job interview- how do i get it right?!

sjaypink

hi

ive been applying for loads of job recently, and now feel under huge pressure as the only one ive been selected for interview is the one i REALLY REALLY want!

so thats it, no practice runs, i need to crack this one

any basic advice on this? i havent done a formal interview for 2 years (and i messed that one up!), im so nervous. thankfully no presentation, but how am i going to stay focused for 90 minutes? :eek:

also, clothes? im not a particularly smart person in the conventional sense, and from my very brief dealing with the department in question they are not suited and booted either- but do you think it still appropriate to be very smart for the interview?

thing is its working with often very 'disadvantaged' people, so i think its important not to come accross too stuffy iyswim? so im thinking maybe its better to present myself more as i would whilst doing the job?

one other thing- do you think its ok to walk in and say youre nervous and its your ideal job and you dont want to blow it - kind of get it out the way? or better to try and pretend youre uber confident and risk seeming a bit false?

thanks in advance

Littlegreelady

I used to work for a recruitment company and got lots of feedback from different people's interviews. Whatever the company dress code is, in my humble opinion, always dress smart at an interview. Anything less than smart looks like you haven't bothered. Suited and booted, you will look really smart and confident. Remember they don't know you and they don't know you have thought about what to wear.

Don't pretend to be something you're not, but instead of pretending to be confident... try and make yourself feel confident (if that makes any sense). Remember if it is your ideal job, then you can do it.

Remember to shake everyone's hands at the interview, smile and introduce yourself and make lots of eye contact. Thank them for the opportuninty to meet them and be interviewed.

Try writing yourself a list of reasons why you want the job
Typical questions you will be asked will cover your background, previous experience. Also things like why you want the job, why do you think you'd be good at it etc. Try writing yourself a list of reasons why you want the job. Get someone to ask you questions and you answer them. If you can practice a lot, you'll feel more confident in the interview. There are some really good websites out there with sample interview questions. If I remember correctly, jobsite.co.uk used to have a good section with some video clips as well.

I think it's okay to say you're nervous but personally I probably wouldn't say at the start that it was my ideal job and I didn't want to blow it. Tell them it's your ideal job when they ask why you want it and then back it up with evidence.

Most importantly remember to be you and don't try to be the person you think they want. Lots of good luck to you

sjaypink

thank you very much for taking the time to reply!

funny enough, google seems to be my first point of reference for most things in life , but i hadnt thought about specific sites for interview guides/ techniques etc, will certainly check that out, thanks again :A

sk00bie1

Hi there,

A friend sent me the following when I was recently job hunting. The document was a sheet given to recruitment agents who would then advise the interviewees but there are still many things that I found useful!

Procedures




In order to reduce nerves, tell the applicant what to expect with regard to the Clients method of interviewing.

• Who will be conducting the interview
• Number of interviewers
• Number of interviews, duration
• Content i.e. tests, role plays, medical
• Competition – who else is being interviewed

Body Language
The ability to get along with other people is a very important life skill – and this equally applies when it comes to making the right impression in an interview.




If an applicant wants to make the right impression we should give advice on the following key factors:

• Be friendly – make an effort to smile and talk
• Try not to overdo the talking – allow others to have their say
• Become a good listener – it is a good way of complementing other people and gaining their respect
• Body language

The overall message your body conveys is known as body language firstly in communicating attitudes and emotions e.g. crossing your arms can mean that you are feeling defensive. Secondly, in supporting and maintaining conversation; we speak with our voice s, but we converse with our whole bodies.
The position of the body can communicate whether you are feeling friendly or hostile. Eyes are the most revealing and accurate of communication signs; to build rapport with an interviewer your eyes should meet 60% to 70% of the time. Facial expressions can convey what you are thinking and are often linked to speech.
Do’s and Don’ts of Body Language




Do’s

• Do walk into the interview with a smile
• Do shake hands firmly and briefly
• Do point your feet towards the interviewer. It is a sign that you are interested in what they are saying
• Do look at the interviewer when you are speaking to him/her

Don’ts

• Don’t walk in with your hands in your pocket, this can look insolent or even aggressive
• Don’t put your hands or fingers over your mouth when you speak. It gives the impression that you are not telling the truth.
• Don’t point your finger at the interviewer. Your finger acts like a club, which you are using to try and beat the person into submission!
• Don’t grip the arms of your chair – it displays a negative attitude

Making the right impression is what you want your applicant to do. While we can give the applicants pre-interview advice, we cannot be with them at the interview. Specific questions will vary from interview to interview, but you can still predict which types of questions are likely to come up. Interviewers are unlikely to confine themselves to asking questions about work or academic achievements so be ready to prepare your applicant to answer some personal and sensitive questions and to talk about feelings as well as facts.
Questions
The Applicant should be prepared to respond to questions and will be expected to ask some.
Questions a Client may ask:




Assess how prepared they are for these.

• What do they know about the company?
• What are the reasons for leaving your current/last job?
• What do/did you like best about your job?
• What do/did you like least about your job?
• What are/were your responsibilities in your current/last job? (An average day)
• What are your career plans or what are you looking for with regards to promotional prospects?
• Where do your strengths lie? ( Advise in line with what the client will want to hear)
• What are your weaknesses? (Try to turn it into a positive point i.e. something that you have now overcome or learnt from it )
• What personal qualities do you feel you can offer an employer?
• What interested you in this position?
• How do you cope under pressure? (give an example)
• How do you cope when you have to prioritise? (give an example)
• How do you work within a team? (give an example)
• How do you work using your initiative? (give an example)
• What computer packages are you familiar with and at what level?
• Why should we employ you rather than anyone else?

