Personal Presentation

Look, act and dress professionally. Dress conservatively, for example, a dark suit and tie, or skirt/pants and a jacket as a general rule. Always arrive a few minutes before the interview so that you can relax and focus on the task at hand. There is nothing worse that arriving late and flustered because of traffic or not being able to find convenient parking.

Making an Impression

You never get a second chance at a first impression so make sure you create a positive first impression. Maintaining eye contact, a firm hand shake and a smile are all positive body language signals to show the interviewer that you are enthusiastic and interested in the job. Treat the interview as a two way discussion and answer questions directly and to the point. Focus on the benefits you can provide to the employer, include specific examples from your previous experiences and then relate these results to the role for which you are applying. When answering questions, use practical examples from past experiences that demonstrate you have the skills, attitude and personality traits for the job. If you are not certain about a particular question, do not be afraid to ask if it can be rephrased. Listen, never interrupt and answer only what is asked.

Questions to you

Questions may relate directly to the selection criteria that you addressed in your written application. There are also general questions that commonly arise in job interviews. A good approach to these is to consider broad subject areas that are likely to come up during the interview. Some of these include:

General Background

Often a leading question is,” So tell me about your background”. This is a good opportunity for you to ‘warm up’ to the interview and just focus on why you are here applying for this job. It is quite acceptable to repeat major points you have outlined in your resume or letter of application. Applicants applying for their first job should focus on extra curricular activities, education, and qualifications.

Qualifications

A question often asked is why you think you are qualified for this position. This does not just mean, what qualifications you hold, but also what work experiences you bring to the company, what personality traits, what career aspirations, what special skills etc. This is a good opportunity for you to summarise the reasons why you think you are the best person for the job.

Experience

When discussing your experience, you should not only discuss your previous employment experience but also the nature of the industry or sector, what you know about the organisation and the position, and what benefits you bring to the company

Reasons for applying

Give some thought as to why you are applying for this position. Your answer should describe what you find appealing about the position, how you prepared yourself for a career in the organisation and how you believe your present job equips you for the position in question.

Career Objectives

Be ready to discuss your long-term aspirations. Your best approach is one that indicates you have thought about your career in these terms and have taken some action towards realising your ambitions.

Crisis Management

In some organisations, employers give candidates questions designed to test their ability in situations or crises. You should try to find out the most common type of dilemma for employees in the job you are seeking and formulate an intelligent response.

Questions from you

Towards the end of the interview, you will usually be asked if you have any questions of your own. Demonstrate to the interviewer that you have a good understanding of the company and are interested in the position by adding information you have learnt from research or by asking informed questions of your interviewer. Be confident when asking your questions and use them to score additional points in your favour.

Concluding the interview

At the conclusion of the interview thank the interviewers before leaving. Usually the interviewers will indicate what the next steps in the interview will be. An offer of employment is usually accompanied by a formal letter of offer.

Interview Dos

• At the beginning of an interview be prepared to provide a brief overview of your relevant work experience as an icebreaker.
• Take your time before answering questions.
• Keep positive throughout the interview.
• Listen carefully to questions.
• If you don’t understand a question ask for clarification.

Interview Don’ts

• Never answer with just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Always elaborate on answers.
• Don’t make vague statements – be specific and concise.
• Never criticise yourself or your former employers.
• Don’t expect your resumé to win you the job alone, you will need to communicate why you are the right person … confidently, concisely and enthusiastically to the interviewer(s).
• Be relaxed but not too informal. You need to present yourself as a professional and competent applicant who respects the interviewer(s) and the interview process.
• Don’t ask questions that have already been answered.

Examples of questions you may be asked during an interview:

Position Specific

1. What attracted you to this position? Q. What do you know about this organization? Q. What interests you most/least about this job? Q. What challenges and opportunities do you think the company faces? Q. What do you know about our products and services? Q. What do you find exciting about this job? Q. Why should we hire you? Q. Why do you think you would like working for us? Q. What value will you bring to the position? Q. What did you like best and least in your last position?

Work Skills and Experience

1. What are your greatest achievements to date? Q. What objectives did you set yourself at the beginning of your career or study? Have you achieved those objectives? Q. What are your career goals? How will you get there? Q. How do you see this position assisting you in achieving your career goals? Q. Where do you see yourself in five years? Q. What were your objectives for last year? Did you achieve them? Q. What new skills are you looking to develop this year? Q. Are you are fast learner? How long will it take you to learn our environment and begin adding value? Q. What special qualifications and experiences do you have that make you an outstanding candidate? Q. Do you work best independently or as part of a team? Q. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership and initiative? Q. What salary are you looking for?

Personal Skills and Qualities

1. Describe your personality. Q. What do you like to do in your spare time? Q. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Q. How do you cope with pressure situations? Q. In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable? Q. Have you ever worked in a situation when there was no process or procedures in place? How did you handle it? Q. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? Q. Tell me about an important decision you had to make… how did you go about deciding? Q. Tell me about a time when you took a risk… How did you handle it? Q. What is the biggest challenge you ever faced and how did you approach it? Q. Have you ever been in a situation where you disagreed with your manager? How did you resolve the disagreement?