FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS JOB INTERVIEWS Welcome to Job Interviews the

FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS JOB INTERVIEWS Welcome to ‘Job Interviews’, the fifth of six ‘Futures’ workbooks, which are about helping undergraduate and postgraduate students choose and prepare a career route after graduation. Interviews are still the most commonly used method for assessing a person’s suitability for a job. In the UK 99 per cent of employers use selection interviews to recruit new people. And 50 per cent of them use no other selection method. However book six in the Futures series can also be helpful to you so use both of these books together as 50 per cent of recruiters will use an additional selection tool. The aim of this workbook is to prepare you for going for job interviews. It will: introduce and discuss three main features or stages of the interview process present you with a range of typical interview questions advise you on dealing with telephone interviews discuss the post-interview stage and your responses to it. HOW TO TACKLE THIS WORKBOOK Don’t read through it and do all the exercises at once. Tackle one exercise at a time; then stop for a while and think about what you have learned before starting again. Talk about your results and responses to exercises with other people and see if they agree with how you see yourself. Be honest in your responses, but also be fair to yourself. Don’t be tempted to miss out any of the exercises; they are designed to connect with each other in the order presented in the workbook. 1 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 1: SCENE SETTING Before we go any further. Please select 6 numbers as directed below and write your choice in the boxes: In these two boxes write any two numbers from 1 to 6 In these two boxes write any two numbers from 7 to 12 In these two boxes write any two numbers from 13 to 18 We will come back to these numbers later. But first things first. Read the scenario on the following page. 2 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Imagine Imagine you are the manager of a small company or small department. Within an organisation. You have a team of twelve and you are looking for a new graduate to fit into the team to help out generally at first but later to specialise, depending on the talents of the graduate. You are not looking for any particular degree subject: you are looking for a bright self-sufficient and adaptable person. But the person you want to recruit needs to fit in with everyone in the business or department. The team of twelve are all very mixed in terms of personality, but they all get on together. They share the same attititudes: they are all interested in the work and the determination to make the company or department succeed. Even though the company or department is thriving, it is a competitive world and the company or organisation is at a transitional point where it could push ahead of its competitors, or be sunk by them; or where the organisation could merge the department with another. It is vital to keep ahead; maintain a good reputation for the work done. You shortlist a group of six graduates; all look good on paper. You want to pick one, but are willing to re-advertise if none are suitable. What reasons might you have for rejecting five or all of the candidates? Write your comments in the space below: See next page 3 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Top Reasons for Rejecting Candidates For many jobs, a lack of technical skills or relevant work experience is the main reason for rejection. However, in the case of new graduates, where the employer is looking for someone to train the main reasons for rejecting applicants are, as follows: 1. Lack of knowledge about the prospective employer 2. Lack of interest about the employer 3. Lack of enthusiasm to work for the employer 4. No or not much evidence of being able to work in a team 5. No evidence of any past initiatives taken 6. Poor communication skills 7. Very nervous and lacking in confidence 8. Over-confident: an arrogant know-all 9. Bland: nothing of the applicant’s character comes across 10. Gut feeling – the applicant just won’t fit in. Job Interviews: a play in three parts Think of this interview scenario as a play in three parts. Each succesful act leads to the next, but the first is the most important: Act 1: The Researcher Act 2: Playing the ACEs Act 3: Fitting In 4 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS ACT 1: The Researcher: Research on the organisation and the post is vital, and if it has not happened the applicant stands little chance of being accepted. If the candidate displays limited knowledge about the organisation and the advertised post, the interviewers will go through the motions of completing the interview, but the candidate is already a loser in their minds. Act 2: Playing the ACEs: Ability, Command and Effort If the candidate has done research on the organisation and has spoken knowledgeably about it, the interviewers are going to show more interest in the candidate’s general ability, command of particular skills and achievements in life. Act 3: Fitting In If the candidate appears to have the ability to do the job, the focus will be on that person’s personality and values to see if and how these connect with the needs and values of the organisation. If you get this far, and have kept the interest of interviewers, you are in with a good chance. The big question for the selectors is ‘will this person fit in and contribute to the work of the organisation and the team?’ This can be the deciding issue with candidates who are equal on ACE factors. Let’s look at each of these in more detail. 