Topic: Job interview - Tips

[Spanish Al]

haha yeh Ill take deep breathes

Dont have kids, Im only 21 and there's no-one home during the timescale they gave me so Ill be calm.

[red mongoose]

Wear the suit btw, it will help put you in the interview mood.

This is great advice - every little bit helps.
Remember a very important thing - if you are honest, you have nothing to hide, so there is no reason to be nervous. Embrace your confidence and fake it if you don't have enough - convince yourself that you are confident. Wearing that suit, even at home, is going to make you feel more professional and confident.

The most important thing to remember about your mindset: you always want to be presenting yourself as someone who is going to help them. Put yourself in their shoes: they are not looking to do you a favor, right? They want to hire someone who is going to help them, make their life easier. You want the job, and the best way to get it is to convince them that you can help them. It makes them want to bring you on board. If you can convince them of this, then they will offer you a job - win-win.

Best of luck  YNWA

[Spanish Al]

haha I might do that paddy

Cheers for the advice red mongoose.

[red mongoose]

haha I might do that paddy

Cheers for the advice red mongoose.

No worries, mate 

[MrGrumpy]

This is not true. What they say must be factual, and you have a right to see it under data protection laws because it is personal data about you held by them, the data controller. This is why people think that companies 'can't send bad references', and because of this most now find it's simpler just to confirm dates of employment and job titles than to give an actual 'opinion'.

Sorry that's pretty much what I meant though you have explained it more clearly.

While I can understand the logic, I have been refused by HR teams in my request to leave good references on file for the future.

[Spanish Al]

Well I overslept and the phone call of the interviewer woke me up, so I wasnt the sharpest tool in the box for the first few minutes! Went well after that though.

Made one slight fuck up though. She asked in your previous job where you worked alone how did you get through the day as I imagine that can be quite boring on your own. Me: I had a bit of a crack with the customers.

Why didnt I just say joke  

[paddysour]

I wouldn't say that's a bad answer. Establising rapport with customers is a very desirable skill

[gregorio]

I'll add my 2-penneth.

I've been doing quite a bit of recruiting recently. From the responses it's clear that private sector recruitment is markedly different from local govt, where I work.

We don't ask for CVs, we advertise with a person specification , which essentially tells applicants exactly what we're looking for. The upside is that it filters out a lot of potential applicants who rule themselves out because they clearly don't meet the requirements. The risk is that you exclude people who would actually be brilliant at the job, with training and mentoring, but who don't have the specified knowledge and experience.

We have tried to counterbalance this by focusing as much on attitudes, abilities and competences as experience and knowledge.

The biggest tip I would give Rawkites who apply using a person specification is : use interesting examples to prove how you meet the requirements. We get dozens of applicants who will simply write :

'I have good assessment skills '

But the applicants who we short list will expand with a concrete example:

'I assessed a client who was experiencing paranoid thoughts , I put him at ease by being clear and consistent in my communication'

This principle can be carried into CV applications. You really must tailor your CV to the job you're applying for. It's hard work but recruiters will quickly pick out a candidate who is  'blanket applying' and those who are genuinely interested in the post they are advertising.

Finally , some very simple but effective interview advice . It requires a little research and second-guessing but I have found it useful at interviews and other anxiety-provoking situations such as presentations to large groups :

Imagine a handful of characteristics the panel are looking for. In my field it would be a passion for working with vulnerable homeless people , personal resilience & ability to take initiative.

Boil these qualities down to a few short sentences that all start 'I am......'
Mentally repeat these phrases to yourself in the week before the interview. The brain is an amazingly powerful , underused tool !

With this exercise you are basically conning yourself into believing these phrases. It sounds a bit  New Age but believe me , it works . 

Anyway, good luck to all, I'll be using my own advice soon as I'm about to apply for a senior position having been coasting in middle management for 5 years!

[Spanish Al]

I wouldn't say that's a bad answer. Establising rapport with customers is a very desirable skill

I stuttered a bit as I said 'a' so it sounded like I said 'I had crack with the customers.'

[RideTheWalrus]

I got the job I applied for, this thread helped 

[red mongoose]

I got the job I applied for, this thread helped 

Congratulations pal, great news 

[BRdispatch05]

I got the job I applied for, this thread helped 

Congrats man! The law company or call center?

I just left my second interview a couple of hours ago. My first interview was nerve-wracking and I don't think I did well. They said interested or not they will notify me in a week. It's been ten days so not getting my hopes up.

The second company I interviewed with today went much better, although still had a few slip ups. I took much advice from this thread, wore a suit and tie (normally I would wear a button up with a belt and look clean, but not professional) and studied a bit more. I came up with a few more scenarios I've dealt with in the past such as difficult customers, coworkers, supervisors. Thought of more questions, even used the relaxation technique Thush recommended It paid off as I could manipulate a few scenarios I created to answer questions I wasn't expecting. Not dishonestly, but certain parts of the scenario's applied to the question.

