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So, you've been invited to attend an interview! Congratulations - the employer has obviously liked the look of you so far via your CV or application form - and now wants to meet you and find out more about you. You've done a good job on paper of matching your skills and knowledge to the employer's requirements and now is your chance to verbally impress!
One-to-one
This type of interview can last from 20 minutes to an hour or more. The interviewer may be trained and experienced in recruitment interviewing techniques or may be doing their first one ever - and perhaps feeling a little nervous about it. Your interviewer may be the Personnel Manager, your departmental Manager or the Chief Executive. You may know in advance who it will be and you may not.
This type of interview normally has various phases:
Setting you at your ease with small-talk (How was your journey? etc.)
Detailed exploration/core of the interview (probing some of your responses on your CV or application form; asking additional questions)
Your chance to ask them questions
Bringing it to a close (they thank you for attending and usually explain what happens next and within what timescale)
Your interviewer may ask straightforward questions designed to help you relax and give the best of yourself, or may take an aggressive stance to see how you respond under pressure. Alternatively, he/she may throw seemingly bizarre questions at you such as: "What flower would you like to be - and why". Such questions are designed to test your ability to "think on your feet" and sometimes, to test your creative thinking and even sense of humor
Panel interviews
Expect anything from two to four or more interviewers. Each one will be there for a specific purpose, perhaps representing different departments or different management functions. They may all be sitting behind a row of desks, a long table or may be seated in an informal style i.e. semicircle, with you facing them. Expect also to feel more comfortable with some panel members than others - some may be smiling and easy-going, others more brusque or aggressive. As in the one-to-one interview, some will be trained recruitment interviewers, some won't.
The phases of the interview will normally mirror those in the one-to-one, with different members asking questions in the second core phase, probably in line with their own interests/responsibilities in the organisation.
Group interviews
These are a common occurrence in Assessment centres, but may also occur in other interview situations. For example, you might undergo two interviews on the same day, one with a group of candidates (competitors for the job) with a subsequent one-to-one interview. Evaluation of your performance in both settings would determine whether or not you got the job. Putting candidates together for a group interview gives the interviewers a chance to assess skills such as: sociability, leadership, sense of humor, personality and teamwork . . . and, of course, to compare candidates against each other. Types of questions asked will differ from one-to-one or panel interviews in that they will focus on issues/hypothetical problems for the group to discuss, whilst the interviewers observe and make notes of responses and interactions.
Telephone interviews
Not as common as any of the above types of interview and not as easy to prepare for, in that you may get very little warning of one occurring. Some telephone interviews result from you having made a conventional paper application whilst others follow on from you responding to a previous automated data-collecting, i.e. a pre-recorded -question and yes/no answer‚ telephone "interview" which may have lasted only a few minutes and which would have been computer-scored afterwards.
The live telephone interview may last from 30-40 minutes and should be at a pre-arranged time - this may well be during an evening or at the weekend. The obvious drawbacks are: not being able to see your interviewer, not being able to gauge their reactions to your answers and having to convey all your skills, knowledge and personality over the telephone.
Technical interviews
Expect one of these if you’re applying for a technical position. One or more interviewer on the panel may interview you. Don‚t be surprised if you‚re asked fairly detailed technical questions and/or shown a piece of equipment and asked to explain the workings of it. If the job is relevant to your degree course, expect in-depth, knowledge-based questions based on any part of your degree and probably around your specialist project or thesis. Other general questions will of course accompany the technical kind.
How To Avoid the Top 10 Interview Mistakes 1. Lying
Although it's tempting, it doesn't work. By all means gloss over the unflattering things. But out-right fibbing NEVER pays.
Honestly, if you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything. Think about it. They will catch you out later.
2. Slating your current company or boss
Fed up with your current job and would give anything to leave because they've treated you badly? Your job interview is NOT the time to seek revenge. Bear in mind that the interviewer will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to work with you. Ask yourself: do you like working with people who constantly criticise others? Isn't it a bit wearing? The trouble is that the interviewer draws massive conclusions from your answers. So your throwaway comment about your boss or employer may be interpreted to be your "standard" way of thinking. It makes you look bad, not your employer.
3. Being Rude
If you find you were accidentally rude, then apologise calmly and genuinely. Then leave it behind you and get on with the rest of the interview. If you dwell on it, it will affect your performance. What's "rude"? Well, that depends on your audience. As a rule of thumb, avoid cracking jokes about potentially sensitive topics and beware of being too "pally" with the interviewer: polite and friendly is enough. After all, you're not in a bar with them. So stay professional. Also bear in mind that everyone you meet could be involved in the selection process. So blanking the receptionist or talking down to the junior members of staff could cost you the job.
4. Complaining
Ok, so your bus ride might have been a nightmare and maybe you thought the bus would never arrive, or the tailbacks on the third mainland bridge was endless. But your interviewer doesn't want to know that!
Complaining, even in jest, is not a recommended icebreaker. It may be completely harmless, or it might simply make the interviewer switch off. Don't let complaining set the tone for the interview!
5. Talking about people you don't get on with at work / school
These days, it's common to be asked how you deal with conflict. Companies realise the importance of interpersonal relationships in the working environment. So if they ask you about difficult people or situations, make sure you hold back from character assassination and blaming others for problems because it won't do you any favours! If you accidentally do "break" this rule, apologise and explain what you "really" meant.
6. Not being prepared
Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd be surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. And if you remember what type of person the job advert was looking for, it's easier to demonstrate that you have those qualities.
Make sure you've brought with you anything you were asked for. It's fine to bring a note-pad and pen, but make sure they're tidy. It's even ok to bring notes with you; particularly if you have any questions you want to ask. It shows you're taking the job application seriously. Ill-prepared candidates rarely get job offers.
7. Appearing to be too nervous, or too confident
If you appear too nervous they'll think you're not confident enough to do the job. However, appearing too confident will make them think you won't fit into the team.
8. Making a weak first impression
Unfortunately, no matter how hard the interviewer tries, a lot of "don't want to hire them" decisions are made in the first few minutes of contact. If you make a strong first impression, the interviewer will be more inclined to overlook "imperfections" in your answers.
9. Not having researched the company
As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done your homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job.
Example from a real interview for a major telecom brand:
Candidate: "Hello Mr. Interviewer. Yes, I'd love to work for your company. I think your brand is great and I really believe I could make a contribution to your marketing strategy."
Interviewer: "So what do you think about our current merchandising, compared to our competition?"
Candidate: "Oh... Errr.... Well, I haven't had time to check it out, really."
Likelihood of getting the job? Low.
10. Putting your foot in it and not noticing
Yes, we know, you didn't mean to put your foot in it. But it doesn't really matter what you intended. What counts is how the other person reacts. So what can you do? Be prepared to simply say "sorry, that's not what I meant!" This requires you to actually be paying attention to the interviewer, rather than your own thoughts and feelings. Once you've apologised, leave it there, take a deep breath to help you relax and move on with the job interview.
in that you may get very little warning of one occurring. Some telephone interviews result from you having made a conventional paper application whilst others follow on from you responding to a previous automated data-collecting, i.e. a pre-recorded -question and yes/no answer‚ telephone "interview" which may have lasted only a few minutes and which would have been computer-scored afterwards.
