Thursday, November 22, 2012

How to prepare for an interview

How should I prepare for an interview?

Prior to the interview there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success.
  • Review your resume- understand your key skills and achievements
  • Review the role- know how your key skills can apply to the role
  • Think about questions you might be asked as well as any questions that you can ask in the interview
  • Research the company; understand what they do
  • Take extra care with you appearance; dress appropriately
  • Make sure you know whom you will be meeting, where and at what time. Ask for directions and work out how long it will take you to get there
  • When you get to the interview be confident and smile- first impressions always count

What types of questions will be asked during an interview?

Every interview will be different and every interviewer will have a different approach. Ultimately the interviewer will want to know if you have the skills to do the job, if you want the job and if you will fit into the team. To do this an interviewer will ask you a lot of different questions, some of which will likely be around the key competencies for the job.
Key competencies are the skills and abilities required to be successful in the position. To assess these key competencies, the interviewer will ask you for specific examples of how you have tackled situations in previous jobs that you are likely to face in this role. You should be able to demonstrate your ability by describing the situation, how you handled it and what the outcome was.
Your interview will likely be in the form of a behavioural interview. This type of interview is based on the idea that the best predictor of future performance is past behaviour.

Examples of some behavioural questions are:

  • “Give me an example of a time when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem.”
  • “Describe a time in which you faced a change at work and how you coped with the effects of that change.”
  • “Give me an example of a project you have managed and the process you went through.”

How should I respond to questions in the interview?

When answering a question in an interview you will need to describe your capabilities in a concise and informative way.
It is likely that an interviewer will use behavioural questions to assess you against the position’s key competencies. When answering these types of questions you should talk through your personal involvement in a specific situation rather than hypothetical examples. If you can’t think of relevant work-related situations, you can use non-work related examples to demonstrate your capability such as experience in community groups, sporting clubs and charities. Listen carefully to the question and ask for clarification if required.

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