Interview tips

[cheeseypizza]

Posting for traffic. Anyone have any good interview tips or good answers to the usual type questions ?

Hiya,

I always go thinking with the mind set that I'm just having a casual conversation and it's more a case of having a chat about the job so i don't get so nervous.
I've found it's helped me not waffle on a little bit while doing presentations as it's like I'm doing it to my friends if that makes sense.

I’m involved in a lot of interviews at the moment and my top tips would be:
Make sure you prepare beforehand and you understand what the employee is looking for.
Take some notes in with you - don’t read from them but have some bullet points that you want to hit.
When in doubt, the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is the best way to structure a response and will help you if you have a tendency to waffle (like me!)

To be clear - when I said don’t read from the notes I meant don’t use them like a script!

Don't be afraid to take a few seconds to pause and formulate a considered answer than feel like you have to jump in immediately.

• rather than!!!

Make sure you figure out the key competencies of the role are and prepare answers that highlight this eg decision making, working under pressure

Use the STAR technique

If you need to do a presentation, and it says 10 mins, make sure it is 10 mins

Some great tips! Hadn't heard about the STAR technique, Thankyou.

Research the company so you know an answer for why you want to work for them. Prepare 2 or 3 questions to ask but make sure it's not for information that's easily accessible. If asked for examples for competencies try to base it on real examples as you can get muddled up if you are making it up. Use your life experience as well as work experience. And if you are really stuck with answer ask them to repeat/ rephrase or ask to come back to it.

Have some questions to ask at the end - about training or having a mentor or assigned person to go to to ask company specific questions ie briefing or meeting times, people names etc

When asked for a development area/something you're weaker on, absolutely do not give some stupid 'positive' thinly veiled as a negative (perfectionist, struggle to delegate as my standards are too high etc).
Give a true area you're working on- 'I've always found public speaking makes me nervous. In my current role I've sought out opportunities to do this, such as presenting to the board on x, and although it's something I'm still not entirely comfortable doing, it's something I'm working on by putting myself in that situation regularly'.