Interview help

[Nitgel]

I am so crap at interviews. I can evidence well enough all the criteria to meet the specifications of jobs I am going for and above yet I cannot get a job. I just literally don't interview well and I have no idea why!

It's really draining me and I want to move roles so badly as my current job is draining the life out of me (local government) even jobs that are a lower paid grade I just cannot get. Feedback is always based around my answers for competency ie can you tell me of a time when....

I guess i just don't pick the right answers or waffle on or I just don't know. Is there any training online on how to do pass these interviews? :(

How is your body language during the interview ? Do you keep good eye contact ?
Thank them for the interview and for seeing you .

i am very polite, please and thank you, sit well don't fidget. My last interview was face to face but others were online, I was thinking I am not good online but I think it's in person too now.

I'm really down about this. I really worked to get a degree as a mature student but it seems it just hasn't helped me progress at all. I will be retired in 14 years. :(

Watching with interest OP , I feel the same

Trying to move jobs and worrying my interviews are crap and getting older at 48.

Does it help if you think of them as business meetings?

Do you take a (smart) notebook in with you- just as you would in a proper meeting.

They don't have to be a memory test

thinking of them as a business meeting sounds like good advice. Maybe i am trying to be personable and friendly when I should be more professional. Also I wouldn't think to take a notebook in with me. this is good thanks.

I was wondering if it was my age Watermelon and are companies now looking for enthusiastic younger people. but know they can't do this now. maybe i am just not used to more formal interviews. it's a skill i am lacking that's for sure though.

Be yourself, I get so nervous speaking in public and interviews. However I come across well in interviews. I always be myself and have the thought in my head that they chose me to be there.

Talk about situations that you remember well.

Smile and always be positive

I absolutely 💯 hate interviews. I had an interview during the heatwave last week (on the day when it was 40 degrees!).... and I was successful!

What really helped for me (this was an internal interview in a different department) that my very supportive (and very experienced interviewer) manager helped me to identify likely questions, and then for each question I prepared an example using the STAR technique. On the day of the interview there were no unexpected questions. It was like an exam where I knew all the answers because I had thoroughly prepared.

Are you preparing examples beforehand or trying to think of them on the spot?

Definitely prepare your stories in advance. One, at least,nfor all core competencies listed for the role. Obviously use STAR technique too. But also consider the question not being asked' and how you can get your strengths or skills across that aren't asked' about. Your passion for the job, your tenacity whatever it might be. Just find the opportunities to drop that in too.

What is the STAR technique?
The STAR technique is a method of answering questions that is comprised of four steps:
• Situation: Describe the situation and when it took place.
• Task: Explain the task and what was the goal.
• Action: Provide details about the action you took to attain this.
• Result: Conclude with the result of your action.
Which questions need a STAR response
Typical competency-based interview questions generally start by asking about a time you demonstrated one of the competencies listed in the job description. For this reason, it's advisable to familiarise yourself with the description before your interview in order to be prepared for these questions. Most graduate job interviews ask about soft skills such as communication, teamwork and negotiation. Many of the questions require you to recount past work experiences. If you are applying for an apprenticeship or internship or have little work experience, talk about extra-curricular activities and your achievements or school projects you've done.
How the STAR method works
The STAR method lets you create a simple and easy-to-follow story that brings out the difficult situation and resolution. Here's a breakdown of what each of the four parts of the technique mean:
Situation
Set the scene of the story by giving a context and the background of the situation. If you're asked about teamwork, your response should include the project details, who you were collaborating with, when you undertook the project and your location at that time.
Task
Describe your exact role or responsibility in the situation. Make sure that the hiring manager knows what you were specifically assigned to do, rather than what everyone did.
Action
This step is probably the most important part of the story. Here, you explain how you handled the difficult situation or conquered the problem. Say whether you did it alone or together as a team. What you're trying to communicate is your assessment of the situation and your response to the problem as well as how you got the team involved.
Share as many details as possible so the interviewer can follow you. As you do so, avoid acronyms and company-specific jargon.
Result
Close the story by stating the positive outcome of your actions and what lessons you learned. If possible, quantify the results and show the effects of your actions. Examples may include a 10% increase in sales, getting repeat business or saving your team five hours of work in a week.

I'm confident in interviews and have a great success rate so hopefully I can offer some tips.
Have some example answers memorised but be sure not to deliver them too formally - you don't want sound like your reciting from memory.
Don't be afraid to ask if you can go back to an answer if you need to, much better than waffling or getting it wrong.
Have questions in mind that you'd like to ask, you are seeing if they are a good fit for you as well as vice versa.
Be professional but not stiff, gentle humour and the ability to let your personality come through is important - if they are worth working for they want you to fit the team as much as the job description.
Know your CV inside out - don't get caught out if they ask about something you did ten years ago!

Sorry the formatting of my previous post isn't great as I copied it from a website.

I interview people regularly as part of my role and I often use competency based questions. Like you say, 'tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do to rectify it?...'. 'Talk about a time when you handled a difficult situation'

In competency based questions, I am looking for very specific examples of your previous work experience. I want to know what the situation was, what was your task, what action you took and what was the result.

Take your time and think to a real life example. It can be anything that answers the question posed. Don't try and make something up because the story will fall apart quickly. Don't talk generically or hypothetically... don't say 'we did this', or 'I would do that' as this indicates lack of detail.

I am looking for evidence that you can find a resolution to a real Life difficult problem. Did you take the lead or did you try on other people to sort the problem out.

Before the interview, you could ask if the organisation has a set of values and what these are. Try and prepare in advance by thinking of examples around these values so you can link into the company culture.

I would say that it's good prep to think of examples about how you can demonstrate:

• when you have taken the lead to fix a problem
• how you have worked cross functionally or with other teams / colleagues on a piece of work.
• how you have improved a process to work more efficiently.
• how you have saved your company money (commercial awareness)
• when you delivered great customer service
• a time you went above and beyond your normal duties

If you can do some prep and have these answers up your sleeve you should be able to adapt them to various questions.

Best of luck!

Yes, STAR is the way to answer ‘tell me about a time when’ questions.

You should prepare likely situations in advance so you have examples lined up, ready. For example, a time when you dealt with a difficult customer or colleague, when you have improved a process.

STAR is great but do be wary of precision answering and losing your passion or personality in the process.

Also act as though they haven't read your CV or cover letter. Some.of the panel may not have in fact. Make sure you explain all examples fully and don't assume they'll know the context from your CV

Also have some questions to ask the interviewers. There is nothing worse than asking if they have any questions and the answer being 'no we have covered everything'. It shows lack of understanding about the organisation or role as it is highly unlikely that EVERYTHING has been covered.

Thanks this is all useful, I will def bring notes in and see if that helps. My next interview is another awful teams interview online.

OP if you go around calling it 'another awful teams interview online' then that's exactly what it will be.

Teams is now very much a day to day tool used in normal Life by millions of working people.

Can you practise using teams with a friend or colleague before the interview? It's nothing to be scared of but it can require a little practice to get the hang of good technique. For example, on a teams call you say what you have to say and then be quiet. Don't try and fill the silence or gaps as there is usually a small delay and if you keep stop/starting you'll be talking over people and vice versa. It's not big deal, just pay attention and keep calm!!