and package expectations
- If you are unsuccessful in your application, your consultant will ask the client for feedback, which may be useful for your next interview.
- Following on from an interview, if the role is not right for you but the company could be for other opportunities, it is wise not to completely close doors and to leave a positive impression.
- If the vacancy is one you would like to pursue, confirm your interest in discussing the opportunity further.
Do’s and Don’ts
DO
- • Your preparation and research on the company.
- • Know your points of difference and believe in yourself.
- • Arrive on time.
- • Ensure your personal presentation is appropriate.
- • Project confidence with you body language.
- • Prepare notes on questions that you may have.
- • Talk clearly, with confidence and keep to the point.
- • Take a copy of your CV, covering letter and any correspondence from the company.
- • Be honest and open with replies, but always positive.
- • Show an interest in their company and the position offered.
- • Demonstrate you have listened and digested the information given.
- • Emphasise your strengths and achievements in relation to the vacancy available.
- • Shake hands and thank people for their time.
DO NOT
- • Make assumptions.
- • Ask details on salary and benefits at first interview.
- • Ask questions for the sake of it.
- • Be negative about past employers.
- • Apologise for your perceived weaknesses.
- • Give a yes or no answer unless appropriate.
- • Use jargon.
Improve Your CV
Your Curriculum Vitae is your marketing tool and it's sole purpose is to generate positive interest and attention by ensuring it creates a good first impression and ‘sells you’ to the reader. A badly presented CV can challenge the credibility of the contents and ultimately the competence of the individual it represents.
With the ever increasing rise in on-line applications and subsequent high volume of CV’s received by recruitment agents and employers, you have, on average, 2 minutes to catch someone’s attention and stimulate interest in what you have to offer!
Quality CV’s are easy to read, factually interesting and provide a pertinent summary of career history highlighting skills whilst drawing the reader’s attention to key achievements.
There are no golden rules on the order of how you present your CV other than the core of a generic CV should have 3 key distinct sections:
- Personal Details
- Education and Qualifications
- Career History
CV’s may also contain an optional introductory profile
3 ideas for an Introductory Profile
Composing a profile can be the hardest section of the CV to get right – If it is not effective, it can be potentially damaging to your image. The right statement however, can be powerful.
- The Personal Profile: A brief profile that talks about you as a character and highlights personal characteristics expanding on your qualities and attributes. This is often difficult to compose as it is a subjective opinion of yourself and needs careful thought in the choice of words.
- A Career Profile: Your focus here is on experience and career highlights drawing on the compatibility of background and skill sets to the roles applied for.
- A Career Objective Profile: Here you are making a statement about career goals and aims linked to experience and/or education. This can be used independently or in conjunction with either of the other 2 profile ideas.
Personal Details
This section should include:
- Name
- Address or area of domicile
- Contact telephone numbers (Home and Mobile)
- Email Address
- Car Driver?
- Nationality and status to work in the UK if applicable
Education and Qualifications
If your education and/or qualifications are irrelevant and do not reflect your career achievements, you are not obliged to list them.
- Start with the highest or most recent academic qualification showing dates and achievements.
- It is not necessary to list every examination grade taken unless at the very early stages of your career. The highest academic achievements are sufficient as your career progresses.
- State professional qualifications and any memberships
- List relevant professional training and courses
- Show any language skills
- Describe systems literacy
Career History
If your career has spanned more than a decade, employers will want to see the most detail linked to recent positions. Earlier roles can be summarised to show track record and career progression.
- Start with the present/most recent employer and work back chronologically.
- Name the employers and provide information on the nature of their business.
- Provide dates of employment ideally to the nearest month.
- Give job titles for positions held.
- Provide clear and concise details of key responsibilities and tasks.
- Illustrate achievements and/or acquired skills relevant to specific roles and quantify where possible, by illustrating the impact and end result of your work.
Check List for your CV
- Is it clearly presented with no lengthy paragraphs?
- Is the information concise over 2-3 pages?
- Have I been factual and accurate?
- Are my employment dates consecutive with any gaps explained?
- Are key skills and strengths evident with achievements emphasised?
- Have I used bullet points for focus where relevant?
- Have I checked spelling and grammar?
- Is it free from industry specific jargon?
- Are my hobbies and interests genuine, positive and if possible, relevant.
- Have I kept it pertinent and punchy
References
Make sure references are available on request.