3 hour job interview assessment day

barrymat

Remember to breath and talk slowly. I've had telephone interviews before. talked too much too fast and sounded wheezy and out of breath lol!!!!

93123

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated!

27021988

Most phone interviews are simply a 'screening process' so you can expect some basic background, skills and then usually a few situational based questions to make sure you at least have some initiative and are capable of doing the job.

The person interviewing you will generally mark against a pre defined criteria rather than making their own personal judgement.

Just make notes, know the job role inside out and research the company. You will be fine

93123

Thanks

Btw this is the role:

Open and close Reception and Main Switchboard

Maintain a clear and tidy Reception

Provide a warm welcome to customers and visitors

Answer the telephone promptly and professionally and to transfer the
telephone call through to the correct member of staff, paging staff, filtering calls and taking messages where appropriate

Receive and distribute incoming mail

Co-ordinate outgoing mail ensuring it is sent out promptly by the correct method and maintaining accurate postage records

Fill envelopes and send out letters and mailshots

Maintain a professional image of the company at all times, demonstrating a can-do approach to both colleagues and customers

Update spreadsheets and company computer records when required

Carry out all required administration

Work to Company Quality Standards at all times.

Any other duties as and when required.

I can do most things but I don't know Excel or mailshots Will I be expected to already know it or would they train me?

Savvy_Sue

I'd get yourself playing with Excel ASAP - do you have a copy on your home computer? You can find tutorials, just start with the basics: how to add up a column of figures, how to use that figure somewhere else, how to work out a running balance if you've got a column of 'income' and a column of 'expenditure' ...

Mailshots, sounds as if they'd expect you to stuff while not physically answering the phone, rather than preparing them or the labels etc. If they wanted that, I'd expect them to use the magic word Mail-Merge.

On putting calls through, worth saying that you'd wait for colleague to answer and introduce the caller, and take the call back if colleague unable to take the call, better than transferring the call 'blind' IYSWIM.

AP007

Excel

http://alison.com/search/result/?q=excel

you do it as you go along on the PC and you do not even have to have Excel installed.

Tests at the end and you get a score etc

93123

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I'd get yourself playing with Excel ASAP - do you have a copy on your home computer? You can find tutorials, just start with the basics: how to add up a column of figures, how to use that figure somewhere else, how to work out a running balance if you've got a column of 'income' and a column of 'expenditure' ...

Mailshots, sounds as if they'd expect you to stuff while not physically answering the phone, rather than preparing them or the labels etc. If they wanted that, I'd expect them to use the magic word Mail-Merge.

On putting calls through, worth saying that you'd wait for colleague to answer and introduce the caller, and take the call back if colleague unable to take the call, better than transferring the call 'blind' IYSWIM.

AP007 wrote: »

Excel

http://alison.com/search/result/?q=excel

you do it as you go along on the PC and you do not even have to have Excel installed.

Tests at the end and you get a score etc

Thanks so much!!

Savvy_Sue

BTW, don't pretend you've got more experience of Excel than you have: "I haven't used Excel much, but I am a quick learner, and I have recently worked out how to ... [insert something mildly impressive here ...]"

93123

Thanks everyone, I had the phone interview, it was short and a few hours later they invited me to a face to face interview next week!

On the phone they started off by explaining the role, then asked me what I knew about the company and then asked questions such as how would people rate your organisational skills, what do I expect a receptionist to do, what relevant skills do I have in my current role, what do I like most about my role, when have I worked independently, how do I feel about working alone...

Now I'm worried about the face to face interview! What could they ask me now that they covered a lot of it on the phone?

Btw he said I'd be expected to do some admin, a bit worried about those questions.

AP007

93123 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I had the phone interview, it was short and a few hours later they invited me to a face to face interview next week!

On the phone they started off by explaining the role, then asked me what I knew about the company and then asked questions such as how would people rate your organisational skills, what do I expect a receptionist to do, what relevant skills do I have in my current role, what do I like most about my role...

Now I'm worried about the face to face interview! What could they ask me now that they covered a lot of it on the phone?

They can and probably will ask the same plus to give examples of situations where you have dealt with a complaint or someone difficult in person or on the phone.

Also you may have a practical test like the phone or comp skills

They want to meet face to face to see if you like them as well as them you etc