The interview is your chance to impress the employer with your professionalism, enthusiasm and personality. The following tips will help you to complete a successful interview. But please note this section is only intended as a guide and each interview will be different and unique in its own way. We feel we have covered this section in the greatest possible depth and we strongly recommend that you spend some time on this section. It will only increase your chances at the interview if nothing else.
Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview so do your homework. Interviewers are continually amazed at the number of candidates who have not prepared and possess little or no information about the company.
Ensure you have researched the organisation that you are going to and the position you have applied for. Be prepared to ask intelligent questions which will show you are genuinely interested in the organisation.
- Ensure you know the exact location and time of interview, the interviewer’s full name, the correct pronunciation and title held. We recommend you arrive 10 minutes early and ensure you have allocated enough time to spend being interviewed.
- Ensure you research the company prior to interview. Know the history, philosophy, products, size, turnover, image, goals and management style. Be sure to ask open ended questions for the interviewer to tell you about the company in their own words. Your AA consultant, the company’s website, company reports, brochures, the internet and the stock exchange are great sources of information. Areas of research should include the company’s mission statement, their key staff members, the market in which it operates, their competitors, their history and their future path, their products and their services etc.
- Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present or former employers. You will be expected to know a lot about the companies that you have previously worked for. Take along a spare copy of your CV and a note book and pen to take notes with. Written references are also advantageous. Make notes prior to the interview and have a list of “Interest Questions” with you
Prepare and practice in advance, the questions you will ask and the questions you may be asked and prepare concise, honest and persuasive answers. Remember that an interview is a ‘two-way street’. You are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to fill a vacancy. Through the interaction that will take place, the interviewer will be assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Truthfully assess your employment history and background and devise explanations for your strengths and weaknesses, skills and experience, career aspirations etc and the relevance to that position. Additional specific characteristics will be probed such as attitude, aptitude, stability, motivation and maturity.
- Why is the position available?
- What is the culture of the company?
- Is there an induction or training programme?
- What sorts of people have done well in your company?
- What is the company growth plans?
- What would be the next stage of the interview process?