 So the first 90% of the interview went very well, and we hit it off, my answers were fluent and clear. However, she came up with a few scenarios I wasn't expecting the last ten minutes, and like the first interview I had a hard time answering. She even at times corrected me and told me the correct way to deal with the situation :/ I'm not sure if she was rooting for me and was helping me get through the interview successfully, or guiding me for future interviews. She would say "In that instance, you will want to say "I'm sorry for the inconvenience Ms. Smith, we would like to etc.etc" now say that back to me". I would tweak it so I wasn't repeating exactly what she said, then she would write down on her evaluation sheet. I will know Monday, really should apply elsewhere just in case but I am really hoping for this.

Also, I know I'm not really the go to for interview tips, but another thing that really helped me is listening to something hilarious before going in. Genuinely laughing or smiling at humor is a great way to loosen up.

[Draex]

I got the job I applied for, this thread helped 

Well done buddy!

[Chakan]

I got the job I applied for, this thread helped 

Congrats mate!

[Azi]

got a question, so i've been in a job for nearly 2 years its my first real proper job since graduating and its OK , recently a few folk have left because of various reasons so our engineering team are down, im happy but yesterday i was approached by a recruiter asking if i would be interested in moving jobs for a new company who are looking for someone of my skill set, ive not really thought about it but if they money was right i could be tempted, how do i tell the recruiter this without coming across as a money grabbing whore ? 

[Chakan]

got a question, so i've been in a job for nearly 2 years its my first real proper job since graduating and its OK , recently a few folk have left because of various reasons so our engineering team are down, im happy but yesterday i was approached by a recruiter asking if i would be interested in moving jobs for a new company who are looking for someone of my skill set, ive not really thought about it but if they money was right i could be tempted, how do i tell the recruiter this without coming across as a money grabbing whore ? 

Mate if a recruiter doesn't know you are in it for the money, then quite frankly they have no idea. A recruiter gets a higher rate if they sell you at a higher price. They'd be shocked to hear you were in it for anything else but the money.

[Anfield Ed]

Mate if a recruiter doesn't know you are in it for the money, then quite frankly they have no idea. A recruiter gets a higher rate if they sell you at a higher price. They'd be shocked to hear you were in it for anything else but the money.

Of course it's all about the money but for me if the difference in salary is negligible (Say 2k for arguments sake) then in my situation I'd take other things into consideration.

Would I be content in my new role or would I be happiest where I am currently? What are the prospects of developing your skills set in your current position compared to that new job? Is there is pathway to promotion? Are you happy in the current office environment or do you believe this new job offers a better office environment? How are you managed and how will you be managed? I hate being man managed as I am more efficient in getting work done by my line manager being less hands on so would this new manager be more hands on? Is the current company doing well and has stability or would the new company be more stable?

IF the difference in salary is not a huge one that those things I mentioned would enter my head and sway my decision one way or another.

For me stability is all the more crucial factor. The salary on offer would have to be very good for me to give up a stable position for this new opportunity.

However if the difference in salary makes a significant difference for you in terms of your lifestyle and the day to day stuff and paying bills etc then that would be an altogether different matter.

[McrRed]

My experience is a bit like gregorio's...but something my mate told me years ago really stuck.

The interviewers will be nervous themselves. They will want to hire the best person and will be wary of cocking up so they will not want to have to repeat the round of recruitment. Their main priorities will be:

Can you do the job?
Will you do the job?
And (perhaps most importantly) will you fit in?

Most people can do most jobs (particularly if given time) and you've applied so probably want the job hence the third fitting-in question being so important.

[Anfield Ed]

1. Prepare

2. Sleep well the night before and don't skip breakfast on the day itself.

3. Write down a list of Q and A's that general come up in interviews and in relation to the job you are applying for think of 5 examples of how you'd do this in such a situation and why.

4. Always ask questions at the end because the Interviewer will decipher as much from being asked questions as much as asking them.

5. Take an interest in the interviewers. Ask them how long they've been with the company. Ask about the position itself and how it came about. Was someone promoted or was there a reorganisation of of the department so a new job was created.

6. Don't be afraid to take bullet point notes into the interview with you.

7. Always be honest about any examples that you give in a question asked as you'll get found out otherwise.

8. Don't be afraid to be nervous as they expect you to be nervous so this will be taken into account. So talk in a clear and concise manner.

9. Never ever ask about annual leave and salary as this information should have been learnt in the job description.

10. Use the job description to your advantage. Glean every single information from that and use your examples so that they go hand in hand with the description.

11. Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer that question again as this will give you a few seconds to recollect the information you want to give to them in relation to your answer.

Hope this helps!

