Interview Success
The key to a successful interview is research and preparation.
The following is a guide for how you might approach this and
tips to help you make the best possible impression.
Preparation Builds Confidence
Planning – before the interview, plan for enough time to get
there, have directions and remember the name of the person
you will be meeting with.
Preparation – the more you know about yourself and the skills
you possess, the more confident you will feel. The more you
know about the client, the more knowledgeable you will appear.
Prepare your interview responses that will enable you to present
an accurate and relevant profile, whilst also selling your skills
and experience.
Practice – practice your responses to interview questions.
This will enable you to be confident and clear in your answers.
Presentation – first impressions are often the strongest.
Enhance your personal presentation, including dress (refer to our
‘Dress to Impress’ guide), grooming and how you carry yourself.
Walk with confidence, shake hands firmly with eye contact and
smile. Show courtesy by sitting simultaneously, not before the
interviewer. Vitality, enthusiasm, manners and style will foster
the development of a positive impression.
Research
Take the time to find out about the company’s history,
performance and organisational structure. You will almost
certainly be asked why you want to work there or what you
know about the company. Find out as much as you can about
the company’s market, their product, how they operate etc.
Most of this research can be done online by checking:
ƒƒ t he company’s own website (most include their history
and corporate values)
ƒƒ f or listed companies, the Australian Stock exchange and
relevant announcements
ƒƒ major newspapers
ƒƒ business magazines
If possible, it is also useful to find out a little about the
background of the interviewer and how they fit into the company
structure. This can usually be provided by your Consultant, based
on their relationship with the client. Alternatively, you can use
online tools such as LinkedIn to research your interviewer prior
to meeting with them.
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If you can use or demonstrate your knowledge to the interviewer,
it shows a genuine desire to work for that company specifically.
Self Assessment
The interviewer will want to know what sort of person you are in
terms of your values, attitudes, skills and abilities. A review of
these characteristics before the interview will help you answer
any questions and relate these to your work practices and
business ethics. It will also enable you to formulate the right
questions to ask about the position and the workplace.
One of the most important preparatory exercises you can do is
to prepare an extensive list of your achievements. Achievements
include problems you have overcome, issues you have addressed,
or demands you have faced, where your actions led to a
resolution or value being added. When you talk about your
achievements, ensure you keep to the facts and have key
statistics in there. For example, “As a result of consolidating and
reviewing our suppliers, I was able to reduce our supplier list from
twelve to five and reduce costs by 47%”.
Interviewers are increasingly following the ‘behavioural’ or
‘targeted selection’ approach, where you are asked for past
examples of when you overcame problems, addressed issues or
met demands. It can be difficult to recall your achievements
unless you have them at the forefront of your memory. Therefore,
the process of thinking about and writing down your
achievements will enable speedier memory access during
questioning. You can prepare the competencies you are likely
to be questioned on by reviewing the job advertisement or job
description. For example, if the job description or advertisement
lists teamwork, organisational skills and negotiation skills as
required competencies, then prepare examples of when you have
displayed this skills in a previous role.
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 While workplace achievements carry more weight, you can also
consider other areas of your life such as sport, community
activities or groups, asking yourself:
ƒƒ H
 ave I taken the initiative in confronting problems,
opportunities or challenges?
ƒƒ Have I developed something?
ƒƒ H
 ave I identified the need for, created or designed a new
program, procedure, service or product?
ƒƒ Have I participated in any technical contribution?
ƒƒ H
 ave I been involved in any administrative or procedural
recommendations?
ƒƒ Have I resolved a panic situation?
ƒƒ Have I dealt with difficult people?
ƒƒ Have I organised something?
Types of Interviews
To allow you to prepare for your interview, it is important to
understand the different forms the interview may take. It is
perfectly acceptable to ask the type of interview being planned,
so that you can better prepare in advance.
1. Behavioural interviews
Behavioural interviews work on the premise that your past
performance is the best indication of future actions. In other
words, if your prospective employers can determine your
behaviour to past experiences and situations they will be able to
predict your reaction to similar circumstances in the future.
The best preparation for a behavioural based interview is to
identify four or five examples of past behaviours that demonstrate
your ability to add value and tackle difficult situations. Never
rehearse your answers too rigidly, always be prepared for further
questioning and be ready to expand on your answers.
2. Situational interviews
Situational interviews are similar to behavioural interviews, but
with the emphasis on hypothetical questions rather than actual
life experiences. Questions tend to be based on quantifiable
skills identified as necessary to perform the role, rather than
past behaviour. The best way to prepare for this type of interview
is to study the job specifications closely and to match your
relevant skills to the main points, as questions will tend to focus
on these areas.
3. Unstructured interviews
Unstructured interviews are more informal and conversational,
and the information will be gained from discussion. It will be
necessary to be proactive and carry the conversation where
necessary in order to demonstrate your ability to think and act
promptly and appropriately. Although this style of interview will
appear more casual, be aware that your answers will be closely
monitored in order to determine your genuine skills, personality
and cultural fit.
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4. Panel interviews
A panel interview is likely to consist of a number of key members
of an organisation sourced from several areas. Each member may
have different agendas or priorities, so it important to establish
rapport individually where possible, key eye contact with all
members, and be sure to answer specific technical or strategic
questions accurately as there will be a breadth of expertise
present. Often it will be possible for your Consultant to provide
you with background information on each of the panel members
and this will assist with your preparation.
