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How to succeed at job interviews
 Job interview insider
Let’s imagine that you have set your sights on your next move, created a winning CV and you’re off for that all important interview. Just remember that job interviews are a two-way process. The employers have to decide if they want you, but you also have to decide if you want them.
The odds are usually stacked in favour of the recruiters because they know what they are really looking for, irrespective of how well the specification has been articulated in their ads and job descriptions. They also get to meet all the other candidates which, usually, you don’t.
It’s an old cliché but you just have to give it your very best shot. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. If you don’t get the job at least use the interview experience as practice you can learn from and use next time around to give yourself the edge.
There are lots of tips here to help you but this is the real world and you might decide, whether they make you an offer or not, that it isn't just isn't the right job for you.
Top tips for job interviews
Preparation
- Documents - don't forget to take a copy of your CV, the job details, and any other documents they are likely to request these days such as your passport, copies of qualifications and so on.
- Dress for success - select your outfit carefully, taking into account the image tips you will have read in improving your personal impact, take the trouble to find out what the dress code culture (if you are interviewing outside your current organisation) because you want to make a good impression. A dark suit tends to be the norm even in these days of more relaxed cultures.
- Travel - confirm the date, time and location of the venue, research your travel arrangements and aim to arrive no more than 15 minutes early. Make sure you have a contact phone number just in case you are delayed and need to call them. Remember to keep receipts for your travel. Some companies do not offer expenses (those in the public sector usually do) but be prepared to prove how much you spent and offer receipts for reimbursement. Make sure you know or have to hand the name of the person you are meeting so that you can tell reception staff without having to rifle through your pockets or handbag.
- Waiting time - use your waiting time wisely. You could visit the washrooms and check your appearance, etc., so that when the person who comes to meet you to go to the interview location, you feel relaxed and look your best. You could refresh your memory by referring to your written notes on the ad or the research you have done on the company, the positive things you want to say, etc. Read any in-house magazines you find in the waiting room or reception, as they often give interesting clues about what’s going on. Watch how visitors are greeted at reception and the demeanour of employees and visitors as they come and go. It’s natural to be a bit nervous but use this time to focus that energy positively. Don't get grumpy if they keep you waiting (it won't be on purpose), you don't want the reception staff to pass on that you're a grouch.
- Refreshments - if you are offered refreshments just opt for water if you are a bit nervous and think balancing a hot cup of tea or coffee might be a distraction. Don’t smoke before, during or within view of the interview location even if they invite you to because you will reek of stale smoke. Never chew gum.
- First impressions - make sure that you make a good first impression on everyone you meet (because you never know what their role might be). Stand up straight, greet with a smile (it shows an accepting attitude towards others) and a firm confident handshake, and make regular eye contact but don’t stare and make others feel uncomfortable. You’re not there to outshine the person who will be your boss so don’t overdo it. If the boss isn’t very confident and you are, they might label you as arrogant or feel threatened by you. It won’t get you the job. Interviewers will probably engage in pleasantries like ‘Hello, pleased to meet you’, and ask about your journey and so on – be positive, because they may want to ensure you can get to work regularly on time.
- Distractions - always switch off your mobile phone.
So far, so good. Now at this stage anything could, and often does, happen because of the following variables so it’s hard to be prescriptive.
Job interview approaches
The more senior the job you apply for, the more people you are likely to be interviewed by, and that you may have to take tests or go to an assessment centre where you may have to complete additional tasks, e.g. personality, verbal reasoning, numeracy, role plays and so on. However, these days, most companies take a more team approach to interviewing and you will probably be interviewed by more than one person. Each interviewer will then be required to give their opinion on your suitability and the candidate with the most votes usually receives the offer. That is of course unless employers decide that no one is suitable, in which case they start all over again (this happens more often than you’d think).
If you are applying for a position via a recruitment agency your first interview might be with one of their interviewers because they will probably be paid to filter CVs and candidates. Sometimes the agency will just send you to an interview and you never get to meet a representative, which is really not ideal. You may be lucky, meet the decision maker straight away, only have one interview and receive an offer on the spot. If it’s a small firm with little bureaucracy, no time to waste prevaricating or you are the only viable candidate, this could happen.
There are lots of books and courses about how to select and recruit employees but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will meet people who know what they are doing or who follow best practice, even in big companies. Part of the key to good interview practice as a candidate is to expect the unexpected, be prepared to be flexible and appear clam, unruffled and measured in your responses – go with the flow.
We'll share with you what we consider to be best or normal practice, however, and that way you can work out what you are being faced with. If you would like to understand what the recruitment industry advises to it's members, please download the Recruitment and Employment Confederation Code of Conduct document at the bottom of this page. As for standards of recruitment by employers, we have met many senior executives who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a prospective candidate but they do so with amazing regularity and no training. Some companies want to see how you perform under pressure and will submit you to seemingly impolite treatment and aggressive questioning; some will take a more relaxed, welcoming stance (and then perhaps go in for the tough questions). Both have their advantages and disadvantages: you can only respond appropriately to what happens in each scenario you encounter. Forewarned, however, is forearmed.
Best practice job interviews
- Location - interviews should be held in uncluttered, neutral rooms without interruptions. Bosses who interview on their turf, from behind their chaotic paperwork and keep answering their phone give away a lot about themselves. Is this really a person you could work for? Is this a person who desperately needs help and you’re just the person to provide it? Are they just rude and disorganised and likely to treat you badly?
