PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW : PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW By…
Srikumar Menon
Career Development Mentor
www.mlsacademy.co.in
Types Of Interview: : Types Of Interview: Chronological
Criteria based
Pressurised
‘Off the wall’
Technical
Panel
Telephone/video
Combination, e.g. 1st interview on telephone, then 2nd face to face.
Interviewers Objectives: : Interviewers Objectives: Find the most suitable person for the job
Look for specific skills or expertise
Encourage you to express yourself fully
Assess whether you would ‘fit in’ to the organisation/team
Assess whether you would be a good representative for the company
Sell the company
Preparations: : Preparations: Practicalities :
Check timetables/route; overnight stay if necessary.
Allow extra time for delays
Plan what to wear : dress code - formal
Need to feel comfortable
Techniques for dealing with nerves
Confirm your attendance in advance
Interview Preparations: : Interview Preparations: Re-read application form/CV
Research employers website, brochure, company annual reports, business plan. Newspaper articles, websites. Use contacts.
Keep up to date with current issues in your field via newspapers and journals
Think about questions you might be asked, and plan responses
Interview Preparation: : Interview Preparation: Draw up a list of skills/competencies you think the company is looking for, and think of examples how you can demonstrate these
Consider your ‘Unique Selling Points’ – i.e. what makes YOU the ideal candidate
Find out who will be interviewing you : which department do they belong to/what is their specialisation
Prepare some questions to ask at the interview
Types Of Questions: : Types Of Questions: Biographical : Tell me about your education/ career/ experience to date
Motivation/ Commitment : Why are you interested in___ area of engineering? Why have you applied to us ? Why the career change ?
Competence : What are the key skills for a high skilled engineer ? What are your strengths ? What can you bring to this job ?
Scenario : What would you do if…?
Opinion : What do you think about…?
Types Of Questions: : Types Of Questions: Legal Developments/Current Issues : e.g. the impact of Human Rights legislation
Business Awareness : What experience do you have of the business world ?
Off The Wall : Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why?
Ethical : What do you about corporate governance issues ?
Beware of trick/what if/difficult questions!
Handling Questions: : Handling Questions: Allow yourself thinking time : Not too long or employer may conclude you can’t think on your feet
Seek clarification : “Would you like me to continue?”, “Would you mind repeating the question?”, “Can you re-phrase that ?”
Answers to open ended questions should avoid rambling/ going off at a tangent
Think of body language – open/confident; eye contact; expansive gestures;
Smile!
Skills Employers Look For: : Skills Employers Look For: Communication skills
Motivation / initiative
Strong work ethic
Analytical skills
Flexibility / adaptability
Computer skills
Drive and ambition
Honesty / integrity
Teamwork
Interpersonal Skills
Organised approach
Commercial awareness
Questions That Test These Skills: : Questions That Test These Skills: Commitment : Tell me about a time when you have perhaps doubted your decision to study law
Team work : Have you been involved in a project where a colleague was not pulling their weight ? What did you do about it ?
Organised approach : Tell us about a deadline you have had to meet which you found challenging/ what did you do ? How did you resolve any problems ?
Skill Based Questions: : Skill Based Questions: Initiative : Tell me about a recent situation where you have been really thrown in at the deep end ?
Drive and ambition : Can you give me an example of an occasion or task when you felt you had stretched yourself ? How did you react ? What was the outcome ?
Commercial Awareness : Can you identify any new services, products, or growth areas which our clients may be interested in over the next year or two ?
Your Questions: : Your Questions: The Organisation : strategic goals; challenges they are facing; which markets/clients are most important to them and why
Training : Explore training/development opportunities
Working Conditions : assessment of performance; prospects for becoming a partner & timeframe
Avoid questions on salary, holidays, bonuses until you have been offered the job. Avoid questions that could be seen as a criticism.
Common Mistakes: : Common Mistakes: Poor/lack of preparation
Lack of knowledge about job/ employer/ current legal issues
Negative about self or previous employer
Using “We” instead of “I”
Not giving examples to back up statements
Not relating answers back to the job
Lack of motivation and enthusiasm
Post Interview: : Post Interview: Reflect on performance : were you positive; were your answers full enough
Note down questions asked for future reference
Request feedback on your performance from employer
If unsuccessful, learn from your mistakes
Discuss with Careers Adviser
Stay positive!
Slide 16 : THANK YOU AND WISHING THE BEST IN YOUR CAREER PATH !