5 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 2: THE RESEARCHER You need to brief yourself on the prospective employer before you apply for a job and certainly before an interview. You can do this by visiting a city centre business library, University library, or your University Careers Centre and using the resources there. In addition to the directories listed below, there will be relevant newspapers, e.g. Financial Times, and other useful sources of company information that you can use. The Kompass Directories contain information on company products and services and classify companies by geographical area, economic sector, and trades activity and competitor groups. The Kelly Directories give information on small firms in any region or district. There are specialist trade directories too, e.g. media, retail, legal firms. This information is contained in traditional paper-based directories or stored on CD, microfiche, or accessed via the Internet. Most organisations have websites so check these out for information. You could telephone or write to the employer and ask for marketing information, annual reports or other free data on the company. Lack of apparent interest or knowledge about the organisation is the number one reason for rejecting candidates at job interviews. Don’t forget, for the people who interview you, their organisation is the thing since... You need to show that you too burn with the same flame to give a service to others, manufacture, produce or sell...whatever. Don’t just research the prospective employer in isolation – look at where it fits into the big picture. Who are the main competitors? What are the trends in the sector? Where is this organisation going? That way you can show the selectors that you really understand what is happening. One way of preparing background information is to do a SWOT Analysis; see next page. 6 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis is a systematic way of looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding any company, organisation or profession. If you were to gather information in these four areas, you would be wellprepared for many questions in an interview. The ‘Strengths’ and ‘Opportunities’ information should be readily available – from the company itself. However, the ‘Weaknesses’ and ‘Threats’ information may be less forthcoming from the organisation. However, it can be gathered indirectly through a search of specialist or trade journals, professional association websites, consultation with University Career Development Services or general Internet trawl. The University library, for example, will be able to advise you which information sources are most likely to reveal this information. STRENGTHS Main strengths of the prospective employer are: WEAKNESSES Main weaknesses of the prospective employer are: OPPORTUNITIES Main opportunities for the prospective employer are: THREATS Main threats to the prospective employer are: 7 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 3: PLAYING THE ACEs If you appear knowledgeable about the organisation and can successfully navigate the tricky ‘why do you want to work here?’ question, the interviewers are likely to become more interested in your: A C E bility: the range of skills you have ommand: the skills you excel at; the things you do particularly well ffort: the persistence and tenacity you have shown in the past to overcome problems and to achieve goals. If you have completed ‘Futures’ workbook 1: ‘Your Skills’ you could transfer some of the results from this workbook to the exercise that follows. In preparation for a future interview, think about Your Ability List your skills (the things you feel competent at doing) in three areas: academic, work related (if applicable) and interest related. Academic Related Work Related Interest Related 8 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Command What skills do you really command? At what skills do you really excel and do particularly well? Command Academic Related Work Related Interest Related Which of the above are you most proud of? 9 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Effort Think about what you have done in the past that required significant effort, particularly to overcome difficulties. Describe: one or more difficult situations or problems that you dealt with successfully in the past Action: summarise what you did to resolve or deal with the situations or problems Results: highlight successful outcomes achieved through your efforts. Write in the box below. 10 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 4: FITTING IN OK. So far, so good. You have done your research and have been able to answer questions about the organisation (more about those later); you may have even surprised them, because of your SWOT analysis, with the depth of your knowledge. You have impressed them with your ACE answers to questions. The next big issue for them is ‘will this person fit in; is this person on our wave-length; will this person contribute to the organisation and fit into the team involved? There are three dimensions to this issue. 1. Consideration of whether the applicant has values that connect with those that underpin the company or organisation; for example, giving a good service to others; making a profit for the company; making a quality product 2. Wanting a particular personality to fit in with members of an existing team: to balance or complement the team in a particular way. 3. Personal attraction to the candidate: liking or respecting that person; feeling that you (as an employer) would like to work alongside the candidate and gain from the experience. These three elements play their combined part in many, if not most, job interviews. Values As regards the first dimension, candidates need to find out as much as they can about the values that drive an organisation and ask themselves ‘do I believe in these myself?’ If the answer is ‘no’, then it might be better to seek work elsewhere and with an organisation that is compatible with your own values and beliefs. The values that drive an organisation can be discovered by looking at their: • • • Mission or Vision statement (printed or on websites) Company or organisation promotional literature Staff newsletters (most organisations will send you copies if you ask them) 11 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Team Work Organisations often recruit for trainees with an existing team in mind and seek candidates to either balance or complement that team. In most cases, it is the latter that applies: they seek someone who is going to be adaptable and is likely to work harmoniously with others in the team. They will try to measure this in a number of ways: by your attitides and demeanour in the interview, and your responses to particular questions about your personality (see section 4). You can prepare for these questions by tackling Futures workbooks 1: ‘Your Skills’ and 2: ‘Your Values & Personality’, both available at www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers Personal Attraction This is an often hidden but important element in any interview. The selectors are only human and can be influenced by the personal demeanour of candidates. They may be asking themselves the question ‘would I like to work alongside this person?’ Exercise Imagine you meet someone for the first time. What factors contribute to making you like and get on with that person? Think about the external, outward things, and then about more intrinsic or internal factors of attraction:more related to your instincts and feelings about that person. Write in the columns below. External Internal 12 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS The Psychology of Attraction The factors you may have listed are likely to fall into two groups External Factors Internal Factors About the people we like: External Factors They make eye contact with us They have a pleasant expression They show a genuine interest in us They appear to like us They have a sense of humour Their temperament is similar or complementary to ours Their appearance conforms to norms that we understand or share They have similar values or beliefs to our own Their attitude to life is similar to ours Their motivations are similar to ours Internal Factors They share similar attitudes & disposition to us The saying ‘opposites attract’ may be true for some, but generally it is similarities that attract us. We like people who appear to like us, and who share a similar set of attitudes, beliefs and values on life. Often these things will emerge slowly over time, so that friendships grow, particularly if people see each other on a regular basis. But an interview is a concentrated and intensive social encounter, so the above elements come quickly to the fore. Of all the above elements listed – making eye contact with the interviewers is the most important. Don’t be afraid to look at them – although don’t ‘fix’ on them with an unblinking stare, as this can be unnerving if you are on the receiving end! So the minute you walk in the door, you are being assessed. Read on… 13 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS First Impressions Count The scrutiny of you as a potential employee begins early: the minute you walk in the door. The interviewers will begin to make an early impression of you, but their judgement will sway in the balance until you begin to answer their questions (see next section). However, you need to get them on your side – get them to start liking you. Job Applicants From Hell: the Ones that Employers Hate Inappropriate Dress: Applicants who are scruffy or over-casual in appearance; someone who really hasn’t smartened themselves up for the interview. Arrogance or Being Too Cocky: The job applicants who come over in an interview as ‘know-all’, a show-off, or someone overargumentative or confrontational with the interviewers. Monosyllabic Responses: The applicants who mumble ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘don’t know’ type answers in a flat voice, instead of trying to give full responses and look as if they are interested in the job. Appearance You would have chosen a smart and quite formal outfit with colours that blend. Your SWOT analysis would have given you clues about the image the company is trying to promote to the outside world and you would have connected with this in your own appearance. Tip! Don’t smoke before you go into the interview room, as interviewers who are non-smokers may be very sensitive to the smell of tobacco, which can linger on clothing. 14 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS If there is more than one person in the room, ensure that you make brief eye contact with all of them. If you avoid eye contact with anyone they may be offended and begin to be suspicious of you. Body Language Do not sit down until invited to do so. Do not offer to shake hands unless the lead interviewer proffers his or her hand. Be careful with your posture. An upright posture will convey an image of business-like confidence. Don’t fiddle with pens, glasses, jewellery, handbags - or anything else! Don’t look deadly serious - try and relax your face: think about your facial muscles - let your jaw go slack; try and reduce the tension around your mouth. If you are worried about your hands shaking during an interview, try loosely holding your left wrist with your right hand. It looks perfectly normal and will control your hands from visibly shaking. When you talk, look at the person who asked the question in a relaxed way. ...which brings us on to the questions and the next section. 15 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 5: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The one thing you can guarantee will happen in an interview is that you will be asked questions! One of the keys to success in interviewing therefore is to anticipate and prepare for some of the likely (and unlikely) questions that you will be asked. The questions you will be asked will fall into the three groups already discussed in this workbook: (Research): about your preparedness for the interview and knowledge of the organisation (ACE): about your abilities, expertise and past achievements (Personality): about you as a person and whether or not you will blend into the organisation and will contribute to its success. Although questions connecting with these three groups will undoubtedly be asked, there is always an element of anticipation as you will not know exactly the wording of the questions until you are in the room. To get you to feel something of this anticipation, look back to page 1 of this workbook and write in the boxes below the six numbers you chose. • Numbers chosen between 1-6 connect with questions relating to Research: your preparedness for the interview and knowledge of the organisation. Numbers chosen between 7-12 connect with ACE questions: your range of skills. particular expertise and past efforts to achieve success. Numbers chosen between 13-18 connect with personality questions: about you as a person and whether or not you will blend into the organisation and contribute to its success. • • On the pages that follow, go straight to the six questions you chose and answer those first. If you wish, you can then try any of the others. The more you think about questions like these and your likely responses, the better prepared you will be. You will find there is space in the right hand column for you to jot down what you might say in answer to the questions. 