- Seating layouts - should be informal, or the interviewer will sit adjacent to you rather than opposite you which can feel formal and confrontational. Panel interviews can be very formal and intentionally intimidating; typically several people face you directly from behind a barrier like a desk while you sit on a chair some distance from the barrier. Always ask where they would like you to sit if they don’t indicate a position and then settle down, get your notes out, etc.
- Duration - ought to last no less than an hour, no more than two at a stretch. If you’re in there for longer than two hours with a decision maker and it feels relaxed, that is usually a very good sign that they like you. Either that or they have no friends and don’t get out much.
- Structure - the meeting should start with an outline of the interview process. Who exactly is going to interview you and what is their role? Roughly how long will you have? The structure – a reprise of the job and the candidate they are looking for, when you will be able to ask questions and so on. You should feel that you understand the process and the route map. Sometimes certain aspects of the job or the way the company operates may have changed; this is their opportunity to let you in on that especially if there has been a longish lead-time between the ad and the first interviews.
- Balance - the interviewer should be talking no more than one third of the time (and preferably only 20%) and the interviewee the remaining time. Good interviewers set the scene, ask questions and listen. If they talk the entire time they won’t learn anything about you. You need to listen too so that you can give a measured response to the question. Take a breath before you reply and maintain eye contact so that you can tell if their eyes start glazing over because you’ve gone on for too long and they don’t know how to shut you up!
- Questions - there should be a point to the questions that are asked and a desirable answer. Past performance is not necessarily the most reliable indicator of future performance but it is the most commonly used device in interviews.
- Technique - sometimes the interviewer will ask you to describe how you might act in a hypothetical situation. The best advice I can give here, if they are not using a method called STAR, is to frame your answer in a STAR manner. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. You recall a situation where something that closely approximates their scenario actually happened, what you then did, what actions you completed and what result ensued (preferably a positive one). This way you reduce the waffle, impress the hell out of them and pick up a few brownie points. Don’t claim the glory for something it is obvious you couldn’t possibly have achieved, however. This will stand out a mile and reflect badly on your integrity. There is a technique to using STAR or competency based questions effectively and I've seen it done really badly and clumsily many times - it's not your fault but you'll have to respond as best you can.
- Satisfying 'The Big Three' crtieria- you have to know how interviewers think in order to satisfy them of your suitability and superiority over other candidates. Think of some practice examples before you go into the interview. You will never have pat answers ready because life isn’t like that, but practice will help you to frame thoughtful answers when the time comes.
1. Can you do the job? This tests skill, experience and track record. Do you have sector experience? Do you have the skill set? International experience? Languages? What could set you apart as well as meet the benchmark? Are you a problem solver or problem maker?
2.Will you do the job? This tests motivation, commitment and enthusiasm. Will the financial/benefits package keep you in the job for long enough to make it worth the employers’ while? Will you go the extra mile? What is your health and attendance track record like?
3. Will you fit in? This tests your cultural fit with others. Will you complement or disrupt the department? Are you manageable or high maintenance? Will customers warm to you? Can you work alone or in a team? Will you work with others regardless of their gender, race, etc? Can you take direction?
- Question traps that you will lose points on include: failure to listen to the question, annoying the interviewer by answering a question that was not asked, providing superfluous information and waffling, attending the interview having obviously not prepared for it.
- Discriminatory and illegal questions relating to your gender, race, religion, age, family plans and so on should never form part of a professional interview. At this point it is your objective to get a job offer. You can always decline it and make it clear why later.
- Noose questions - those where a negative answer could hang your chances. Typical examples include one I particularly dislike and which usually comes from poor interviewers: ‘What is your greatest weakness?’ Decline the invitation. Pick up something minor and then immediately show how you close the loop. Turn it into a positive and then wait for the next question.
- Stress questions, the kind that seem aggressive, negative or set you up for a fall – don’t take these as personal insults, see them as an opportunity to shine where others will fall. Demonstrate your self-esteem and poise. The interviewer wants to find out what happens to you when the water gets hot – just like real life. If, however, you feel that this is indicative of the way every working day might turn out with that particular boss or company, and it just wouldn’t be what you could live with, you can always decide to work elsewhere. That’s exactly what they hope you’ll do!
- Your questions - should be job related, positive and forward-looking. Don’t ask about pay and benefits at this point. Wait until they make you an offer. For our tips on negotiating salary go to how much are you worth?
One last thing: if you have been made redundant and you get a job interview it probably means that they won’t be prejudiced against you as you may have feared. If your former employer’s redundancy rationale was public and widely reported in the press they may not even bother to ask you about it. If they do ask you they will want a positive answer to explain why you were selected for or opted for redundancy so do practise an acceptable one beforehand.
Using this opportunity to vent your spleen about what a useless shower your former boss/colleagues/superiors were won’t win you any friends.
Admitting you were singled out for the chop because you were an unproductive lump of lard who regularly turned up late, took loads of time off sick and refused to go on any training courses probably won’t either. It’s all about common sense.
Dealing with job offers
If all your hard work has paid off, and if you now have multiple offers because you have been chasing several opportunities at once, then – good for you! You are in a great position now. You have more information at your disposal so make sure that you don’t lose your head at this stage and just accept the first offer.
Get the best overall package you can, and make sure that it matches all the criteria that you set out for yourself in getting promoted or choosing a new direction.
Essential resources
If you buy only one book on this topic make it 'Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions', by Martin John Yate, Kogan Page ISBN 0-7494-4356-1 - click on the link to buy copy at the New Life Bookshop - great books on career management.
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