[DanA]

My interview technique for phone interviews is to stand up, pacing silently curse the interviewer down the phone and give obscene gestures in between answering questions with a bright positive voice. It sounds stupid but it really helps with the nerves. It's less successful for me in person though.

I also look for what their biggest worry is and solve that in the interview. Eg telemarketer employer would be worried about attrition after training you. I'd probably make a bold statement about being ambitious and wanting to work hard to be their best seller within the FIRST eight months of working there.  They'll initially think cockey bastard but then when they talk to each other you guarantee one of them will pipe up with "at least he might be willing to stick around awhile"

[bornandbRED]

Messed another interview the other day. I just freeze for some reason ffs! Must come across as really unconfident.

[Bootle]

Immediately apologize for being nervous, even if you are not. This will put you and the interviewer more at ease.

[Rogie86]

I have an interview at long last tomorrow at 11am. Im currently in Melbourne on a working holiday visa, its been so so hard getting my foot in the door for an interview in a field related to my expertise, i'd say i've applied for close to 100 jobs and got nowhere so far. Getting so many rejections really plays havoc with my confidence. I had a phone interview with the company this morning, seemed to go well, hopefully i can impress tomorrow. i have to really,my moneys nearly all gone and i'm sick of not working!

[NANDO09]

Hi
I have an interview on Wednesday and I'm just looking for a bit of advice. I've already scoured through the thread and picked up a few tips already. Does anyone have advice they can offer?

Also I've found from my research that the company I am looking to join bought another company and my interviewer/potential manager was among the staff retained during the takeover. As I will be talking about the takeover shall I mention the interviewer being retained?

[Rogie86]

I have an interview at long last tomorrow at 11am. Im currently in Melbourne on a working holiday visa, its been so so hard getting my foot in the door for an interview in a field related to my expertise, i'd say i've applied for close to 100 jobs and got nowhere so far. Getting so many rejections really plays havoc with my confidence. I had a phone interview with the company this morning, seemed to go well, hopefully i can impress tomorrow. i have to really,my moneys nearly all gone and i'm sick of not working!

I got the job!! A real weight has been lifted now. Interview went well, no really difficult questions. I felt as though the interviewer wanted me to do well. One thing that really helped me was getting a good suit on, shoes shined, shave and haircut. Really made me feel the part. I also done a fair bit of research on the company, and enjoyed talking about the job i was trying to get.

[CraigDS]

Looking for some advice if anyone can help

Missus went for an interview today, she got a fair bit of advice from this thread so thanks for that, and was offered the job at the end, however she isn't sure if they're offering what the role is really worth and isn't sure what to say to them.

She will be in a team of 3, however she will be the only one doing her role with the others doing more general work. They offered her £20k basic at first, with £5k in bonuses over the next 12 months if she hits certain targets. When we looked at similar roles advertised before the interview they were on around £28-30k basic min, and when she told this to the guy interviewing he upped the offer to £25k basic with the same £5k bonus. The guy said they had one other to interview still but thought she'd be perfect for the role so offered her it anyway.

She likes the job being offered but still thinks it's a bit low in pay for what it is. How do you think she should play it?

[red mongoose]

Going to read through this thread shortly, but in the meantime, I have a phone interview tomorrow with a company in the US. Any specific advice for phone interviews? I know there's some in here already but any more advice would be much appreciated. Cheers!

One of the lads above mentioned wearing business attire when you have a phone interview, even if you are just wandering around your flat at the time, because it gets you in the right frame of mind - I think this is excellent advice.

[WEST HAM PAUL]

Looking for some advice if anyone can help

Missus went for an interview today, she got a fair bit of advice from this thread so thanks for that, and was offered the job at the end, however she isn't sure if they're offering what the role is really worth and isn't sure what to say to them.

She will be in a team of 3, however she will be the only one doing her role with the others doing more general work. They offered her £20k basic at first, with £5k in bonuses over the next 12 months if she hits certain targets. When we looked at similar roles advertised before the interview they were on around £28-30k basic min, and when she told this to the guy interviewing he upped the offer to £25k basic with the same £5k bonus. The guy said they had one other to interview still but thought she'd be perfect for the role so offered her it anyway.

She likes the job being offered but still thinks it's a bit low in pay for what it is. How do you think she should play it?

Accept the 25k plus 5k bonus but ask or agree for a 3k pay rise after 9 months or a 5k after one year to be in the contract if she puts across her skills & agree a target to achieve ( whatever field the job is in ) ie she will prove she's worth more if she believes she is .


They may dismiss the idea but both win if the targets are reached

[gazzalfc]

Going to read through this thread shortly, but in the meantime, I have a phone interview tomorrow with a company in the US. Any specific advice for phone interviews? I know there's some in here already but any more advice would be much appreciated. Cheers!