Questions an applicant could ask:

• When were you established?
• How many staff do you have?
• Do you have any other sites?
• Who are some of your major clients?
• Who are your main competitors?
• What is the working environment like?
• How would you describe the company’s style/culture?
• What do you do differently to make you more successful?
• Who would I be reporting to and what are they like?
• What are the team that I would be working with like?
• What type of person do you feel will fit in with the existing team?
• What other departments do you have? Will I be involved with them in any way?
• How would my day be split? What will I be doing the highest percentage of the time?
• What are the rewarding parts of my jobs?

First Impressions are very important, but so are last impressions. We must help the applicant to end on a positive, and confidant note that the Client will remember.




How to end the interview positively.

• Thank them for their time
• Tell them that you are interested and give them 3 or 4 reason why you like it.
• Tell them when you can start
• Ask how soon they can let you know or when the second interview will be.
• Shake their hand – remember to smile!
• Ask to look around if not done so already
• Ask have I done enough to convince you I really want this job?

Hope this helps! I found the last 3 sections really helpful.

Reed.co.uk also has a good random interview question generator




Good Luck!

minerva_windsong

I tell everyone this, but there is a book called Dude, Where's My Career? by Tanya de Grunwald which is pretty much my job hunting Bible. It's marketed at graduates but my dad, who was a director of HR in the NHS before he retired, has said it's one of the best of these sorts of guides he's ever seen. That has a great 'how to do well at interviews' section in it if you have time to get hold of it.

Otherwise, do you have a friend/relative/colleague who would be able to sit down with you for, say, half an hour and practice with you? It's probably best if it's someone you don't know all that well as there'll be the same unfamiliarity as there would be with an interviewer, but it's worth a try. I did it when I was applying to Oxford (my 'interviewer' was one of the lecturers who I knew by sight but didn't have any lessons with) and it really helped me to see what I was good at and what I wasn't.

Best of luck!

juliescot

I once interviewed a bloke who told me he was "living the dream" by being interviewed for this job and he couldn't imagine how it would not be possible for him to get it.

It was a real shock that he didn't get it. He was not the best candidate by a long way.

Some interesting stuff there from sk00bie1 although I never have informed interviewees about the number of applicants or who they are. I do always tell people a time frame when they can expect to hear whether or not they have been successful

Simple thing but be true to yourself and if you don't know the answer to anything just say so. I once watched an interviewee dig himself into a very very deep hole as he tried to make out he knew something that he did not.

Know the company and be enthusiastic. You can teach many things but not enthusiasm.

trevormax

It might help to find out what type of interview it is going to be as well. I.e. is it going to be a competancy based interview where they ask you to give specific examples of how you have done something which meets their criteria, or is it going to be general questions like "what do you think the most important aspect of teamwork is?".

I had an interview not too long ago where I thought it was going to be competancy based but wasn't and lets just say it didn't go too well lol.

sjaypink

wow thankyou very much everyone!

trevor max: im not sure what type of interview it is and unsure about ringing up now to find out....? i would guess it to be a mixture...:o only thing i do know is it will almost certainly be a panel of 3- its for social services if anyone has any idea how they interview?

juliescot: i am 100% enthusiastic about the job, it really is my passion and i do think id be good at it. i do think i know everything that i need to know iyswim (i will spend the weekend revising it all anyway though!), but also know that chances are once im in there i will forget everything, get it mixed up, stumble over my words etc... :eek: but yes, if i dont know or dont understand etc i must remember to say instead ofpanicking and waffling! wish i did know how many others im up against, plus really hope this isnt already somebodies job, but theyre just having to advertise and interview anyway (ive heard thats how county councils operate)

minerva: that book sounds good- i dont think i have time to get it for this interview- but sure it will come in handy for future ones (if i dont get this one ). pretend interview sounds good too but bit l8 for me know, but also definately excellent future advice

skoobie: taht info helped me focus on what i might say to what etc, seems a bit easier the more you practise. also, id never really thought before about how to end an interview- and also when they say 'is there anything you want to ask us?'... i know they say first impressions is most important but if i hadnt of thought about that it might have ended 'errrrrr, no, dont think so.... um no, no questions.....erm, can i go now?' not a great lasting impression :rotfl:

Savvy_Sue

I would be gobsmacked if you weren't asked an equal ops question at a council interview, especially in Social Services. Make sure you know what's covered by the whole range of equal ops, have a look at the council's policy (on their website) and give some thought to how they would want to put this into practice in your area of work.

sb13579

just walk in and be yourself and answer there really tedious questions. wear whatever you like but they like it if you dress smart?!?! ive never got the reason why you must me suited and booted but there you go the worlds messed up. anyways just dont lie, i once did and it wasnt good. have fun and try not to get too much of a corporate bumming session.

Jobs2ireland

Hi,

I found this website very useful in answering all those awkard interview questions - Killer answers to those interview questions -interviewdestroyer.com

Also, some more carrer advice that we were asked to supply from time to time by job seekers, hope you find it useful and if you come up with some tips please let us know as we can pass on to others in their search for employment. You can find this on our Jobs2Ireland.ie website under careers.