INTERVIEW GUIDE

Some people can find interviews and the thought of being interviewed, quite stressful. But interviews don’t need to be .. if you take control and retune your mindset. Have your mind in a good place and it can totally transform your interview experience and outcome.

Release some of the stress by getting well organised but not over-preparing. Stress stems from a lack of control, so you can help yourself by taking back some control by being very aware of your internal dialogue. Pat yourself on the back, you have had some success already by achieving an interview and that is half the battle.

Instead, take the pressure off yourself (care a little less) - you will perform better. And rise to the challenge. Have the mindset – bring it on!! and relish the opportunity.

Banish those subservient feelings! Remember interviews are a two-way process. It is as much about you interviewing them as them interviewing you. If you feel awkward or subservient in an interview, just imagine yourself back at work when you have interviewed others, or where you have confidently controlled or led a team discussion – and then adopt THAT mindset and have your head in THAT space. See it as a business meeting NOT an interview.

Remember this is not a test, but an opportunity to shine and talk about yourself, to build rapport and build a professional working relationship. The key thing to remember here is people hire people they like! .....  And try to enjoy it!  Have a 'Bring It On' attitude rather than a 'Get It Done' attitude!  

Interview Preparation

5 P’s: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Ensure you have all details of the interview and key details are confirmed in writing
(Check; address, postcode, time, who you are meeting, the format of the interview, who you should ask for, if you need to do anything in preparation, where you should report to/signing in procedure –reception/security?)

If it is a video interview, test and check the link works BEFORE you need the link to actually work!! Set the right conditions and ensure the lighting is good. There is nothing worse than a dimly lit interview. Have a glass of water nearby and a pen and paper handy to jot down any thoughts that come into your head. Better to offload thoughts in this way, so you can avoid the distraction in your mind and keep focus on the interview. 

Know where you are going
Test the route and find the venue, ideally test the route before if you can. Arrive with plenty of time to find a coffee shop and have a coffee before going in. Get the stressful journey out of your system and arrive in a much calmer place.

Help yourself
- Sleep well
- Have a positive mindset
- Arrange an interview time when you know you can get there easily (ie not during work hours/childcare worries)
- Be as organised as you can.

If you are working with a recruiter, arrange a pre-interview discussion with them to get as much info as you can prior to the meeting.

Dress Smartly
If unsure, better to be smart than underdressed.  First impressions really do count.  If you are unsure about the attire, you can always enquire before the interview. 
 

Be on Time
Better to arrive 10 mins early at reception.
Allow plenty of time to get lost/diversion/traffic jams/petrol.
Grab a coffee and read your notes before you go in, your headspace will be in a better place for it. 

Know your Interviewer
Social Media makes it easy for to recognize your interviewers. Have a look at your interviewer’s profile on LinkedIn (you can always switch your browser to incognito if you prefer).
After the interview, you can always reach out and connect on LinkedIn, but I wouldn’t suggest you connect before.  Helps you keep in the mind of the interviewer and raises your profile just at the right time. 

Know the Company
Research and ask around, and familiarise yourself with the Job Description and any information provided by the company. Look on their website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Glassdoor, Wikipedia, Google – get under the company’s skin. Be clear on their values.
Perhaps make a store visit to get to know their products or services.
What interviewers are really interested in, is any particular insight you may have, or connection with the business? Have you had an interaction, or experience with their business. Your insightful response makes your reply much more interesting and differentiates you from the average crowd’s typical responses.

Know the key skills/experience/key qualifiers they are looking for
Have examples ready of what they are looking for and would like to hear about.
Draw out evidence of success and where you have made a difference in these areas (these should be evidenced in your CV).

Know your CV inside out and back to front
Be prepared to be asked questions on anything that is in your CV.
Be prepared to elaborate.
Always keep the career discussion positive and always use positive and constructive language.
 

Don’t over-prepare your answers
This can be such a distraction. Have the experiences refreshed in your mind, but don’t be too prescriptive with your preparation with this, rehearsing replies and so on. It’s far better for the response to be natural, than trying to regurgitate a rehearsed answer that you can’t quite remember ..

Prepare what information YOU require from them, to determine if it is the right role for YOU
Think about what you really want to know about;
- Business challenges
- Size of the team
- Reporting structure
- What would be required from you in the first 3 months?
- What would you be expected to achieve after a year?
- Culture / Values, evidence of this in practice?
- Why did the person you are replacing leave?
- What are the greatest short/long-term challenges the factory/department/business is facing right now?

List the key messages you want to ensure are delivered in the interview and take your notes with you
It’s OK to take notes with you, and a CV and/or portfolio of evidence or brochure in addition, showcasing further relevant experience.

If you are going to be late – let them know in advance, not when you are late

Switch your mobile and devices off. Eat before. Don’t drink too much and visit the WC!

Get your mindset in the right place, focus on the positive and remember – it’s a business meeting not an interview!

Practice your Interview ‘performance’ and be prepared for gaps/weaknesses/elephants . . .
Particularly if you are rusty or haven’t attended an interview in a while.
Be prepared for the tricky questions or the ‘elephant in the room’ (ie why did you leave your last job).
(Recognise the issue and then provide a balanced response.

