PREPARING FORINTERVIEWS

AIMS OF SESSIONTo increase your understanding of the types of questions you may face during an interview via a practical activity. By the end, you will have:•Prepared questions as if interviewing candidates for the Graduate Management Trainee position•Used the STARR approach to prepare your own answers to these or other ‘typical’ questions•Practised interviewing/ being interviewed•Identified some interview ‘dos and don’ts’

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVIEW

Telephone One to One Panel Sequential (One after the other) Interview plus other selection methods (e.g.

tests, presentations = assessment centre)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN INTERVIEW ?

The employer aims to: Assess whether you meet their requirements Obtain EVIDENCE of your skills and suitability Determine if you will fit in with their culture and ethos

You aim to: Persuade the panel you have the skills/qualities for the

position they are offering Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job & organisation Demonstrate your knowledge of the job role and sector

VIDEO

• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/general-advice/interview-tips.aspx

• As a reminder from the earlier session, what do employers look for?

EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR?

Knowledge

Experience

EducationEnthusiasm

VoluntaryPersonality

Well presented

Life

Interests

Skills

Motivation

Professional

Work

Job

Sector

Commercial AwarenessInter-Personal

skills

Timekeeping

EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR

Candidates who can

– Communicate their skills and experience confidently

– Demonstrate an interest in the area of work– Show motivation for working in their

organisation or company

So, how do they work out what questions to ask?

GROUP ACTIVITY

Imagine that you going to interview candidates for the GRADUATE MANAGEMENT TRAINEE post

Prepare a list of ‘core’ interview questions that you would ask everyone.

TIP: refer back to the Person Spec!

REVIEW OF ACTIVITY

Give an example of a question that your group would ask.

Thinking of the ‘criteria’ on your Person Spec - is this question likely to get you the ‘evidence’ you need?

Does it encourage the candidate to talk?

DID YOU USE ANY OF THESE QUESTION TYPES?

• Analytical/motivational questionsFocus on motivations/reasons for career and employer choiceLong term career objectivesCompetency based questionsFocus on skills and abilities required for the positionSome employers use ‘strengths’ questions

• Questions relating to the profession/sectorKeep up to date with the news and be commercially aware

TYPICAL ANALYTICAL/ MOTIVATIONAL

QUESTIONS• Why do you want this job?• What do you consider to be your most important

personal or professional achievement?• What would you like to be doing in 5 years time?• Why should we give you this job?• Tell me about yourself?• What have you gained from your qualifications?• Why did you choose this Company?• What attracted you to this type of work?• What did you do to prepare for this interview?

TYPICAL COMPETENCY QUESTIONS

• Can you give me an example of a time when you have demonstrated excellent communication skills?

• Can you tell me about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone that you have never met before?

• Can you give me an example of when you have had to work as part of a team in order to achieve a task? What was your role in this?

TYPICAL ‘STRENGTHS’ QUESTIONS

Based on positive psychology – tend to be short and quick-fire. Can be quite random. Used by several large companies (e.g. Ernst & Young, Aviva, Royal Mail, Unilever). However, COMPETENCY ones are still the most common.

•What are you good at?•What do you learn quickly?•What subjects do you most enjoy studying?•What things give you energy?•Describe a successful day you have had.•Imagine you have a wardrobe full of shirts. How would you organise them?

HOW TO ANSWER COMPETENCY QUESTIONS!

IT IS ALSO A GOOD WAY OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE BEING INTERVIEWED BY AN

UNSKILLED/ UNTRAINED INTERVIEWER.

STARR – SKILLS EXAMPLES

• Situation - Where were you?

• Task - What did you have to do?

• Actions - How did you do it?

• Results - What were the results?

• Reflect - What did you learn?

Would you do anything

differently next time?

INDIVIDUAL TASK

Pick 2 of the Interview Questions you drafted in your group that are competency/skills. Using the STARR handout sheet write down your answers to the questions.

Alternatively, write out examples of when you have demonstrated the following skills

– Effective Communication– Team Working– Problem Solving

GROUP ACTIVITY

In pairs (or trios with an Observer), take it in turns to interview each other. InterviewEE – tell your interviewer which questions you have prepared.

Interviewers – listen carefully to the answer. Then ask a follow-on, ‘probing’ question e.g.• ‘Tell me more about …’

• ‘What exactly was your contribution ..?• ‘With hindsight, what would you do differently ?’

THE DO’S• Arrive on time• Be polite and well presented• Look interested and smile • Listen carefully to the questions• Promote your skills• Give evidence using up to date, specific

STARR skills examples• Be succinct and precise with your answers• Use a wide range of experiences• Leave a good impression

THE DON’TS

• Be unprepared • Leave your mobile phone switched on• Never answer or take calls on you mobile• Forget the name of the Company• Use dated/old skills examples• Undersell your skills by just describing

situations and not talking about your personal actions, achievements and results

• Waffle or repeat answers• Lie !

DOS AND DON’TS - YOUR OWN QUESTIONS

Do ask a question if given the opportunity

Examples ‘Do’•What induction programme will I receive?•What do you most enjoy about working here?

DO NOT•Ask about salary, company perks, time off, until you’ve got the job!•Ask something they’ve already answered•Ask something basic about the job that they’ll expect you to know

DOS AND DON’TS

Anything different/ extra for telephone interviews compared with face-to-face?

ABOVE ALL, DO PREPARE

Yourself Re-read your CV/application form Match your skills/experience to employer’s criteria Prepare your STARR skills evidence Consider practicalities eg clothes, travel, contact

telephone number

The company/industry Research the organisation/company Research the sector

The Questions Predict questions and practise answers Prepare your own questions

RESOURCES• http://www.prospects.ac.uk/interview_tips.htm • http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-

advice/general-advice/interview-tips.aspx • http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-

advice/general-advice/granular-interview-technique.aspx

• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/general-advice/curveball-interview-questions.aspx

• The Graduate Jobs Formula by Paul Redmond – ISBN 978-1-84455 211-5

FOR REFERENCE: COMMERCIAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS

• What do you know about [organisation name]?• What attracts you to [organisation name]?• Choose a company that according to you could

improve their business? How could they further develop their business?

• Name a company that you feel has grown in the last few years? Describe 2 factors that are important to its expansion? How are they performing financially?

FOR REFERENCE: PROFESSIONAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS

• How do you keep your knowledge up to date?

• What are the current issues affecting the [profession] at this present time?

• How do you think that the current economic downturn will affect your profession in the coming years?