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Topic Three: Interviews
- Streaming live from Oxford & London, we’re about to start our third live tweet-up..
- This week we’re looking at Interview Tips, feel free to send us any questions!
- Firstly, let’s kick off with the first things you should do when you’ve been invited for an interview..
- Make sure you have all the relevant details so you can get cracking on planning getting yourself to the interview
- If necessary, have a ‘practise run’ for your route – be sure you know how long the journey will take!
- Do some research on the company – use their website, The Bookseller and LinkedIn
- Get familiar with any developments, the main focus of the business and their market!
- Mentally prepare yourself- do a practice run on competency questions
- Have some examples ready of how you can prove that you have relevant skills and experience
- Make LinkedIn work for you…check out your interviewers before you meet them
- Do flatter them! Everyone likes a bit of ego stroking of their achievements, awards and prizes
- See if they have an interesting background and everyone is impressed by you knowing something about their career
- Know who their main competitors are and how they distinguish themselves in their market
- Tricky questions: can you answer the biscuit question?
- Make sure you prep questions that show your interest in their company
- Ask a friend to really push you to answer those tricky questions…
- What about company culture? Is there room for progression? What do the employers expect of new employees?
- What are the training opportunities? What is the next stage of the interview process?
- Ask about extra responsibilities that might not be on the job description…
- Let’s move onto the big I-day…
- Firstly. let’s be professional in your choice of clothes for those all important first 7 seconds impression!
- Appearance – make sure you are neat and tidy, your hair is brushed, shoes polished and you are looking professional.
- Don’t wear brand new clothes, you need to be comfortable
- Avoid that lovely smelling fragrance! Check your breath? Double check those teeth after your pre-I coffee/snack
- Arrive 10 minutes early – get focussed, calm and collected and into that interview zone!
- Positive and open body language path the way for good impressions
- Firm handshake, no limp lettuces!
- Walk tall, exude self confidence, but not arrogance
- Also back to basics on meeting new people: remember those manners
- Remind yourself that the interviewers themselves might be nervous too- they’re also being interviewed by you
- Make sure you’re using appropriate and professional language…definitely no swearing!
- Maintain eye contact with your interviewer
- Smile! Be positive and enthusiastic, interviewers will respond to a good attitude
- Demonstrate that you can bring something new, or give an example of a gap in the market you’ve observed
- I’ve noticed you’re looking at developing throughout Latin America; this is an area I’m familiar with…’
- Show you potential to ‘learn’- you should grow within a role, not already be able to do it all!
- If you say you can do everything then they may think you’ll be bored in this role and will leave in a short space of time
- Do highlight the areas that you do want to gain experience in, particularly for career development
- Be able to talk through your career movements on your CV, making each move a positive one
- If a role did not work out, be honest about why and what you have learnt. Keep to the FACTS!
- Take an honest look at which parts of the required experience you lack
- Plan how to address questions about how your transferable skills will allow you to make the transition into this role.
- Don’t criticise a current or past employer, stay professional at all times
- Now rounding off: ask your prepared questions, building up a discussion around these
- Take in your CV and covering letter to interview – it sounds strange, but be familiar with it! Thank you your interviewers for their time and consideration
- Be prepared for questions about your hobbies! the manager might be very interested in swordfighting/scuba diving/crocheting
- Be yourself – if the fit is not right then it’s better to find this out now rather than pretending to be someone else
- Finally, remember to bring your sense of humour! At the end of the day, it’s your personality that’s important for team fit
- A few other things to think about..
- So, some what ifs? What if I get sick? What if I’m late? What if I need to cancel? Use your common sense and communicate!
- If you’re really sick, don’t drag yourself in, they won’t appreciate being passed on bugs
- What if you don’t understand a question? be honest, ask them to rephase the question, and ask for time to respond
- Have your phone charged, have taxi money, make sure you have the numbers to contact the company to apologise
- What if you get lost: call them, they know how to locate themselves..
- What if you go blank on your example? USE YOUR CV – look at your achievements, THERE are your examples
- So everyone has lots of advice- follow what works for you.
- We hope that was useful, please do email us any Q’s & sign up to our blog for details of the next one https://inspiredselection.wordpress.com/
- For those who joined us at the end, all our tips will be published shortly on our blog https://inspiredselection.wordpress.com/
- Subscribe to our blog as later today we’ll be posting details of a competition we’re running for five lucky people…
- The five winners will have a chance to get some personalised interview advice through live interview videoing
- Thanks to everyone that got involved, we’ve really enjoyed it.
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- Look forward to hearing from you!
Inspired Selection 