interview skills booklet

8/3/2019 Interview Skills Booklet

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Page

What To Expect 3

Before You Go 4

The Interview 5-6

How Did It Go? 7

Questions, Questions, Questions 8-10

The Telephone Interview 11

Other Issues 12

career change/late career start

disability/health/home circumstances

unemployment, past or present

Help From The Careers Service 13

Contents



Selectors wouldn’t waste

time interviewing you if they didn’t believe that you might be

offering what they want. It’s your job to convince them.

This booklet aims to give you the knowledge, skills and

confidence to do just that.



What To Expect 3

One to one interviews are the most common format, though two to one is notuncommon.

Most graduate interviews with larger organisations are carefully structured,and conducted by well trained staff.

Typically 30-60 minutes. Atmosphere often quite informal, seated inarmchairs rather than across a table.

Interviewers are from various backgrounds. Some are H.R. managers butstaff from other functions are widely involved. Whatever their background,formal training in interview techniques is widespread.

The “competence” or “criteria” based interview is common, i.e. they look forevidence of your skills or competencies - organisation, leadership, communication,teamworking etc., they may be highly structured with all candidates being asked

similar questions from a prepared list. It’s your job to give them the evidence.Even if it’s written down on the application form, tell them what you’ve actuallydone .

Apart from the ‘one to one’ you may face a panel or telephone interview.

Panel Interviews

Can involve as many as five interviewers.

Most commonly encountered with public sector employers, such as schools,universities, Civil Service and local government. Also fairly common forprivate sector scientific research.

Typically drawn from different functions, e.g. human resources, linemanagement, technical.

May be carefully structured, in which each interviewer asks questions aboutdefined areas, but not always.

Address each answer primarily to the questioner, remembering to draw inother panellists by looking at them from time to time.

Telephone Interviews

Used in initial screening by a handful of major employers.

Go to page 11 for more on telephone interviews

a ‘viva’. It is not (usually) primarily a test of intellectualability, much of which will be spoken for by your academic record. Interviewers look at your personalityand broad range of skills. The cleverest people certainly don’t always get the job.

Neither is it an interrogation, an attempt to humiliate or trick you. Despite what you may have heard, fewinterviewers deliberately play nasty, although they may try to stretch or challenge you.

This is not to say that you will never encounter incompetent or unpleasant interviewers, but they are theexception.



Before You Go 4

Be prepared

Read any literature about the employer. Not just the recruitment brochure. Checktheir website. Check additional sources of news. Keep an eye on the nationalpress. In some fields (eg advertising) it’s particularly useful to check the tradepress.

Read up on the career in general. Make sure you know what the job reallyinvolves.

Check the Contact Scheme on our website. A Bristol graduate currentlyworking with the organisation may be ready to help with some backgroundinformation.

Think about your skills. List examples of situations large and small where

you’ve used them.

Photocopy your application form. Useful to re-read it shortly beforehand.

Think about what you’re going to wear. Be smart but comfortable. If in doubterr on the side of formality.

You might prepare a file containing details of the interview, materialproduced by the organisation and a copy of your application.

Prepare some questions to ask at interview.

Consider your answers to basic questions. Remind yourself why you’rereally interested in working for the organisation.

Practise some of your answers - to a friend or into a recorder. How do theysound? To the point? Too long?

Body language is incredibly important. Are you sitting (too) comfortably?Practise your posture. Check with a friend or look into a mirror. Sad, but itworks!

Perhaps most important of all... prepare your attitude.

You’ll be apprehensive. You’ll worry about things that might go wrong. Fairenough, but don’t let the negative thoughts take over.

Don’t dwell on the consequences of failure. Try to think of the interview asan end in itself.

Remind yourself they’d only interview you if they’re seriously consideringyou.

Feel positive about yourself. Think over all your good points.

If you believe in yourself, they will.

Getting there

Know your route, choice of transport. Check train times etc. Aim to arrive 15

minutes early. Any earlier and you’ll get even more nervous (and may get in theway). Anything less and you could hit an unexpected delay.

If you’re delayed, even by a few minutes, give them a ring.



Aim to make an impression on everyone you meet. Be polite and friendly. Other staffmay have an informal input into the decision. Check your posture as you enter the

room. Feel confident. Stand upright. Smile. Be prepared for a handshake - firm notflabby and preferably not sweaty!!

During the interview

Remember, it’s not an academic test. Most questions have no “right”answer. How you say it is usually at least as important as what you say.

