Be clear and ready to succeed at interview

maa ja ilm

 

Interviews can be nerve racking events, there is much at stake.

However remember you are there because the employer is interested in offering you a job. So remind yourself of this  … get ready and prepare.

Here are some dos and don’ts that may help.

DO

  • Read through any information they have sent you on the interview format, do they tell you what kind of interview it will be? Common types are ‘competency based’ and ‘strength based’. interviews. There is more about this on the careers website. http://about.brighton.ac.uk/careers/cvs-and-interviews/interviews/#at
  • Know if there any tests or any group interviews or discussions  you need to be ready for. Is there anything you need to bring along on the day? Again our website has details of how to prepare for tests. http://about.brighton.ac.uk/careers/cvs-and-interviews/interviews/#test
  • Research what the company does and offers, who are their customers and clients? What does the job entail?  What key skills will they be looking for?
  • Try and think through some answers in advance – for example you are bound to get asked ‘Why you want the job?’ and ‘Why you want to work for this company or organisation?’
  • Think about the key skills they will be looking for, can you provide clear evidence of having the skill ? They have built a picture from the application you made, they now want to find out more.
  • Show enthusiasm for the work and the job. employers will be looking for that spark that show interest
  • Pay  attention to what the interviewer is asking. Are there several part sot the question? What might they be looking for?
  • Ask if you are not sure what the question means. If might be they can’t give you any further details but on the other hand they may be able to guide you a bit more. Always worth asking if you are ‘at sea’ and struggling.

In the interview itself be clear.

  • Don’t mumble… Speak up so you can be heard. Practice speaking at the right pace and volume.
  • Don’t ramble and risk being misunderstood – if you think your answer is possibly not making sense and you are jumping around, try to stop and gather your thoughts.   It is easy to get into a spin and feel the interview slipping away from you. If this happens take a deep breath, try and get your thoughts in order  and carry on. The well known STAR or CAR method can be a lifeline if you are quite talkative  or if you go are prone to go off at a tangent.

With STAR  you break down an answer into 4 distinct parts, So you can think this through beforehand or on the day you can use it to organise an answer.

S- Situation

T- Task

A – Action

R- Result

CAR is 3 parts

C- Context

A- Action

R- Result

Practice what you are going to say beforehand, you may find it useful to book in for a mock interview with a Career Development or Employment  Adviser.

http://about.brighton.ac.uk/careers/about-us/

Talk to a friend or talk to the mirror. Film yourself and watch out for poor habits, do you tend to repeat words or fillers such as ‘you know’ or ‘sort of’!

Look at your body language, try to maintain eye contact and relax ( but don’t appear too relaxed which can show a lack of interest ).

Have a few questions ready to ask or if you have they have answered everything in the interview then say this. Leave confidently with a handshake, if offered and a confident smile.

Always be polite to members of staff . they will ask for opinions from different  staff.

Leave and then hope for good news!

Creative Commons License Mait Jüriado via Compfight

 

 

 

careersemployabilityemployabillity skillsemployersemploymentinterviewsjobstransferable skills

Pamela Coppola • 04/05/2017


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