Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Job interview tips please following a long gap of unemployment

5 replies

TwoOpenOneClosed · 18/12/2018 14:17

Hi just wondered if anyone out there has any words of wisdom for me? I finally have an interview after being out of work for the past 14 years and I am currently back at college training in a completely different field to the one I used to work in. So I am going into this interview with no experience and only a small amount of knowledge gained from course which started in September.
The email I have received regarding this interview states:

The interview will focus on your experience and skill set as well as your attitude and flexibility. The interviewers will seek to understand from yourself what you have achieved in the past and how you can transfer your skills to their role & the business.

The interview is scheduled for only 30mins and is with a well known car company what other information will be useful to know for the interview? It's so long since I had one and not sure how in depth it will be seen as though its only for 30mins and I have no prior experience in this field.

OP posts:
JustMarriedAndLovingIt · 18/12/2018 16:37

Show you have researched the company.

Why do you want the role
What research have you done into the role/the company
What are our brand values
What type of leader do you see yourself as
Describe a stressful/unusual situation
Time management skills

I helped my husband to successfully prep for his last job. He thought of several situations that painted him in a good light in the working world and used the STAR technique to describe his role.

Always say I. Not We. They don’t care what the team did, it’s about you.

vivavivaviva · 18/12/2018 17:08

Use the job spec to really pinpoint the skills and experiences they are looking for. For each one make sure you have an example or two that shows you have this skill.
It doesn't need to be from Work experience in this specific field. Maybe a volunteer role somewhere, your previous career?
And yes, research company very carefully so you can ask them questions too!

TwoOpenOneClosed · 18/12/2018 17:17

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I will take all of your tips on board and hopefully I won't come across as the complete novice that I am!

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

MincePieMum · 18/12/2018 17:20

Prepare 4 examples using the STAR method. Make sure they are based on skills needed for the job role. Your examples might be for:

Customer Service
Problem Solving
Working with Others
Resilience

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Task: What goal were you working toward?

Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.

Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.

JustanotherCHRISTMASuser01 · 19/12/2018 16:28

Does the car company begin with a E? Or a S? Or a C? (Same company with different arms)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page