During the Interview on site

Be respectful towards everyone you meet – Security, Receptionist etc

First Impressions really do count
Stand up to greet!
Firm, confident handshake
Lots of eye contact
Smile and be very warm, positive, welcoming and receptive
Thank them for seeing you – keep polite, confident (not arrogant) positive and CALM. Speak clearly.
Be genuine
Walk tall

Keep your demeanour positive and constructive
Don’t disrespect others/be negative towards former employees
Keep it professional at all times (it is ok to be friendly but you are not down the pub with the lads!)
Be genuine, honest and open
Be confidential and sensitive if necessary, don’t break confidentiality or gossip
Keep it professional at all times, don’t slip off guard and get drawn into any banter
Don’t let them leave with more questions than answers!
Avoid negative opinions, criticism talking about religion or politics, or anything controversial - If you are asked a controversial question – you can reply “I’d prefer not to answer thank you” in a light-hearted way.
Don’t interrupt (if you do, apologize) or argue. A healthy debate is OK – but you don’t need to go on and on to prove a point.
A sense of humour is good. But don’t be flippant.

Speak clearly and confidently (don’t mumble, don’t assume they are not interested and finish your sentence)
Be open to criticism
If you are unhappy with a response you have provided – tell them! And see if you can provide an alternative response.  If not, they will think that response was acceptable in your view. 

Listen, Listen, Listen
Hear what is being asked in the question – and ANSWER the question. Not what you think they want to hear –but respond honestly.
Answer the question in a couple of sentences max.

If it’s a vague question – get clarification. If you don’t understand – ask! (better to be assertive than subservient)
You can always ask the interviewer to rephrase the question – better to do this than fumble through an answer that you think might just do the job.
If you just don’t have the answer – just say Sorry, I don’t have the answer (better than fudging it) or ask if you can have a few seconds to think about it.

If you are unsure of what they are asking, or you don’t understand – it’s Ok to ask if they can repeat or rephrase the question. Or reiterate what you think they are asking, before attempting to answer. Better to be clear on what they are asking than give a fumbled, half-hearted response.

Respond to their body language / Non-verbal tactics
Observe what is being communicated non-verbally, look for subtle clues
Build rapport cleverly! (show interest, engage, lean forward, mirror, nod, smile, match the breathing pattern)
Don’t fold your arms – it is a barrier
Plenty of eye contact
Be engaged
Don't be distracted or constantly look behind or beyond the interviewer, it's most annoying when that happens!

Answer complicated questions with STAR responses, or questions where you experience mild panic and think ..here do I start with this?!
Situation (set the scene); Task (what needed to be done); Action (action you took); Result (positive outcomes).
- S absence was out of control
- T absence needed to get back under control and drastically improved
- A this involved working much closer with HR on absence monitoring and return to work interviews.
- R after 3 months absence had improved by 35%; absence levels were now the best in the factory and this has also improved line production efficiencies by 10%.

Or you could use PAR – Problem – Action - Result

Ask some intelligent/insightful questions
Don’t ask 'what’s in it for me' questions (at the first interview anyway)
.. That shows you have thought through the role and understand the challenges (and demonstrate your skill/experience)
.. That shows you can relate/understand their culture/business/challenges
“You mentioned that there were particular business challenges stemming from the nightshift – having managed various team on the nightshift and lead shift handovers for the last 3 years, I can probably relate to some of those challenges – I wondered what where the key nightshift challenges  are for your business?”

Provide great answers to their questions!
Be concise, relevant and focused on answering the question. Answer concisely without going around the houses
Answer questions are you feel fit, from the heart and draw from your experience where you can.
Listen very carefully to the questions - and answer the question.
Be careful not to fall into the trap of answering a question with what you think they want to hear ..
Always provide evidence of experience/knowledge – where you have encountered this and what you did you remedy/resolve/challenge/provide a solution – remember it is WHAT YOU DID that differentiates you from the others. It’s not about the task – but what you did with the task that provides the sizzle
Give a balanced view

At the end of the interview
It’s Ok to ask about the next steps
Close on a positive note and a smile
Thank them for their time and for inviting you in
Don’t be afraid to say that you want the job and now you understand even more about the role, you find it very interesting – shows genuine interest
It’s Ok to be enthusiastic about this career opportunity, but get the balance right!

Common Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself
Careful! Keep your response concise and not too detailed too early on.
You could ask if there is anything in particular they would like to know about? To help you get started.

What do you know about us?
Don’t be afraid to reference any mutual connections or links you have with the business. Helps build synergies.
Show genuine interest (you have been on my radar for a while as a company I respected for these reasons . . .)
Showcase what you know (brownie points for info gleaned through the industry and not just off the website)

What are your Strengths?
Have the JD/Person spec in mind
STAR your answer to demonstrate this
 

What are your Weaknesses?
Be honest, but try and turn it around into a positive – eg, I know I work too hard, but I do try to recharge my batteries at the weekend with active sports
Respond in some way (saying nothing suggests arrogance and no one is perfect)
 

Why Should we hire you?
Show humanity – obviously, you don’t know who you are up against. . .
Relate your answers to resolving their business problems
Talk about how you can solve their problems
Try to show that you are less of a risk and a safe option. Hirers are looking to hire the less risky candidate
Keep it about your relative work experience – this trumps personality traits
 

Why are you interested in working for us?
Don’t say – because I need a job
Do relate to their industry reputation, any common ground you have, any people you have in common, any insight you can share, shared values and industry common denominators.

And Remember

Hirers never employ anyone they don’t like. Typically, the first interview will be about whether you can do the job.
The second interview will be about whether you fit – culture/personality. Always nurture the relationship.

Make yourself memorable - but for all the right reasons!

Ginnie Riley
JobSearchWarrior
07881 631686