Interview Advice

How do I prepare for an interview?

Perfect preparation prevents poor performance!

We’ve all heard that but do we always do it. This interview you are going on is going to make a major impact on your life -are you sure you want to work for them? How will you know if you don’t find out the whole truth about them?

There are many ways of finding out about a prospective Employer:

• Phone them and ask for information to be sent to you –annual reports, brochures, press releases, etc. Speak with Reception or Marketing, Ask if they employ a PR company and if they do make them your first port of call.
• Look on the Internet – at their own site, trade magazine sites for articles about them, look at www.companieshouse.gov.uk for financial and legal information about them.
• Talk to their competitors about them
• Phone one of their reps posing as a prospective customer
• Talk to the relevant trade bodies
• Ask your Recruitment Consultant for further information.
• Once you have got all your research together, use it! Show the interviewer what you have done and ask questions based on its findings. Take along any brochures etc you have. Write your questions down and take them with you.
• Prepare a "brag pack" – a list of your achievements. Include letters from satisfied customers, references, sales figures, articles about you – anything which demonstrates why you should be getting the job.
• Ensure that you find out who you are seeing; their job title and responsibilities and what their role in the interviewing process.
• Prepare your close and ensure that you will use it.

What should I wear? What should I avoid?

People have made fortunes writing books about how to dress for business and still some people get it wrong. Remember the following golden rules:

• Dress appropriately and in context – don’t wear that very fashionable purple shirt if all the company’s employees dress soberly. (Perhaps you shouldn’t be going for that interview!)
• You generally can’t go wrong with a sober business suit, white shirt or blouse etc. Do not forget simple basics as ensuring your shoes are polished and you don’t have stains on your tie!
• Ensure that you wear appropriate jewellery, or not.
• Avoid the comedy ties and musical socks!
• The thorny subject of personal hygiene – we all get a bit sweaty if we’re stuck in a car for hours so make sure you’ve showered, washed your hair. brushed your teeth etc. If your interview is later in the day why not take a change of shirt and some deodorant with you - you can change at the Service Station! Make sure that you’ve had a shave.
• Avoid the ten pints, the curry and the garlic bread the night before – they don’t want to smell you before they meet you, if you chew gum, remove it before the meeting.

What do I do on arrival at the interview?

• SET OUT IN PLENTY OF TIME – you can always kill some time at the other end doing the dreaded paperwork! If you arrive more than 15 mins early, kill some time before going into the building. Arriving too early can make it awkward for the interviewer.
• If you arrive late not only will it create a poor impression of your professional status but you will not perform at your best.
• Once you arrive at the place of the interview try not to carry too much with you – but don’t forget your briefcase or a folder along with a pen and some paper. You are going to need your hand free to greet your interviewer.
• Remember to switch off your phone, pager etc.
• Try to remain standing before you meet – there’s nothing worse than clambering up from that low level seating beloved of receptions and knocking over the cup of luke warm instant coffee. How’s that for a first impression!
• On initial meeting give a firm, though not bone crunching, handshake whilst making good eye contact.
• Only use first name terms if led to do so. NEVER use "mate", "love" etc.
• If you are walking through to the interview avoid any embarrassing "after you…no, after you" encounters in the corridor.

How do I conduct myself in the interview?

Remember this is only another sales meeting and you’ve been through plenty of those.

• Take time to settle yourself down and make yourself comfortable whilst not being too laid back or slovenly. You may want to reposition the seating slightly – do this confidently without being overly aggressive.
• Follow the lead from the interviewer, i.e. do not take your jacket off unless they do and ask you to etc.
• Don’t be over-familiar. No matter whether you taught Casanova all he knew, NEVER FLIRT!
• Remember you are there to do some selling; it is your responsibility to ensure that the conversation stays on track.
• Take the opportunity to communicate everything you wish to about yourself and that you find out everything you need to know. "Do you have any questions" at the end of the interview will not be enough time. 
• Make notes as you are speaking, not only does this show your professionalism but it means that you will not forget what was said.
• A cozy chat about your mutual interests and acquaintances rarely leads to job offers.
• Use appropriate body language – good eye contact, open gestures, avoiding crossing you arms, touching your mouth/face whilst speaking (this indicates that somebody may not be telling the whole truth….),don’t fidget or tap your toes etc. Show interest when listening – a nod and a smile speaks volumes.
• Always tell the truth, you will eventually get caught out if you don’t. If there are going to be awkward questions arising about you, prepare beforehand.
• Don’t slag off previous companies and don’t say anything that could make you sound disloyal.
• Save questions about salary, holidays and the rest to second interviews. Remember, having proof of earnings with you will make it easier to get them to pay you what you are worth.
• Try to answer questions using a style and a language that the interviewer will relate to. If they are using short, to the point, questions avoiding technical language, answer likewise.
• Do not um, err, ramble, be obtuse or any of the other cardinal sales sins
• CLOSE! Leave them in no doubt that you want the job; treat every interview as though it’s the last one you’ll ever get!
• At the end of the interview close the interviewer down to find out if you have got the job or going to get a second interview etc. Find out about any reservations they may have about you so that you can offer some compensatory information.
• Find out how you compare with other applicants. Reiterate that you are confident that you can do the job and give the reasons why. Give yourself the edge!
• At the very end, thank them for their time, ensure that you leave them with a positive impression by once again giving a positive handshake and maintaining eye contact, but no winks. Leave the company in no doubt that you want the job, and that you can do it. Ensure that you have all your belongings with you before you leave!

