Preparation is the key to interview success. You can increase your chances of impressing at interview by following these steps.
- Read a quality newspaper every day to build your industry knowledge
- Read up on the company by visiting the appropriate websites
- Wear a smart suit – even if you know the company has a casual dress policy
- Plan your route so you can be sure of arriving for your interview with at least five minutes spare
First stage interviews are all about your prospective employer gaining an initial impression of whether you could do the job in question. There are a number of questions you are likely to be asked – both technical and generic.
Technical questions will revolve around your skills to date and your likely ability to succeed in the job on offer. Study the job specification and do some scenario planning around the skills required before the interview. For example, if you are an accountant applying for an internal auditor’s role in a firm which has overseas interests, the questions might include “How would you go about auditing a call centre in Bangalore?” Whereas if you were applying for a marketing communications role in a niche financial services firm you might be asked, “what tactics would you adopt to ensure our firm developed an employer brand on par with a large investment bank?”
Generic questions usually assess your reasons for wanting to leave your current role and take the job in question, as well as your salary expectations and career ambitions. One of the most important things to remember is never be negative about past employers. Instead mention you are looking for a new challenge, with more responsibility and talk about the characteristics of your present company that are different to the prospective company. For example, if your company is large, you might say you are frustrated with slow decision making. Or if it is small, you could say that there is a lack of opportunity to progress in your career. If you are asked about your salary and career ambitions be honest and don’t fudge the issue, but highlight that your salary expectations could be flexible depending upon the right opportunity.
Second round interviews are much more in-depth. Your first round interviewers will have discussed your initial performance. Any concerns they have about your abilities or experience will have been passed on to the second round interviewers. Think back to your first interview and try to remember whether there was a particular area the interviewers probed - this will probably be the area they think is your weakness, so make sure you prepare even more answers for the types of questions you were originally asked, with lots of examples.
Remember that the interview is a two-way process. As well as the employer interviewing you, you are also interviewing the employer. Make sure you ask questions to help you decide whether you want the job. These could include:
- How do you see this role progressing?
- What is it about this department and organisation that you (the interviewer) enjoy?
- Why has the position become vacant?
Then thank the interviewer for his/her time and express an interest in the vacancy. Listen carefully to any feedback you may receive on your interview technique. It will only help you to improve.