There is no excuse for being late to
an interview. Know where you are going, how long it will
take to get there and add a reasonable amount of time
to account for delays. Aim to be at least 10 minutes early
and if you don’t know where you are going, do a
practice run beforehand. It is also handy to take an
A-Z along with you.
Preparation
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Have you familiarised yourself with
the job specification?
Have you researched the company, looked at their website and know what they
specialise in?
Knowing a bit about the company, have you thought about how you can benefit
the organisation?
Can you predict what sort of questions you will be asked?
Create
a good first impression
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Always wear a suit to an interview
unless told otherwise.
Look clean and fresh!
Remember, 'first impressions count'. Most interviewers will make
up their minds about you in the first 10 minutes.
Selling
yourself
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Be confident and friendly.
Speak correctly avoiding slang and colloquialism.
When answering questions, look for opportunities to express your strengths.
Ask questions to gather more information about the company, making it easier
to align your attributes to fit the role and company culture.
Always believe in yourself!
Questions
you might be asked in the interview
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What do you know about our organisation?
Tell me about yourself.
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses? (Always try to convert a weakness to a strength)
Why did you choose that particular qualification?
What was it that interested you about the position?
What problems did you have to face within your previous positions and how did
you overcome them?
How do you spend your evenings or weekends?
Why should we offer you the position?
What are your long term goals?
Why are you looking to leave your current position?
Why do you want this position?
Do you have any questions?
Questions
you might want to ask
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Can you expand on a certain area of
the job description?
How many people are in the team?
What benefits do you offer?
Why has this position become available?
Are you planning to grow and how?
Please discuss your company culture.
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CVs are the key to securing an interview
and therefore have to stand out above all others. Some
considerations when creating your CV are as follows:
Keep it concise and straightforward, no more than 2-3 pages long.
Spell Curriculum Vitae correctly and always run a spell check.
Always check your grammar.
Use bullet points to highlight skills gained.
Ensure your CV is ‘reader friendly’.
An initial profile is always beneficial.
Start with your personal details.
Under 'Work Experience' always put your most recent position first.
Include a detailed description of your most recent position, the tasks involved
and the skills you gained for that position.
Remember it is your ability to do the job that
is of interest to the employer, so make sure
you include skills as well as achievements.
