Career Services from Measurability

Ending an interview can be a bit like a first date. You want to play cool and don’t want to seem too keen. Well sometimes you meet the right person and you need to make sure they know you are interested. This is the same as an interview. When you find the right job and have a good feeling about a company should you leave it to chance that the employer knows how you feel? A closing statement can make or lose a job offer. When working in recruitment I often received feedback from a client that my candidate did not seem interested. The candidate had indicated to me that they would take any offer just to get the job. Therefore something went wrong in the communication process.

How do you normally close your interviews?

Do you play it cool? – this can hide desperation and it can also help when it gets the business end – negotiating salary

Do you tell them how you really feel? – this can seem desperate and can put you in a weaker position in negotiations BUT at least the employer is in no doubt that you want the job.

Which statement do you end your interviews with?

“I am interested in the job and I look forward to your response”

Or

“I would love to work here. Can I have the job?”

I guess each individual’s situation is different and you can only assess it on a case by case basis. My point is that if you do an interview and love the job ensure the employer is aware - don’t leave it to chance.

Measurability offer expert interview coaching and advice services in Ireland. If you are struggling at interview and need help from a professional contact us for more information. Interview success is just a phonecall away.

It is impossible to predict what questions you will be asked at interview. Preparation should focus on covering all possibilities. You can do this by focusing on a number of key areas as opposed to specific questions.

I am regularly asked what questions will be asked at interview – her are some questions that keep coming up. Answer these positively and you will take a big step towards landing that dream job.

What are your strengths / weaknesses?
Why should we employ you?
Tell me why you want to work for this company?
What are your career goals?
Tell me why you are you leaving (left) your job?
When are you motivated at work?
What can you offer that other applicants can’t?
Tell me a positive thing your boss would say about you?
What salary are you looking for?

If you get your interview preparation right it will improve your confidence and improve your performance. If you need help with interview preparation – contact Measurability.

Most jobseekers fear them but I say embrace them. Ok competency interviews are more difficult BUT they mean that the client has put some though into the recruitment process. This means that you will not be assessed on you interview ability or what school you went to. Instead you will be assessed against the key behaviours and competencies for the role. This will reduce the chance of a wrong hire for the client BUT more importantly a wrong job for you.

What is a competency based interview?

These interviews are based on the theory that past behaviour is the best indicator of future behaviour. It uses probing questions such as “tell me about a time when you failed to achieve a specific goal” or give me a specific example of a time when you managed a number of projects simultaneously”. You need to prepare for competency interviews by recalling specific examples. You can also expect the interviewer to probe for more details on the situation you describe. If you have work experience great but if you do not use project, college of hobbies to provide examples.

How to prepare for competency based interviews?

You can ask for the competencies you will be assessed against. If these are not available try to work out what competencies will be assessed or hunt out similar job descriptions. Then use the STAR technique to prepare.

Situation or Task – Describe the situation, be specific and avoid generalization. Give the interviewer enough information so they understand.

Action – Describe the action taken and ensure you focus on “you” and not the team.

Result – What was the outcome or what happened? What did you achieve? What where the learning opportunities?

For more information about interviews or interview coaching visit our site.

Interview preparation is about much more that what you say. Many jobseekers practice interview questions for days before an interview. Ok this plays an important part but too often interviewee fail at interview for other reasons. Good verbal communications will help your cause BUT good non-verbal communications will often secure the deal.

To back this point I noted the results of a survey carried out by Peninsula – a UK law firm. This survey researched employers in the UK and identified the most popular reasons why they rejected applicants who had applied for positions at their company. I have outlined the top 10 reasons below.

1. 26% rejected because of improper dress.

2. 19% rejected because of lateness

3. 15% rejected as they were too money focused.

4. 11% rejected because they were cynical towards colleagues past or future.

5. 9% rejected because of poor handshake.

6. 7% rejected because they lacked direction and career ambition.

7. 5% rejected because of poor eye contact.

8. 4% rejected because of lack of research into the company.

9. 3% rejected because they mumbled.

10. 1% rejected for being a know-all

It is difficult to predict what questions will arise at interviews. There are however a few gems that keep coming up over and over again. I posted previously about the “Salary Question” and in this post I will examine how to handle two additional interview questions that may come up at your next interview.Interview Coaching – Question – Why should we employ you?
This can be taken as a guaranteed question at any interview. Here you have the employer asking you how you meet the job requirements. Some jobseekers take this as the opportunity to babble on about everything positive they have ever achieved. Be careful!! You must take a focused approach. You will have identified the key points the employer is seeking and now is your opportunity to tell them how you meet the requirements. Back up any points with evidence. So tell them what you did but also the results and achievements.Interview Coaching – Question – Why do you want to work for our company?
This question is the employers establishing if you have researched and planned your job hunt and if you have researched their organisation. Another way to ask this question is “How do the company and the role meet your needs?” This question is important as it helps the interviewer find out if you have a scattergun approach to job hunting or a planned approach. You will need to research the company and analyse the role and pick out key points that relate to your career goals.Preparing for interviews can be a daunting thought. By working with an Interview Coach you can access unlimited professional support, experience and advice. This could make the difference between success and failure. Contact us for more information about our service and costs.

Probably the most common question I am asked when providing interview coaching sessions is “How do you handle the Salary question?” Simple think of a figure and multiply it by 10 – That would be nice!!There are a couple of points I make clear to job-seekers.1. It is probably best to dodge answering this question because you could price yourself out of the job BUT worse under-price yourself. I advise job-seekers to respond something like “I am currently on x but I am open to salary depending on the role and the location” This side steps answering and it also give the impression that you are not money driven. Or you could answer with a question “What would a role like this pay in your company?” The important thing is that this strategy forces the employer to lay their cards on the table first. If they make an offer under your expectation then you can negotiate. If they make an offer over your expectation – great!!.

2. If you have a minimum figure and money is a key motivation it is probably best to give the client indication of this if asked. Again how you ask for it is important. There is no point dancing round the question only to find after 3 interviews and alot of time invested that they can’t meet your expectations - wasting you precious time.

3. Final point – it is probably best to let the employer bring up the Salary topic. Only time I would go against this if you have to go to great time or financial expense to attend an interview and what to assess if it is worth your effort.

For additional information on Interview preparation, Interview Coaching, Competency Interviews and more check out our website Measurability.

 Happy Job Hunting

There is much free information and advice on the internet for jobseekers and employers. Below are the names of a few blogs which are focused on the Irish jobs market

www.careersandjobs.ie – Career advice and information about the job market in Ireland

www.cv4jobs.ie – information about CV’s and interviews

www.hrandrecruitment.ie – Blog for employers on related HR and recruitment topics

www.jobsnews.ie – Jobs and news on the Irish jobs market

www.jobsblog.ie