Before the interview
- Research
Make sure you have done your research on the company before your interview. This knowledge will be invaluable when at your interview. One way to research a company is to look at Glassdoor http://www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm. You need to be prepared for the possible question of ‘so what do you know about the company/products and services’ etc. - Questions
Think of specific examples to show how you can demonstrate your suitability for the job before your interview, make sure you are specific about experiences and knowledge you have acquired in previous roles. To help you get your point across make sure your example can fit into STAR - situation, task, activity, result. This will support you in being factual and ensure you have taken the interviewer step by step through the example and how successful this was.
During your interview
- Silence
It’s ok for there to be some silences, if you need time to think just let the interviewer know. A simple ‘can I have a minute to think about that question please’ the interviewer will know that you are under pressure and will only want the best from you. - Transferable skills
Remember those really important transferable skills. You may have learnt them in your current or previous job role or maybe in your personal life or outside interest. - Communication
Think about all the other queues you are giving off during your interview. With communication only being 7% Verbal (what you say), 38% Para-verbal (your voice and tone) and 55% Non-Verbal (body language, expressions and actions) so the way you sit, if you make eye contact and if you look interested makes a huge difference in the interviewers perception of you. - Unusual questions
These are sometimes used to see how quick thinking you are to come up with a sensible answer and one that you could not prepare. Some examples of these could be ‘in 3 words how would your friends describe you, in 3 words how would your colleagues describe you’, to a Google interview question ‘You are shrunk to the height of a 2p coin and thrown into a blender. Your mass is reduced so that your density is the same as usual. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?’
After the interview
- Questions
Most interviews end with ‘do you have any questions’. Try to think of a few beforehand or if something has arisen in the interview this is your chance to ask. If you don’t ask any questions it looks like you are not interested or keen on the company and job, and remember that this is your last opportunity to impress them. - Some possible questions are:
- What are the training opportunities within the company?
- What do you most like about working for the company?
- Do you promote internally?
- When will they be making a decision on the vacancy?
- Interview follow up
Depending on how you arranged your interview you maybe able to email the company and write a short email detailing your continued expression of interest in the position, your availability and that you hope to hear from them soon with an offer. This shows that you are proactive, your communication skills and that you really want to be a part of the company. - Accepting an offer
Once an offer for employment has been made you will usually receive a letter making the offer which should include the following information:- Your name and the name of the organisation making the offer
- The date of the offer
- The job title and department/location
- Salary details
- The period of notice required for either party to end the contract
- The start date, or choice of dates available
If everything within the letter is acceptable then you are required to write back accepting the offer and the terms stated.
A typical procedure is that employers decide on their first choice candidate and will then ring or email them to offer them the job. They also keep a reserve candidate who they don't contact until they've had a confirmation from the first candidate and send rejection emails to everyone else. If the first choice candidate doesn't accept within 24 hours they offer it to the reserve.
Negotiating an offer
Some vacancies now do not have a specified salary and negotiations open after an offer of the vacancy has been made to a candidate. If this is the case with the job you are applying for then be sure to do your research before you even go to the interview. Look on IMI Auto jobs for examples of similar job roles and the salaries they attract.
Then go back to the company with your expectations and have reasons why you are expecting this rate i.e. due to my proven experience and figures from my previous roles I would expect the higher end band of the salary bracket. Think about what makes you unique and what makes you so valuable to the company and highlight it. Also think about your skills and experience and how this would benefit the employer.
Above all be realistic and reasonable, as they have offered you the position you don’t want to go back with an unrealistic figure that would make them reconsider their offer to you.
Unsuccessful Interviews
If you are unsuccessful there are still some things you can gain from the company by asking for feedback from the interview. You can ask for this via the phone or by email. Feedback is a very important part of career progression and although sometimes it can be difficult to hear, it is a great learning tool. Try not to take any comments personally and learn from any mistakes made at the interview. Feedback may also highlight a knowledge or skill gap that you may be able to tackle before your next application.
