Julie-Ann Amos - How to Pass that Job Interview

Job interviews can be daunting. This book will take you through the essentials of preparing for a successful interview. Whether it is your first interview, or your first in a long time or even if you are an old hand you will find tips and hints for success.

Interviews can be some of the most stressful situations we have to face. From the moment you enter the potential employers building to the time you are back outside, you are on show and preparing to give a good performance is what can guarantee success. You can tip the scales in your favour, with a little work beforehand.

Julie-Ann Amos

Preparing for interviews starts before you even know you have an interview.

In this Chapter:

• the purpose of interviews
• preparation
• getting your paperwork in order
• researching the company
• researching yourself
• getting from your front door to the interview.

You can start your preparation before you even know youve been invited to an interview. Understanding the purpose of interviews, and being aware of the contents of your own curriculum vitae or application form is the first step of essential preparation for any interview.

You will need to assemble your job application paperwork carefully and put it in order so you can respond to short-notice invitations to attend interviews. Job hunting isnt easy and you may be surprised at the amount of organisation it takes.

For example, you may need to assemble facts and figures about your salary history and financial requirements, etc. Once invited to an interview, you will also need to assemble some information on the company thats interviewing you, but of course theres no point in preparing detailed information on companies until you know youve got an interview with them.

Is this you?

• Surely you cant prepare much for interviews, apart from getting basic information on the company thats going to interview you?
• Look, I know who I am and what jobs Ive done. I dont need to memorise my own CV I was there!
• I spend ages preparing and getting organised, but its all wasted when I dont get an interview.
• Ive sent off so many job applications that I cant remember whos who. Its all a bit of a mess, really.

Theres more than one type of interview nowadays, interviews take many different forms (as we shall see) so that being aware of the different types of interview you may encounter can be very helpful. The How To book Handling Tough Job Interviews, also by Julie-Ann Amos, is very helpful in this regard but here are some of the main types.

Recruitment agencies exist to place people in jobs. They make their money from the employer the recruiter and not from you. Therefore, the common assumption that recruitment agencies are there to help you may be a slight misconception.

Good agencies can be extremely helpful in looking after job hunters properly, by giving them help and support, and placing them in the right job. Others are purely serving the employment needs of the companies and organisations that pay their fees. They may be less concerned with meeting your own individual wants and needs, and more concerned with placing you in a job any job that will earn them a fee.

So recruitment agency interviews can be beneficial, as they will give you an opportunity to check out the agency and the way it operates. In an ideal world, the recruitment agency interview should be no more than a means of letting your agency know exactly what you want in a job so it can tailor any applications it makes on your behalf specifically to your needs. Be aware of the way some agencies operate, however, and watch out for any attempt to sell you a job that isnt in line with your requirements.

With a good agency, an interview can give you tips and advice on presenting yourself well, information on your strong and weaker points, and advice on how to conduct yourself in interviews with potential employers.

Employer interviews are designed to allow the employer to assess whether or not you are a good fit with their requirements. Usually, a first interview is very much a screening interview, with a second interview being held later for those candidates who pass this initial screening. Your performance at the first interview should therefore really be a matter of being seen to be right for the job. Later interviews are where you would prove yourself to be the best candidate.

You will often encounter personnel or HR interviews, as most larger companies insist on them as part of the recruitment process. These interviews are sometimes viewed as easy, as HR interviewers rarely ask very technical questions about your specific skills as they are HR specialists and not usually business managers. Questions are far more likely to revolve around other, more personal areas. But these interviews are not to be underestimated HR specialists are often very highly trained and experienced in interviewing, and they usually carry out interviews on a regular basis. They are therefore skilled at getting information from you, so be careful never attempt to pull the wool over their eyes.

Not all interviews are alike be aware of the purpose of an interview, and this will help you do well in all circumstances.

Getting prepared is really what the whole of this book is about. So what exactly is it that you have to prepare? The first two chapters of the book focus on things you can do before the interview, and the rest of the book details information you can consider and think over before the interview as a means of preparing yourself for it.

Here are some examples of what you should prepare, ready for a round of potential interviews.

This includes your CV, a copy of the relevant application form, and all documents relating to a particular interview. Have copies of everything to hand well in advance dont rely on technology (which can let you down) to print copies for you at the last minute.

Too many people attend interviews with no clear idea of exactly what they want and need from them. Make sure you know what you do and dont want in terms of salary, environment, benefits, role etc.