Hi everyone,
I hope your week started off well.
We have all been through this process. You apply for your dream job, sometimes you don’t even expect to be called, then you receive a call, email, text message or whatever, inviting you for an interview. This is good news right? Then you remember the interview process…..You feel like you have just received a notice for your execution. Ok, maybe this is a bad example, but we all get the drift.
We are going to come up with a series that will help us understand the interview process from understanding the interviewers, what you need to know before the interview, what questions to expect and how to answer them, what questions to ask the interviewer, types of interviews and how to deal with them confidently, how to make a good impression and what to do after the interview. By the end of this series we will have helped you build your confidence, make a good impression and get that dream job!
Know your interviewer
Before you prepare for the interview understand:
1.How the organisation decides what they are looking for in a candidate (you)?
2.What sort of things they are looking for?
3.What will happen at the interview?
4.What kind of questions they will ask?
5.How they know what they are looking for?
1.What do they want in a candidate?
Employers want someone who has the required experience, knowledge and skills. They want someone who is enthusiastic, committed and has the right character for the job. By the time they call you for an interview, they know the specific details of what they are looking for. If they are interviewing you, know that you are a good match since they have already gone through your CV and have seen what they want in your CV. The purpose of the interview then is to check that you have the relevant skills and experience as stated in your CV, clarify any missing or unclear information and to meet you so as to match your CV with your face.
- What sort of things are employers looking for?
Employers look for a clear evidence of your skills, qualifications, abilities and achievements. They want to know your consistency and stability of employment within your industry, evidence of career development and your industry knowledge. At the interview, employers will be trying to confirm that you have the desired skills and expertise by checking your background.
3.What will happen at the interview?
Most interviews will follow the following basic structure;
The welcome: This is basically an introduction that is designed to put you at ease. It often includes a general greeting and brief chat, followed by an outline of the interview and a brief outline of the job and the company.
The questions: Often the interviewer will start by asking an open question such as ‘What are your current/last responsibilities?’ The reason for this is to see how you apply your skills, knowledge and abilities in your current/last job. They will then ask a set of standard structured questions that they are asking every applicant. They will look at your CV closely and seek to clarify and enquire about any gaps in your employment history.
Over to you: When the interviewer has gotten all the information they want from you, they will often give you an opportunity to ask them questions.
The finish: The interviewer will conclude the interview by describing what will happen next, when to expect to hear from them, what medium they will use and whether there will be any further stage in the interview process. They will then end by thanking you for coming to the interview and wishing you well.
- What sort of questions will employers ask?
Structured questions such as, ‘What do you see as the major roles of this job?’, ‘How would you deal with a rude client?’ etc, will be the same for all candidates and are usually compiled in advance.
Person specific questions are meant to explore your specific CV or application form. These questions often look out for and expose your weak points. They include questions like, ‘Why are you considering leaving your current job after such a short time?’, Do you think that this job will be a bit of a step down for you?’ etc . These questions give you an opportunity to reassure the interviewer about your skills and experience.
- How employers know what they are looking for?
Before a job is advertised, the employer usually compiles a job description and a person specification document. A job description gives an overview of the job title, location, grade summary of tasks, key skills, responsibilities, qualifications, level of authority and who the job holder reports to. A person specification on the other hand, outlines the desired knowledge and experience, desired education and training, specific aptitudes such as level of creativity, disposition (team work, problem solving, motivation etc), interpersonal skills and special considerations such as ability to travel, ability to move etc. These two documents will be used to compile the application form and will certainly be used to compare, rate and rank applicants.
Now that you know how interviewers prepare interviews, next week we will look at how you can use this information to prepare for your own interview.
We wish you a blessed week ahead!