First try to get them to ring your landline. Nothing worse than losing signal halfway through.

If that's not possible make sure you fully charge your mobile and find a room where you get a full mobile signal signal. Have someone ring you to make sure you get a clear call.

Dont get thrown if they ask you to repeat your answer a few times because there may be a chance they will be typing or writing your answers.

Then the usual advice of making all your answers about you. Say 'I did' a lot. Say 'we' as little as possible. Have a glass of water with you in case you get a dry mouth.

Most important of all. Relax. Good luck with it.

Got an interview next Thursday at 5pm. A horrible time to have an interview. But its a great chance and I need to start taking these chances because I hate going into my 4th year as a temp scientist.

[BRdispatch05]

Going to read through this thread shortly, but in the meantime, I have a phone interview tomorrow with a company in the US. Any specific advice for phone interviews? I know there's some in here already but any more advice would be much appreciated. Cheers!

I had a phone interview that led to a face to face interview a few weeks ago. It was my first so maybe take what I say with a grain of salt, but I did well enough they scheduled the second interview.

They set a pre-scheduled time, so I knew when to expect their call. I did all of my studying the days and week before, and made sure the hour or so before to relax and free my mind from any distractions and worries (the best I could at least) instead of cramming to the last minute. My personality may be different than yours, but I was more confident for a phone interview as I usually pace around. I've read people sometimes have answers prepared to expected behavioral based questions on their computer or a notepad, but I didn't feel comfortable with this. My view is that it wouldn't sound genuine, and if I had to rely on that in a phone interview than I wouldn't be prepared for a face to face interview.

Just giving my preparations, which may or may not be effective, just thought I would share



I mentioned I had two different companies I applied to, both inbound call centers for customer service support for two respectable corporations. I would have been elated to have either of these jobs, but one of the companies I felt I had a better chance as I had a great referral from an upper level manager. About four days ago I received a rejection letter from them. I've been very bummed the last few days, my interview with the first company I felt went awful as I was a nervous wreck, so pretty much ruled out a chance of a call back.

While applying for a company I saw no future with today, feeling low and demotivated, I received a call from the first place I interviewed! I got the job and could not believe it, completely unexpected. Thanks again to everyone in this thread, although I was nervous and stumbled over my words a bit, there is no way I would have been as prepared for the interviews without the advice I received in here.

[JG-7]

Got a second interview in a couple of hours, bricking it big time.

[Crosby Nick]

Got a second interview in a couple of hours, bricking it big time.

What's the role? Good luck! I was always fairly relaxed with 2nd interviews - you've obviously said the right things to get this far and they must be impressed with your CV. So use that as a positive to show them how well suited to the job you are.

[keano7]

Religiously read through this thread over the last week for my interview yesterday and today I got the job. A lot of helpful tips (esp page 2) so if you do have a phone/face-to-face interview coming up then definitely read through this thread to help the nerves.

[AB LFC]

I've got a video interview, actually thinking about leaving it. Absolutely hate seeing myself on camera, let alone recording something on my phone.

[Chakan]

I've got a video interview, actually thinking about leaving it. Absolutely hate seeing myself on camera, let alone recording something on my phone.

Honestly i've never heard of a video interview? Is it just a skype call or something?

[AB LFC]

Honestly i've never heard of a video interview? Is it just a skype call or something?

Companies like Morrisons and Qatar Airways do it. But it's silyl because this is an internal vacancy I'm applying for. Go to sonru.com. You download an app on your phone, it asks you questions and you facetime yourself answering the questions, then this goes to the employer. It's not a live interview. Can be done on laptop aswell..

[Crosby Nick]

Honestly i've never heard of a video interview? Is it just a skype call or something?

The interview's for Babestation. Best of luck mate, hope to see you soon

[AB LFC]

The interview's for Babestation. Best of luck mate, hope to see you soon

Thanks mate, counting on you to be my first customer

[Chakan]

Companies like Morrisons and Qatar Airways do it. But it's silyl because this is an internal vacancy I'm applying for. Go to sonru.com. You download an app on your phone, it asks you questions and you facetime yourself answering the questions, then this goes to the employer. It's not a live interview. Can be done on laptop aswell..

Wtf? Sounds completely odd to me! Honestly I would avoid them at all cost. But that's a personal issue I have with being on video.

[JTK]

Video interview are quite common these days, I have to set them up every so often.

It's basically just a skype webcam chat, sort of in between a phone interview & a face to face interview.

You'll always have to go in for a normal interview afterwards, video interviews are just a first stage as they are easier to arrange.

I personally don't like phone/skype interviews as employers can't always get a proper idea of the person and candidates sometimes finds it hard to express themselves as well.

The interview format Ali has explained however is something I've never come across! Seems a very strange way of doing it. Very strange with there being no actual communication between the interviewer & interviewee.