MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
Don't worry. Relax. Be yourself.
...and don't complain about previous jobs.
...and don't complain about previous jobs.
Give me your best interview advice
- Thread starter Sandra6
- Start date
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By not living up to the expectations of the people employing you would be my guess.
Only ever got asked to leave once, 3 different accidents on the first morning, soon put paid to that driving job.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
Lots of good advice. On the assumption that you'll be put through some sort of competency-based interview, one more from me - tell them what you, personally, did. I have interviewed countless candidates who take "What did you do?" as an invitation to say "We did this". Which I then have to followup by saying "And what did you do yourself?" - a question which quite often they can't answer.
I'm told by my HR colleagues that if you're interviewing at any reasonably large organisation you can find their standard set of interview questions online. It's not an assertion I've ever had reason to test!
I'm told by my HR colleagues that if you're interviewing at any reasonably large organisation you can find their standard set of interview questions online. It's not an assertion I've ever had reason to test!
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
As an interviewee like some others have said
Do your homework.
Turn up looking smart and be punctual.
Ask for a drink/for the curtain to be pulled to shade the sun/ do you mind if I take my coat off?.... in other words, show a bit of command.
As an interviewer I don't look too much for quals or experience, I'm thinking 'can I spend 40 hours a week with this person?' So be bright, funny, interesting and interested.
Good luck!
Do your homework.
Turn up looking smart and be punctual.
Ask for a drink/for the curtain to be pulled to shade the sun/ do you mind if I take my coat off?.... in other words, show a bit of command.
As an interviewer I don't look too much for quals or experience, I'm thinking 'can I spend 40 hours a week with this person?' So be bright, funny, interesting and interested.
Good luck!
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Look smart - you want to do business, then look like you want to do business.
Wear knee length socks - nothing worse than flashing a bit of cankle or calf under your trousers. The socks should be black, or dark blue or grey.
Stand straight, don't slouch. Look them in the eye. Speak in short but complete sentences.
Avoid jargon. Much of it is meaningless rubbish anyway, and you don't want to risk using an inopportune term, or one they might quizz you more deeply on.
Get plenty of sleep the night before, be cool, and learn the various masonic handshakes.
Wear knee length socks - nothing worse than flashing a bit of cankle or calf under your trousers. The socks should be black, or dark blue or grey.
Stand straight, don't slouch. Look them in the eye. Speak in short but complete sentences.
Avoid jargon. Much of it is meaningless rubbish anyway, and you don't want to risk using an inopportune term, or one they might quizz you more deeply on.
Get plenty of sleep the night before, be cool, and learn the various masonic handshakes.
- Location
- Glasgow
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
This sounds flippant but its not...
Turn up (Richard Branson top tip on how winners win)
Otherwise...
Listen. Dont just wait for a pause so that you can start talking. If you listen well you will find the interviewer doing more talking than you expect and feeling endeared toward you.
Know your strengths, be ready to talk about them them without having to think about it. Honesty, reliability, resourcefulness, good natured are all good strengths and are natural skills that cant be learnt.however Think also about your inherited skills...what professional skills you may have.
Know your faults, you don't need to highlight faults but if asked what they are...know them and show how you have identified them and how you manage them. Also find a way to illustrate them as something positive if you can...like "I tend to micro manage...because I really do care about what I am responsible for...but know that sometimes I need to delegate, so these days I self check my management choices to see if another member.of my team can do this for me"
Think about your appearance both physically and virtually. What does your facebook page look like right now, is it private, if not is it full of images of you enjoying the holidays? Ditto for Linkedin, twitter and any social.media presence. If they like you they will google you
Physically, look smart...not flash but smart.
Be early and wait. Sit comfortably as you do and don't figet, be pleasant to the reception team but not overly familiar if they offer you drinks etc, be sure to thank them for the coffee as you leave but make sure you dont do this in an over familiar way...be professional to them but show gratitude. The interviewer Will ask the reception team what they thought of you.
Know who you are meeting when you arrive, dont resort to looking up their name...rehears this, so that you can be relaxed and confident when you arrive.
Dont swear, even if the interviewer does, dont come across as a prude but don't fall for the trap of over familiarity.
If you find that they adore you, then ignore everything above and just go with it.
Turn up (Richard Branson top tip on how winners win)
Otherwise...
Listen. Dont just wait for a pause so that you can start talking. If you listen well you will find the interviewer doing more talking than you expect and feeling endeared toward you.
Know your strengths, be ready to talk about them them without having to think about it. Honesty, reliability, resourcefulness, good natured are all good strengths and are natural skills that cant be learnt.however Think also about your inherited skills...what professional skills you may have.
Know your faults, you don't need to highlight faults but if asked what they are...know them and show how you have identified them and how you manage them. Also find a way to illustrate them as something positive if you can...like "I tend to micro manage...because I really do care about what I am responsible for...but know that sometimes I need to delegate, so these days I self check my management choices to see if another member.of my team can do this for me"
Think about your appearance both physically and virtually. What does your facebook page look like right now, is it private, if not is it full of images of you enjoying the holidays? Ditto for Linkedin, twitter and any social.media presence. If they like you they will google you
Physically, look smart...not flash but smart.
Be early and wait. Sit comfortably as you do and don't figet, be pleasant to the reception team but not overly familiar if they offer you drinks etc, be sure to thank them for the coffee as you leave but make sure you dont do this in an over familiar way...be professional to them but show gratitude. The interviewer Will ask the reception team what they thought of you.
