Interview Technique

An interview is a two-way exchange of information. You find out about the organisation, the job and your career prospects, the interviewer assesses your experience, skills and personality to determine whether or not you are suitable for the role. In order to maximise your chances of success, thorough preparation prior to the interview is essential.

General preparation

Administration It may seem obvious, but make sure you know where the interview is being held as many large organisations are based over several locations. Make a note of the phone number of the person you will be asking for upon arrival, as you may need to contact them if you are running late. If you haven't been informed of the dress code, always err on the conservative side.

Research on the organisation Ideally, you want to find out about the structure of the organisation, their core business, turnover and if possible, their culture. Good sources are reports and accounts; these are usually published on the company's website. If there isn't a website, or it isn't accessible for some reason, try business directories. If all else fails, contact the company directly to request some information. If you are using a recruitment agency, they should be able to help you with this.

Review your CV As your CV will be the main point of focus for the interviewer, make sure you are very familiar with what you have written.

Preparing for questions

Some interviewers start by asking you to tell them about yourself, others work through your CV in strict sequence. Although the format may differ from one interview to the next, you can expect the same type of questions to arise at all of them and you will be at an advantage if you have already thought about your responses.

The following section offers some guidance on how to prepare for the most common interview questions:

• Tell me about your most recent experience

  Have a good précis prepared (ideally no more than a few minutes) during which you discuss your most recent experience ensuring that it is geared to the requirements of the job in question.

• Why are you interested in this role/organisation?

  Focus on the challenges the role will give you, future opportunities and interest in the sector, not on salary, benefits or location.

• Why are you leaving your current employer?

  Avoid saying anything negative about your current/previous employer. Focus instead on the positive reasons for wanting to make a career move. If there was a disagreement or you were unhappy with the way things were running, be matter-of-fact about it without appearing to bear a grudge.

• What are your strengths?

  To prepare for this question, look back at your recent performance reviews or try to remember positive feedback that your line managers have given you. Use a third party referral to avoid sounding subjective e.g. "my manager says he can always rely on me to handle difficult clients". Where possible, use examples to substantiate your answers.

• What are your weaknesses?

  Many people find this extremely difficult to answer; whilst you have to admit that you have weaknesses, you don't want to shoot yourself in the foot. You can handle this in a couple of ways; either mention areas of ability that are not relevant for the job you want now or mention a gap in your experience, such as sector experience (which the interviewer can see from your CV anyway).Don't try to get around this question by admitting to weaknesses that are really backhanded strengths such as "I'm a workaholic" or "I get annoyed with people who don't pull their weight" as most interviewers will see through what you are trying to do.

• What have been the most difficult or interesting aspects of your career to date? What have been your major achievements?

  Think about a specific success in your professional life and structure your response as follows:

  • start by outlining the problem you had to resolve
  • describe how you went about tackling it
  • state the outcome which should preferably be quantified in terms of money, time saved or a satisfied client etc.

• Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?

  Although honesty goes down well, make sure that in your response you are demonstrating a commitment to the job on offer. During the early stages of your career, it is acceptable to give a general response such as "I am committed to a career in commerce and want to progress as far as I can".

• What do you know about us?

  This is your opportunity to show that you have done your research. If possible, make it clear to the interviewer that you have read the accounts, visited the web site etc.

• Why should we hire you? What can you offer us? How would your boss describe you?

  All of these questions are asking for the same response i.e. a reaffirmation of your strengths and abilities as they relate to the job on offer.

• Technical questions

  A key part of your preparation should be to ensure that you are aware of any new issues that are of direct relevance to the organisation. You won't necessarily be expected to know about them in detail if they don't impact on your current role, but you won't impress if you don't even know they exist.If you don't know the answer to a specific technical question, say so rather than fumbling through.

Preparing your questions

Interviewers often assess candidates on the quality and relevance of the questions that they ask so you need to prepare some good questions. The kinds of questions likely to create a good impression are those concerning the organisation and the role:

• Future growth plans
  
• The nature and strength of their competitors
  
• Opportunities for training and development
  
• The contribution you will be expected to make and how your career could develop

In general you should avoid questions at this stage about salary, benefits and holidays.

The interview

Very often, candidates are ruled out of the selection process because of the way they have conducted themselves during the interview and not because of their ability. The list below shows a few golden rules of good interview technique:

• Be polite and pleasant to everyone you meet (however briefly) in the organisation, as often the interviewer will also canvass their opinions as to your suitability.
• Be aware of your body language; when you meet the interviewer give a firm handshake and make eye contact. Throughout the interview be friendly, but not over familiar and maintain an air of interest and alertness.
• Do not be negative or critical about anything or anyone you are asked about.
• Consider questions carefully and don't be afraid to ask for clarification if necessary.
• Answer only what is asked and make sure that your responses are concise.
• Do not argue with the interviewer; put across reasoned ideas then try to move on to a different area if it is obvious that there is a disagreement on a particular point.
• When the interview concludes, don't forget to thank the interviewer for seeing you.

Other Issues

• Telephone interviews Your first interview may be conducted over the phone, in which case you should bear in mind that exactly the same level and degree of preparation is required as you will probably be asked the same questions.
• Panel interviews More common in the public sector. Don't be put off if faced with a panel but do remember to make eye contact with all the panel members.