Give lots of examples of things you’ve done, Give them evidence that youcan do the job.

Don’t relax your posture too much even if the interviewer is very informal.

Interviewers will rarely be trying to catch you out, unless they think you’re

being dishonest or over-embellishing. They aren’t the enemy. It’s their job tofind out about you, your skills and experience. Most often they’ll want to help you give them the information they need.

Perhaps take in a file of material relating to the interview. But don’t leave iton your lap. Put it down beside you.

Interviewers won’t expect as full an answer as they would in writing. Don’tworry if you don’t get all your points in.

Don’t offer negative messages, dwell on personal faults or doubts.Interviewers will quickly accept your own judgment of yourself. Modesty is amuch more common interview failing than boastfulness. It’s easy to emergeas “nice but not up to it”.

You shouldn’t be afraid to use your hand gestures. They add emphasis andconvey enthusiasm. Don’t worry if you stumble or hesitate a little. It’s part ofthe rhythm of ordinary speech.

Don’t drop names or flatter. Interviewers are unlikely to be impressed thatyou know the chief executive. And they know how good their organisation is.

Don’t think beyond the interview. Stop any “what if I fail?” thoughts.

Maintain good eye contact. Easy to forget, but vital! If you find this difficult,look at a spot on their forehead. They won’t notice. It really works!

Avoid hypothetical answers. Make them as real as possible.

Interviewers want to be interested. They’re usually keen to learn somethingnew. Something unusual livens up the interview. It may be a vacation jobyou’ve done, a country you’ve visited or a quirky project. Grab any chance toexploit unusual material. Interviewers can be diverted!

Get into the habit of sounding enthusiastic. Sprinkle your answers with “Ireally enjoyed....”, “I love doing....”, “The best thing about....”.

Avoid very short answers. After several in a row the interviewer’s attentionmoves from listening to what you’re saying to worrying about their nextquestion! But conversely.....Beware of answers that are too long. Watch forsigns of restlessness or loss of concentration. If in doubt check -“would youlike me to say a little more?”

Recognise simple questions calling for a brief answer, designed to put you atyour ease - “What sort of journey did you have?”

Even if you’re doing a technical subject you’ll often find the technical contentis fairly low. Typically technical questions focus on vacation experience,course projects and special options.

The Interview 5



The Interview 6

If you mess up a question or two. Most people will. Don’t let it throw you out ofyour stride. Each question is a fresh start - don’t let a previous poor answer cast a

shadow.

If you don’t understand a question, ask for it to be rephrased. If it’s very abstract orgeneralised ask “could you be more specific?” or “could you give me an example?”

If you need to ask for a moment to think. You will then both be more comfortablewith the silence.

If you really can’t manage a question. Simply say so, or ask them to come back toit later. Often they’ll forget!

“What are your weaknesses”? is a common question. Don’t get too confessional.Concentrate on something in which you can be trained (languages, computing) orsomething which is not too “revealing” and on which you’re working - organising

your time, learning to prioritise, delegating responsibilities. Describe the stepsyou’re taking to improve.

If you’ve messed something up (a poor exam result, for example) be positive aboutit. It was a mistake. You were disappointed. You’ve learned from it.

If asked (you often will be) which other companies you’ve applied to, it’s not a trap.Be honest. Employers are reassured if you’ve been consistent. They’re realistsand will expect good applicants to have applied to (and interest) their rivals.

It’s your turn

Towards the end you’ll usually be asked whether you have any questions.

Have a few written down, but ... Don’t ask more than a couple of questions. Any more and the interviewer

may feel under interrogation.

Don’t ask questions just because you feel you should. Beware of asking forinformation that is easily available on their website or demands too muchdetail.

If you’ve no questions just say something like “thanks, I had some, but theywere all answered in the chat I had after your presentation at theHawthorns.”

Or . . . you could use this time to tell them about something to which you hadhoped to draw their attention. “No, I don’t have any questions, but I washoping to tell you about . . .”

Remember, only ask questions to which you really want to know the answersand which have not been answered elsewhere. If you can’t think of a goodquestion, don’t ask a stupid one. Beware of undermining the goodimpression that you’ve made.

leave a favourable impression. Look directly at the interviewers andthank them (not too effusively). It’s usually OK to ask when you will hear from them but don’t sound too

desperate.

Be prepared to shake hands again. Maintain a confident posture and positive attitude until you’re awayfrom the building.



How Did It Go? 7

After the interview you might just want to forget but...

what went well? Think through ways you can improve - note them down, being asspecific as possible. They’ll help you with future interviews.

