OA Guide to Interview Success

Job interviews can be very daunting, but if you’re well prepared and have done your homework, they needn’t be. Here at OA, we pride ourselves on knowing how to make your interview a success. Here are some easy to follow steps to help guarantee you a successful interview.

Be Prepared 

Preparing for job interviews is probably the most important aspect. If you’re fully prepared, you’ll feel much more confident. It’s important that you distinguish yourself from other candidates by presenting your qualifications and personality more effectively and persuasively than anyone else.

Getting Ready

Mentally it’s easy to feel stressed and nervous before an interview, but remember, you were invited to go for the interview; so you must be good enough to get the job. Focus on being energetic, assertive, confident and positive.

Research The Organisation

Employers will expect you to know about their organisation. Start by looking at their website, paying close attention to the products and services that they offer. It’s also a good idea to look at the history of the company and their latest press releases. To really impress an interviewer look at the websites of their main competitors and highlight positive differences in the interview. Don’t forget that your Consultant will, in most cases, know the interviewer, so make sure you ask them for any additional information.

Rehearse Your Answers 

Typically, you will only have an hour to get across your key selling points. So it’s worthwhile rehearsing what you want to say. It’s also a good idea to go over any of your weaknesses that may come out in the interview. No one is perfect, and you’ll come across much better if you are confident and well practised.

Presentation 

Never be tempted to dress down for an interview. The most professional option for both men and women at an interview is a suit – you want to appear polished and keen to impress. Make sure you feel confident in what you’re wearing, as you don’t want to worry about your appearance during the interview.

Be On Time

It may sound obvious, but often people don’t leave enough time to get to their interview. You must allow for travel delays, such as trains running late. Make sure that you plan your route well in advance, and, if possible, go on a ‘dry run’ prior to your interview. This will also help you to be more relaxed when you arrive.

Closing The Interview

At the end of the interview, you must leave the interviewer with positive thoughts about you. Tell them that you really enjoyed meeting them and that if you were fortunate enough to be offered the job, you would be delighted to work at the company.

Follow Up  

Once the interview is over, make sure your phone or email your Osborne Consultant to let them know how it went whilst the interview is fresh in your mind.

Overall Tips

Being able to communicate effectively is key to succeeding at interviews. Here are a few tips:

• Answer the question

• Think about your answers

• Be concise

• Show interest, enthusiasm and energy

• Be positive about why you want to leave your current job

• Quantify the confidence previous employers have placed in you

• Never speak badly of past colleagues or employers

• Make the position you’re interviewing for your chief objective.

The following are questions that are fairly typical in an interview, so it’s a good

idea to rehearse your answers. Make sure that they are brief and informative and

highlight your successes.

Some questions you may be asked:

• Can you describe your current duties and responsibilities?

• Why do you want this particular job?

• What skills do you have that are relevant to this position?

• What can you do for us?

• Describe the last time you missed a deadline.

• Give me an example of a time when you showed initiative.

• Tell me about a time when you have become involved in something outside your specific area of responsibility.

• Give me an example when you identified a customer’s need

• Describe how you spend an average day.

• What sort of duties do you enjoy most / least and why?

• Why do you want to leave your present job?

• Describe your current boss?

• How would he/she describe you?

• What has been your greatest achievement in your present role?

Some questions you may like to ask:

• What can you tell me about the company?

• What will be my areas of responsibility?

• What are the roles of the other people in the team?

• What needs to be achieved in the first three months?

• When will you be making a final decision?

• Whom will I be working with?

• When would you want someone to start?

• What are the development plans for the organisation?