Know who you are meeting when you arrive, dont resort to looking up their name...rehears this, so that you can be relaxed and confident when you arrive.
Dont swear, even if the interviewer does, dont come across as a prude but don't fall for the trap of over familiarity.
If you find that they adore you, then ignore everything above and just go with it.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Make sure the spelling in any written work you submit is correct.
The same goes for anything under you hand they can easily find online.
Accept the filtering process may be brutal, particularly if there are a lot of applications, so don't take rejection personally.
The same goes for anything under you hand they can easily find online.
Accept the filtering process may be brutal, particularly if there are a lot of applications, so don't take rejection personally.
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Be honest about your abilities. Don't exaggerate. If you don't know the answer to a question, say so. Do not be unpleasant about any previous employers. Look directly at the interviewers. Don't fidget in your seat. Don't wave your hands around while explaining something.
Do not answer with yes or no answers. They want to hear what you have to say so that they can gauge you're personality and if you give short answers they can't do that. as others have said do some research on the possible employer. Have say 2 questions that you can ask them. Don't be flippant and try to make a joke of things.
Most importantly look interested. Do not look bored or have a couldn't be bothered attitude. Yes it's a lot, but I have interviewed a lot of people.
And good luck.
Do not answer with yes or no answers. They want to hear what you have to say so that they can gauge you're personality and if you give short answers they can't do that. as others have said do some research on the possible employer. Have say 2 questions that you can ask them. Don't be flippant and try to make a joke of things.
Most importantly look interested. Do not look bored or have a couldn't be bothered attitude. Yes it's a lot, but I have interviewed a lot of people.
And good luck.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
And if the panel do not look interested, look bored, and/or several members are falling asleep because they had too much to drink at lunchtime, maybe it might not be a good idea to make your displeasure too obvious to them (LINK) ...!
annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
- Location
- Blyth, Northumberland
If you've had some interviews and haven't been offered the job it's worth asking for feedback about the interview. There might be some clues about how you can improve.
Be honest.
Don’t be cocky, but don’t undersell yourself. Interviews are not the time for modesty.
Do your homework. Know a bit about the company, where they are based, and what they do. I had one candidate, on a phone interview, tell me how he really wanted the job, because he wanted to move to London. He had visited once before, and loved it, and really wanted to build his life there because it is such a wonderful city. However, we are actually based in Glasgow.
Think about the typical interview questions you might be asked, and how you might answer them. There’s a common set of questions that often get asked (“So what attracted you to this post”, “How would your colleagues describe you”, “tell me about an occasion when things were going wrong, and you had to recover the situation”, “Tell me why I should employ you rather than the person that I interviewed half an hour ago?")
When you’re asked if you have any questions, ask something sensible, positive, and not something that you should already know, or was answered in the interview pack. It’s better to ask “So is this a new position, or did someone leave?.... why did they leave, was it an internal promotion or an external move?...” or “What training would you expect me to have carried out within the first few months” rather than something like “How long are the tea breaks” or “What’s the pay?”
Make eye contact with whoever is asking the questions.
Remember, you’re being assessed from the moment you arrive. The interviewers may ask anyone that has spoken to you - receptionist, security - for an informal opinion. I have once been on an interview panel where we stopped for a break between candidates, and the janitor said “that last candidate was a bit strange, and very rude...."
Relax.
Do not be an arse.
Do not fall off the chair. (yes, that did happen to one person I interviewed)
And remember, the interviewers are not out to “get you” or to ask you trick questions. They genuinely want to get the best person for the job, and a good interviewer will help you to give the best answers to demonstrate that you are the best candidate.
Don’t be cocky, but don’t undersell yourself. Interviews are not the time for modesty.
Do your homework. Know a bit about the company, where they are based, and what they do. I had one candidate, on a phone interview, tell me how he really wanted the job, because he wanted to move to London. He had visited once before, and loved it, and really wanted to build his life there because it is such a wonderful city. However, we are actually based in Glasgow.
Think about the typical interview questions you might be asked, and how you might answer them. There’s a common set of questions that often get asked (“So what attracted you to this post”, “How would your colleagues describe you”, “tell me about an occasion when things were going wrong, and you had to recover the situation”, “Tell me why I should employ you rather than the person that I interviewed half an hour ago?")
When you’re asked if you have any questions, ask something sensible, positive, and not something that you should already know, or was answered in the interview pack. It’s better to ask “So is this a new position, or did someone leave?.... why did they leave, was it an internal promotion or an external move?...” or “What training would you expect me to have carried out within the first few months” rather than something like “How long are the tea breaks” or “What’s the pay?”
Make eye contact with whoever is asking the questions.
Remember, you’re being assessed from the moment you arrive. The interviewers may ask anyone that has spoken to you - receptionist, security - for an informal opinion. I have once been on an interview panel where we stopped for a break between candidates, and the janitor said “that last candidate was a bit strange, and very rude...."
Relax.
Do not be an arse.
Do not fall off the chair. (yes, that did happen to one person I interviewed)
And remember, the interviewers are not out to “get you” or to ask you trick questions. They genuinely want to get the best person for the job, and a good interviewer will help you to give the best answers to demonstrate that you are the best candidate.