If you reckon there are areas for real improvement, or if you need reassurance,make the most of the help offered by the Careers Service, listed on page 11.

If you’ve had a real disaster, tell yourself (a) real disasters are rare (they are) so it’sunlikely to happen again; (b) it may be that the interviewer was poor.

What next?

When will you hear? Typically it’ll be a week or two but sometimes longer (anythingover 6 weeks is unusual). For some jobs, like teaching, or with smaller employers

you’ll often hear on the day.If you’re rejected it’s usually acceptable to ask for feedback, although some won’tgive it, while others will be very bland. Sometimes, however, they can be reallyhelpful. The best approach is along the lines of “Obviously I’m disappointed, butyour comments will help me prepare for other interviews, so I’d really appreciateanything you have to say”.

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Questions, Questions, Questions 8

There’s no way you can predict...

exactly which questions will come up, even when you’re facing a carefully structured interview . However, certaintopics come up regularly. Here’s a range of questions, including most of the common ones:

Education

How did you make your choice of university?

How would you improve your course?

Why did you choose to study psychology (or whatever)?

What can a classics (or whatever) graduate bring to us?

Can you say something about your project?

Your results in a couple of subjects look poor. Why is this?

Knowledge of the Job

How would you define marketing/management consultancy etc?

Why do you want to go into H.R. (or whatever)?

Why would you be a good accountant?

What do you think you would actually be doing in the first year?

How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contributionto the team?

What interests you about this job?

Knowledge of the employer

Why have you applied to us?

Who are our major competitors?

What makes us different from our competitors?

What do you think of our website?

What have you done to find out more about us?Name some of our clients.

What do you think are the main challenges we’re facing?

Have you used our product/service? What do you think of it?

Skills/Competencies

What role do you normally play in a team?

Give an example of how you’ve dealt with awkward people.

When did you complete a task in spite of tight deadlines and difficultcircumstances?

When have you been involved in a team which didn’t work well. What did you learnfrom it?



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When have you had to adapt quickly to changed circumstances?

How have you led a group? What lessons did you learn?

What experience have you of planning and organising an event?

How have you demonstrated a business focus?

If offered this internship, what do you see yourself contributing to us?

What have you failed in? What did you take from that failure?

How would you convince me that you can use your initiative?

What has your membership of the international society committee involved?

What is your greatest strength?

What kind of decisions are most difficult for you?

Give an example of when you have had to achieve a task in spite of difficulties.

How do you organise your time and assess your priorities?

General

If your friends were here, what three words would they use to describe you?

What is your biggest weakness?

What did you learn from your placement/work experience?

How mobile are you? Whereabouts are you prepared to work?

What has been your most valuable holiday work? Why?

Motivation/Career Direction

What other career opportunities are you considering?

Who else are you applying to?

Where would you like to be in five years time?

Give an example of an achievement of which you’re particularly proud.

What has influenced your choice of career?

What do you hope to achieve by doing this internship?

Bigger Picture/Current Issues

It’s more difficult to give examples of these because they might date quickly.However, you should always be able to demonstrate that you have a knowledge ofthe broader context within which the job operates. This applies to lots of fields fromaccountancy to education. Would-be investment bankers, for example, shouldknow how the markets have been doing, or of current takeover speculation.

Lawyers will be aware of moral and legal issues currently attracting nationalattention. So keep your eye on the news. And not just for a couple of days beforethe interview – it’s really easy to spot the last- minute swot!



And finally, the question you just can’t prepare for.

What is the most unusual thing you have done?

How would you like me to remember you?

If you were an animal, what sort would you be?

Name a literary character with whom you would identify

Which historical character would you most like to meet, and why?

How many maternity beds are there in the UK?

Which question were you most hoping I wouldn’t ask?

Give me five uses for that glass, other than for drinking water out of.

This sort of question doesn’t look for a “right” answer. Usually it’s a test of yourthought processes when faced with the unexpected. Stay cool. Take your time.Don’t be flippant. Think your way through.

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The Telephone Interview 11

Many employers are using telephone interviews as the first stage in the selectionprocess. The Association of Graduate Recruiters 2004 survey reported that 27% of

members conduct telephone interviews, while the Chartered Institute of Personnel andDevelopment recorded 26% usage.

WHY?

