So your CV has done its job and you have that all important interview planned. What's next?

preparation is key

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

handling 1st interviews

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

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.

Example 1: you are an accountant applying for an internal auditor’s role in a firm which has overseas interests. Questions might include:
“How would you go about auditing a call centre in Bangalore?”

Example 2: you are 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

Generic questions usually assess

• your reasons for wanting to leave your current role and take the job in question,
• 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. eg

• 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.

approaching 2nd interviews

Your first round interviewers will have discussed your initial performance. Second round interviews are much more in-depth.

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.

what else?

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.