to ask you all to help me prepare for my job interview

[chrome100]

I have got a job interview coming up for an admin role?PA role. I haven't had an interview for 6 years and although I have been reading through my application and trying to think of examples where I have fulfilled the criteria, I feel like I will just be repeating my personal statement if they ask me about it in the interview.

Presumably there will be other questions besides "name a time when you've [insert criteria]". Can anyone give examples of any questions they've been asked recently or, if you've been on a panel, give me some tips on what you look for in a candidate?

Thanks!

It is fine to use the same examples from your personal statement - go into more detail and keep bringing it back to how it shows you fulfil the criteria and how great you are!

Good luck!

Don't forget to swot up on the company,and read their mission statement.

They may ask about your strengths and weaknesses, perhaps prepare a few answers for this question? Good luck

It sounds like you're doing all the right things. Read and re-read the job description and person specification and think of specific examples of when you've done something that demonstrates your fit into the role.

Be ready for questions such as "Can you demonstrate a time when you did XYZ". Popular questions for Admin roles are about dealing with conflict, team work or coping with demanding priorities/high workload, etc.

Also be ready with some questions of your own, not just the usual (boring) questions about development and training opportunities, but think of something that will make you stand out. A good question is to ask the interviewers what the best thing is about working for the company. It shows you understand the interview is a two-way process.

You may also be asked "off the wall" questions to see how you would fit into a team, such as "What's your favourite TV programme."

Don't be afraid to take brief notes in with you.

Finally, if you really want the job, don't forget to write a thank you note to the interviewers, thanking them for their time, restating any points you want to make, and something about how fabulous the company is. It might be something like "It was a Monday morning and all the employees were smiling". That way, even if you don't get this job they might keep you in mind for future positions (I have got two jobs using this method).

Good luck.

Wow, thanks for all your replies; definitely food for thought.

I'm very good at preparing for things but tend to be pretty hopeless on the day due to nerves, I tend to ramble.

Worldgonecrazy - do you really think a thank you note will help? I don't want to be too "arse licky". Maybe I just need to stop being so British about it all. Selling myself does not come naturally to me.

chrome100 I don't think it's arse licky. Twice I did it, and twice I didn't get the original job but had an invite to interview for better jobs a few weeks later, so it definitely works as a technique.

mind mapping - I am useless at interviews but this has really helped me. It's more about thinking about every question they could ask you and finding the answer...so obviously if it's a PA role, you might be using the same/very similar material for a response to 'what makes a good PA?', 'how do you organise your time?', what skills can you bring to the role??' If you have this all mapped out and read through it and read through it again and again, it helps you deal with any question that they throw at you because you've already thought about an answer?

Hope that makes sense...for me, the issue with interviews was the unknown. If you ask me what makes a good PA, I could write you a 6 sided essay in 15 minutes flat. But I struggle to make it trip off the tongue in an interview situation. This method helped put it on my tongue to trip off!

Don't forget to prepare questions for them! I always ask at least one based on what I've read about them to help me understand their goals... and sound genuinely interested!

You can use what you've read about them when saying why you should get the job i.e. how you're a good fit for that specific company so that you're not repeating your personal statement.

Weaknesses- make sure you don't pick something that makes you unsuitable for the job! Pick something that you have already started to improve on and tell them how.

Why did you leave your last company? - whatever you really think, for now you LOVED them. You were sad to leave but perhaps you left for personal development reasons for example :)

It's not a test, they just want to know more about who you are.

Best of luck!

Thanks everyone!