Active Listening
Many people believe that they should be a passive responder,
who gives all the control to the interviewer. Some interviewers
even believe this is how they should proceed, and may even say
“I’ll give you a broad overview of the position and then ask you
some questions, and then give you the opportunity to ask me
some questions. How’s that with you?”
In reality, everyone in an interview is both an interviewer and
interviewee at the same time. You can help turn the interview
into a more of a conversation and communicate your interests by
active listening techniques. Remember also that an interview is
as much an opportunity for you to assess if the role is right for
you, as it is for the employer to assess if you are right for the role.
Active listening refers to communication techniques that help us
to follow and understand each other. Foremost is that you must
listen attentively and confirm that you are listening by using
clarification.
Always seek clarification on a question you don’t understand
as it conveys a powerful message in that you are trying to
understand the role and expectations. The better you
understand the position, through questioning and clarification,
the better your capacity to selectively recall and respond with
relevant material, including your past achievements, in relation
to the position’s requirements. Remember, you should never
interrupt the interviewer.
Marketing Yourself
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Learn to market yourself, your skills, achievements, successes
and experiences. Market what you, rather than someone else, has
to offer the company. To market yourself effectively, you must
know yourself and why you are looking for new employment.
ƒƒ You must know your goals, both long and short term.
ƒƒ Why you are looking for new employment?
ƒƒ W
 hat sort of work you are looking for (including type of role,
contact or permanent work)?
ƒƒ Y ou must be able to effectively clarify your appropriate and
recent workplace skills and experience, as relevant to the
particular job you are applying for.
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 ƒƒ Know and be able to describe your achievements.
ƒƒ D
 emonstrate how you are able to motivate and work within a
team or independently.
ƒƒ E stablish that you have the capacity to deliver the results your
potential employer desires.
ƒƒ D
 emonstrate that you are able to manage different tasks and
responsibilities within the job.
ƒƒ I llustrate through examples how you are able to respond to
problems and challenges within the workplace.
ƒƒ E xpress that you are open to new ideas and applying these to
your workplace.
ƒƒ D
 emonstrate that you are able to generate ideas, collate
information, analyse and plan actions.
Most importantly, talk about what it is you have to offer the
company above anyone else and why you should be given the job.
Remember – when you applied for the position, you knew you
could do the job. Be positive and confident of your success!
Preparing Answers & Questions
You cannot possibly prepare for or know the questions you will be
asked. However, you can prepare for almost any question by
running through our listing of Common Interview Questions
below. Review these questions and think about how you would
respond, using examples from your work or personal life.
You should also arm yourself with questions of your own,
including questions formulated from your research. Write down
these questions and take them to the interview.
Common Interview Questions
Below are some common interview questions asked by the
interviewer with some tips as to what they are looking for in your
response.
Tell me about yourself (The interviewer is really saying “I want to
hear you talk”).
How to answer: This is a commonly asked question designed to
get to know you. Spend a maximum of five minutes to describe
your qualification, career history and your range of skills.
Emphasise those skills that are relevant to the job on offer.
What have been your achievements to date? (The interviewer is
saying “Are you an achiever?”).
How to answer: Again this is a common question so be prepared.
Select an achievement that is recent. Identify skills used in the
achievement and quantify the benefit.
Are you happy with your career to date? (The interviewer is
really asking about your self confidence, your career aspirations
and whether you are a positive person).
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How to answer: The answer must be ‘yes’ but if you have hit a
career plateau or feel that you are moving too slowly, then you
must qualify the answer.
Tell me the most difficult situation you had to face and how you
tackled it? (The interviewer is really trying to find out your
definition of “difficult” and whether you can show a logical
approach to problem solving).
How to answer: Select a difficult work situation that was not
caused by you. Explain how you defined the problem and what
solutions you applied to overcome the problem.
What do you dislike about your current role? (The interviewer is
trying to find out whether the job on offer has responsibilities
you will dislike).
How to answer: Be careful with this one. One approach is to
choose a characteristic of your present company such has its
size, its slow decision making process etc. Be confident and do
not disparage your current employer in your answer. Also, don’t
say that there is nothing that you don’t like and make sure it’s not
something which is part of the role you have applied for.
What are your strengths? (The interviewer wants a straight
forward answer as to what you are good at and how it is going to
add value).
How to answer: This is one question you will certainly be asked,
so there is no excuse for being unprepared. Concentrate on
discussing your main strengths. List three or four with
explanations to demonstrate how they could benefit the
potential employer. Strengths to consider include technical
proficiency, ability to learn quickly, determination to succeed,
positive attitude, team focus and your ability to work
autonomously.
What are your greatest weaknesses? (The interviewer is asking
about your self-perception and self-awareness).
How to answer: This is another standard question for which you
should be well prepared. Don’t say that you don’t have any. We all
have weaknesses. Either use a professional weakness such as a
lack of experience (not ability) on your part in one area which is
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not vital for the job, or use a personal weakness and show the
steps you have taken to combat it. An example would be, “I’m not
very good at delegating, but I’m learning to pass work on to
colleagues by sitting down on a weekly basis and splitting the
workload”.
What decisions do you find most difficult? (The interviewer is
really saying “I need someone who is strong and decisive, but
who has a human side”).
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