Any interview tips from personal experience?

[mrstrump4th]

I have an interview Friday for a job. Business administration, part time, ideal hours for me/our family. Please give me a few tips

As someone that's only just started interviewing people I was so shocked by how the questions at the end made such a difference to how I view candidates. Ask questions that are positive not 'how flexible are you around childcare' or 'how many days unpaid leave can I take?' just didn't give a good impression. Make it positive for the employer

If there are competency questions remember that STARR is your best friend to give a concise answer that flows.

I say it out loud when answering...'So the situation was...my task was then to...the action i took was to...the results of this were...on review, if I had to do this again I would...'

Interviewers will know the method you're using to answer but its never negatively impacted me ime.

*him/her, not him/him!

I have always, always been asked: can you think of a time you had to deal with a severe problem at work. How did you handle it?

Tip for being interviewed on Zoom - if you have any STARR style answers prepped, put reminders of the key points on your screen, then you can speak fluently and not waffle, while still appearing to make eye contact.

Couple of times, asking in advance, if I could be kept on file or be considered next time, if I wasn't to be offered the role - won me the job. I'm also with another poster about sending thank you's.

I wouldn't ask someone if they liked working at the company or I would word it made you want to work here? even it just seems cringe - A fair few people it seems had it hard and possibly struggled who started with companies just before very first lockdown - I recall one interviewer, out of ear shot of the other interviewer, as they led me to exit, admitted they had found their new job really hard to begin with. I've heard this a few times now.

and very best of luck : )

And the question was "from personal experience". I was interviewed for a senior level job in a school so know it works.

Obviously, it depends on the circumstances but surely my experience both as an interviewer / candidate is also worth considering.

I also wore navy blue and flat shoes (personal experience) but it might help.

Good luck OP!

I also wore navy blue and flat shoes (personal experience) but it might help. Why would that help? Sometimes I seriously despair of this shit. If you recruit people on the basis of colour you have no business making decisions.

@ClumsyClaret

I also wore navy blue and flat shoes (personal experience) but it might help. Why would that help? Sometimes I seriously despair of this shit. If you recruit people on the basis of colour you have no business making decisions.

I was being sarcastic.

When asked for personal experience, mine was described as no good. So I described further personal experience, to mock the whole bloody thing.

Honestly, sometimes you really do wonder who is behind these keyboards.

@Cismyfatarse I was being sarcastic. I wasn't concerned about you - I was concerned with the OP's interview experience - so I didn't follow your little spat.

Good luck OP

Smile, keep eye contact, I would say shake hands at end, but now to break initial tension /nerves you can always say at start "do we shake hands or bump elbows"
Be as confident as you can.
Remember even if you are quaking inside you just have to fake it for 30 mind.. So even if you are not normally confident speaker just keep saying in your head "it's just 30mims"
Definitely practice answering the obvious questions... Most interviews now include asking you to give specific examples.
So have some ready for
"tells us about how you managed a difficult situation"
Plus practice getting examples into more vague questions. So if you are asked "what are your strengths" don't just list a load of attributes... Say "I am a very organised and efficient person, at my last job I.... Insert example of how your excellent organisational skills made a change".
Don't worry if your examples aren't work based. I interviewed someone who answered the above by telling me how she had re organised and digitalised her husbands paperwork so he could easily do his own tax return thus saving them £500 on accountants fees.... I asked her what she spent the £500 on, as an off track ad hoc extra... She said a trip... We got chatting about travel.. And she got the job!
So confidence, don't be afraid of using all sorts of examples to demonstrate your skill set.... And smile

I interview for admin type roles quite a lot.

Be pleasant as make a bit of small talk as you walk to the interview etc as well as the person being able to do the role I want to see a person who will fit in with my team. I often have people who I can't really decide between scoring wise - I then go on personality and fit. If you were pleasant and friendly I'm much more likely to offer it to you than the miserable one.

Don't feel you have to blurt out an answer as soon as it's asked. Take a sip of water. Pause. It's fine. It's not a speed competition. I'm also quite happy for people to have a pen and paper and jot things down before they answer.

Research the company. I interview so many people who don't seem to understand the role they've come for at all.

Don't ask about terms and conditions in the final questions bit. So many people do this. It puts me off if the first thing they jump in with is 'what hours can I work' etc - I'm really flexible but I don't want this to be the only thing people are thinking of - if you get offered the role then go ahead and make sure it will fit with your life before you hand your notice in elsewhere.

It's useful for you to ask as your final question (after something about the job) what is going to happen next. When will you expect to hear etc as so many interviewers neglect to tell candidates this and then you're left in limbo.

Thank the interviewers for their time at the end.

Remember - you are interviewing them as much as you are being interviewed - think 'they would be lucky to have me' and if you would want to work with them - I find this helps people with nerves.

Know how to answer
“What do you know about us?”
“Tell me a bit about yourself”
“What can you bring to this role?”
Always back up your answer with examples from previous roles.

How did you get on?

Thank you everyone. I listened to you all carefully and felt very confident in the interview. It went well and even if I don't get it I feel like I did my best.

I always ask about what they have done for staff well-being during the pandemic, says a lot.
Be confident, ask questions, remember they’re human too, a bit of small talk doesn’t go a miss

Arghhh. I was told I'd hear today. I was well prepared for a no but not prepared to just not hear anything at all. How irritating.

Smile and don't speak too fast. If it is a video call try and look at the camera rather than just the screen.