Interview Guidance
Preparation
Having secured that all important interview, your preparation
will play a key part in your success.
You cannot be over prepared for an interview. Employers will
expect you to visit their website and searching through Google is
always a good tool for researching that bit extra. Social media
profiles are starting to become increasingly important, so it would
be wise to visit any individual and company LinkedIn profiles or
groups and twitter profiles to see what the company has been saying
and commenting on recently.
However all this information is in the public domain and all
candidates would normally be armed with this at interview.
Adding Value
Having already produced a sharp, professional, targeted CV
for you and managed your diary to confirm mutually convenient
interview dates and times we can add further value to
your application by giving providing job specific interview
guidance.
You will want to know whether the interview will include
any competency based questioning or even a written test. Typically
how long do the interviews last? Who will you be meeting and what
is their role in the organisation? It is likely we will have
met with them ourselves so we can offer you an insight into
their personality and how best to build a rapport with them at
interview. Our access to the real decision makers enables us to
match candidates to roles accurately, and we are not afraid to ask
clients where previous applicants have fallen short to help you
avoid the same pitfalls.
We are here to support our candidates through the interview
process, to give our candidates the competitive edge over direct
applicants and those who may have been submitted through other
agencies. Anything we can do to help you succeed at
interview you can be assured we will do.
On the Day
Remember you are here to ask your interviewers to invest in you,
the whole package.
Dress smartly with shoes polished, allow plenty of time to
get to the interview venue. If you are running late for any reason
call us as soon as possible so we can let the interviewer know
while you concentrate on making up time. Do not smoke on your
way to the interview; you are going to be sat face to face with
someone in a small room and they will smell it. Remember you are
here to ask your interviewers to invest in you
Ideally you should arrive 10 minutes before your interview; be
polite to everyone you come in to contact with and accept a
drink if offered. Walk into the interview room with a smile on
your face, make eye contact with your interviewers and offer a firm
handshake. Wait to be seated and then sit upright in your chair or
lean slightly forward indicating interest and engagement.
Listen carefully to the questions you are asked in their
entirety and answer them succinctly and to the point. If you do not
understand something do not be afraid to ask your interviewer to
explain further.
During the interview be bright, attentive and responsive. Speak
clearly and confidently. If there is more than one interviewer
present then try to address your answers, equally, to each of them.
Do not be tempted to fill silences between questions or while the
interviewer is making notes or looking at your CV.
Having got the end of the interview there are a few more things
to remember. Thank your interviewer for seeing you, shake hands and
smile. Remember to say goodbye. By showing your gratitude you are
leaving them a positive impression of you. Offering a hand shake is
a sign of friendly respect and keeps things pleasant.