Employers like to use telephone interviews as they can be arranged more quickly and are a cost effective methodof screening large numbers of applicants. They are particularly useful when telephone manner and customercontact are key parts of the job or when recruiting for international posts. Advantages to applicants are that theoutcome is generally known quickly and there is little disruption to an existing job if the interview has beenarranged at a convenient time.

TIPS:

After receiving your application the employer will usually arrange a time for the interview. Although telephone

interviews are normally shorter than face-to-face interviews, there are ways to increase your chances of success.

Smile - is normally communicated in your voice. It is more difficult to soundboring and uninteresting if you are smiling.

Make sure you are somewhere quiet. Sit at a table in a position that feelsfairly formal. Have everything you need in front of you e.g. pen, paper, copyof your CV, application form and a diary or calendar. Tell your flatmates wellbeforehand so they don’t disturb you.

Whenever possible use a landline. If using a mobile ensure the battery isfully charged, you are in an area with a good reception and have plenty of

credit.

Students report that telephone interviews can feel rather impersonal, withinterviewers going through a standard set of questions and showing littlereaction to your answers. Be prepared for this and try not to let theirapparent lack of engagement affect your responses. Remain enthusiasticand focused.

Most questions will be similar to those in a face-to-face interview, e.g. why doyou want to work for us? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

As with a normal interview, have examples of where you demonstrated theskills about which they might ask e.g. teamwork, communication, negotiation,problem solving. Keep these in front of you in case you cannot remember

them. Prepare one or two questions you would like to ask them.

Remember that all the interviewer has to work with is the sound of yourvoice. You need to check out they understand what you are saying as youwill have no visual clues to help you (e.g. interviewer smiling wheninterested, breaks eye contact when bored).

Also think about the image the sound of your voice projects (monotone – boring, more animated – lively). Try varying the speed of what you say,allow pauses, vary the loudness of your voice. Use enthusiastic language – ‘enjoyed’, ‘really’ - but don’t overdo it.

Silence on the telephone can be particularly uncomfortable. Make sure thatif you need time to think you let the interviewer know, e.g. saying “Do you

mind if I think about this for a minute” .

Finally, telephone interviews are unlikely to be the final stage in selection, more to see whether to invite you for aface-to-face interview or assessment centre. Following these tips should make them a little less stressful andincrease your chances of success.



Career change

Your work history and motives may be probed. Be positive about achievementsand skills. Don’t dismiss or belittle any experience. Emphasise the planning andresearch you’ve put into current career thinking.

Disability/health/home circumstances

How much to tell the employer? When? Remember, it’s not always going to be aproblem to them, nor must it be their business to know. These issues demand anindividual answer, best discussed beforehand with a careers adviser or someoneelse experienced in the field.

Unemployment, past or present

Emphasise how you used your time.

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Other Issues 12



Practice interview sessionsRegularly throughout the year. Three students plus a careers adviser who role-plays the interviewer. Learn from

watching other people being interviewed, as well as going through it yourself.

Careers Skills sessionsMainly autumn and spring term. Twenty or so students. Trainers from industry, commerce and the public sectorcontribute to our Careers Skills programme, running a variety of workshops on interviews, assessment centresand presentation skills.

Individual interviewsWith a careers adviser. One to one practice in one of these ¾ hour sessions. Ask at the reception desk.

Drop-in sessions15 minutes with a careers adviser gives an immediate opportunity to discuss issues.

No booking, just call in and sign-up.10-4pm most days, except Wednesday 1-4pm only (check web for vacation times). Last sign-up 3.45pm.

All these are available in our Information Centre.

DVDs/Videos:

Assessment Centre: Group exercises, presentation, interviews - goingthrough the selection process

Why Ask Me That? 20 minutes of practical tips on interview technique

Making An Impact: Four interviews with graduate recruiters and athe graduate job interview telephone interview

Books:

First Interviews - Sorted Chris Phillips (a lively booklet on interviews)

The Ultimate Interview Book Lynn Williams

Excel at Interviews Patricia McBride

Going to Interviews AGCAS booklet

Files:

Second Interview feedback files - tales from Bristol students who’ve been through it.

When you call in …

information deskoccupational information

employer literature

huge amount of stuff always on display in our hallway. Please take it all away!

newspapers right next to our sofa – stay informed in comfort!

On our website…

thousands of links

advice on CVs, applications, interviews

Jobs by email – receive the latest vacancies directly into your inbox

at least 500 vacancies at any time

term-time and vacation work

Careers Network. 500 Bristol graduates ready to help you.

Help From The Careers Service 13



Interview Skills/Jan 2008

interview skills booklet

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