How should I follow up?

• Contact your agency to give feedback so that they can go back to the client and re-emphasise how keen or not you are, get some honest feedback from the Client and confirm the next stage.
• Sometimes it is relevant to write following up an interview, thanking them for their time and take the opportunity to remind them about which particular skills and attributes will ensure your success in the role. Also readdress any reservations they had about you and put in a closing line about a second interview etc.

What questions could I ask?

• What would you expect of me in this role?
• How will you measure my success in this role?
• What are the future plans for me / the role / the company?
• What are the opportunities for me / the role / the company?
• Which of your main competitors do you respect? For what reasons?
• What has the past growth / decline been based on?
• How do I compare to the other candidates?
• Do you think I can do the job? (a closed question for once!)

Which questions should I prepare for?

(hardly original and that’s why you should be prepared)

• Why should we employ you?
• What made you apply for this job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What would you do to be successful in this role?
• What skills do you think you need to be successful in this role?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
• What can you bring to our company?
• What are you looking for from us?
• Who do you sell to at the moment?
• Tell me about yourself….
• What’s different about you?
• Why do you want to leave your current job?
• Why did you leave……..?
• Sell me that pen/cup etc… (be creative here!)
• What motivates / demotivates you?
• What questions do you have?

There is another breed of questions where there are no right and wrong answers; they simply seek to test how you will react and can you provide a lucid and logical answer.

Some interviewers will try to unbalance you by asking emotive, strange, difficult or seemingly unrelated questions. They might not expect you to know the answer-they want to see if you can think on your feet.

• Why are manhole covers round?
• Should drugs be legalised?
• Should we accept the euro?
• What’s your favourite curry?
• Etc, etc.

How do I react to a counter offer?

• If you are good enough to get a job offer from a new employer, you are good enough to receive an improved offer from your current employer.
• Employers realise that keeping you is easier and cheaper than having to replace you.
• Even if you choose to accept the counter offer, the reasons that made you go out and get a new job will not all have been solved overnight.
• You will probably have to rely purely on trust when it comes to changes being made further down the line.
• Having accepted a counter offer, you may find that your relationships with your boss, their boss or your colleagues may deteriorate, given that your loyalty may now be in question.
• You may find that your current employer criticises your potential employer, but with little or no foundation. Watch out for this spoiling tactic.
• Take your time to consider a counter offer, and view it objectively. It may seem easier to stay with your current employer, but have you actually solved your problems?

How do I resign?

• You’ll feel nervous, perhaps feeling that you’ve let you boss down; the fairest thing to do is to resign as soon as you get the written offer.
• Reply to the written offer in writing immediately you have confirmed with your agency that you have no questions or queries.
• If you delay your resignation, your employer will only be getting a half-hearted effort from you as you are bound to have your mind on other things.
• It may seem easier to decline the offer at this stage than to resign and join another employer – but will you have solved the critical problems you identified when you started your job search. Probably not!
• If your boss is on holiday, resign to their boss, or to Personnel.
• If you delay your resignation, you are putting back your start date with your new employer. This may not suit them either and sully your future relationship.
• Make it clear that your mind is made up and that you are tendering the required amount of notice. Have a letter already prepared giving notice that you can hand over during the conversation.
• If your new employer wants you on board quickly, offer to sacrifice your notice period in order to be released more quickly from your contract. Offer to use your holiday entitlement Demonstrate how you can complete the vital tasks in the given timescale.
• If you are moving to a competitor, make this clear to your current employer. You have nothing to hide or be fearful about. Be aware of contract obligations. Ask for guidance from your OTR Consultant.
  

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