Contributed post
You have handed in your CV and you have received the call; you have got an interview! Your first emotions are joy that you have managed to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process. But, you then begin to panic! You hate interviews (well, most people do) and you worry about what the interviewer is going to ask you. How do you prepare? What do you need to know?
Find a specific reason you want to work at the company and relate it to the role available
Learn as much about the company as possible. It is likely that the interviewer will ask you why you want to work there. It is always better to give a more specific answer that shows you have researched and you know the core values of the company. The Internet is a handy tool – consult with a recruitment company like Alexander Daniels and spend a decent amount of time reading all areas of their website. Make notes: Have they won any awards recently? When were they established? What services do they offer? Generic answers, such as “I like the working environment here”, don’t have any substance.
Practise as many case study questions as possible
It is recommended you research as many potential interview questions as possible. You should practise them – say your answers out loud. This will make you feel more confident and when you do the interview you will sound a lot more assertive. In certain fields, interviewers often like to give case study questions. The interviewer is likely to give you a scenario whereby a company is underperforming and you need to come up with a solution. You need to practise as many of these types of questions as possible. There may be generic questions, such as; “Retail store A is losing money, they ask for your help, what do you do?” However, there may be something more specific, such as; “Hotel A is suffering because a new complex has opened up next door, should Hotel A move to a new location?”
Dealing with the trick question: What are your weaknesses?
This is a question asked in almost every interview. Make sure you do not mention any core qualities of the job role you are applying for. Say something that can be turned into a positive, or say that you are working on it. For example, there may be a presentation programme for the PC you are not 100% competent with. Say you are in the middle of a crash course to master it. (Just make sure it wasn’t a presentation programme listed on the job requirement list!).
Use this blog post as a guide and let it help you to ace an interview for any jobs you have. There is no such thing as too much research or practice. Not only will this ensure that you are well prepared but you will come across as more confident too.