16 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Questions 1 – 6: About Your Preparedness for the Interview and Your Knowledge of the Organisation Think in general terms what you would say in reply to the chosen questions. Specific answers would depend on the job vacancy and organisation or company concerned. 1 Why do you want to work for us? 2 What differentiates one organisation/company from its competitors? (This is likely to be followed up by a supplementary question: ‘What makes our organisation different from its competitors?’ 3 What is the purpose of a company or organisational mission statement? (This is likely to be followed up by ‘Do you know what ours is?’) 4 How have you prepared for this interview? 5 What do you think you will like most about working here? 6 Why do you want this job? 17 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Questions 7-12: About Your Abilities, Command of Skills and Past Efforts. 7 What’s your greatest strength? 8 What skills do you have that would benefit our organisation? 9 Give us an example of when and how you showed some initiative? 10 What weaknesses have you that might affect your work here? 11 Give us a past example of when you were creative or did something that was new or different. 12 Why should we give you the job? 18 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Questions 13-18: About Your Personality and Whether or Not You Will Blend Into the Organisation. 13 What do you see yourself doing five years from now? 14 What motivates you? 15 How do you operate under stress? 16 How do you handle criticism? 17 How well do you work in a team? 18 How do you spend your leisure time? Comments on questions 1-18 can be found on pages 21-24 of this workbook. 19 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Any Questions For Us? It is extremely likely you will be asked this question at the end of your interview. This part of the interview is a very important one, as the questions you do or don’t ask can say a great deal about you. Some applicants can ruin their chances at this point by asking inappropriate questions, so some preparation is necessary. And not asking questions won’t let you off the hook, as it can make you appear unenthusiastic. Tip! If you haven’t been asked a particular question that you hoped would be asked, take this opportunity to present your case. You could say something like, ‘yes, I have some questions, and I would also like to take this opportunity to say about my experience in…” Interviewers are always impressed by enthusiasm – and it can tip the balance in your favour if there is a close decision on candidates to be made. So have some questions ready, but what questions? Think of questions you could ask and write them in the space below. See next page. 20 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Some Questions You Could Ask Questions you could ask fall into three groups regarding: • • • the culture of organisation their organisational plans your role in the organisation Don’t be afraid to ask them the type of challenging questions they have been asking you; they are likely to respect you for it. However, the way you ask questions is just as important as what you ask. Even the most challenging questions can be asked if the tone is right – with voice calm, non-aggressive and pleasantly enquiring. Examples: Culture What do you think is the best thing about the organisation? What does the organisation do to encourage innovation and creativity? How would you describe the atmosphere in the organisation? Do you promote internally when possible? How does the organisation recognise outstanding achievements of its employees? What reasons do your clients or customers give for choosing this organisation over others? (You may want to substitute the word ‘organisation’ for ‘company’ or ‘firm’ in the interview). Organisational Plans How optimistic are you about the long term future of this organisation? How will the organisation make use of information technology over the next five years? How will the organisation respond to competition over the next five years? Has the organisation made any recent changes to improve its performance? Your Role What do you hope I would have achieved six months from now? If I was offered this job where would you see me in five years time? What opportunities are there to gain extra qualifications or experience? Have you any reservations about my ability to do this job? (This can really put them on the spot, but is an opportunity for you to correct any misinterpretation they may have about you). 21 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS What’s Behind The Questions Earlier in the workbook you attempted to answer some typical interview questions. It is important to think about why these questions were asked. 1. Why do you want to work for us? You would emphasise what you can offer them – not vice versa. So you could summarise how you feel your skills, interests and motivation connects with the organisation in general and the job in particular. This is also a good opportunity to show off the research you have done into the company or organisation; you could mention one or two facts that suggest this is a go-ahead employer. 2. What differentiates one organisation from its competitors? (This is likely to be followed up by ‘What makes our organisation different from its competitors?’ The main question is framed to test your knowledge about competition in general, and the supplementary will test your knowledge about the position in the market of the organisation. A general answer that stresses the importance of quality, effective marketing and serving customer or client needs is required – but be ready to answer the supplementary question. 3. What is the purpose of an organisational mission statement? (This is likely to be followed up by ‘Do you know what ours is?’) The mission statement sets the goals and commercial agenda for the organisation. But be ready to answer the supplementary question. You don’t need to memorise their mission statement word for word, but have a good sense of what it is about. 4. How have you prepared for this interview? This is an opportunity to mention the sources you consulted before the interview (see page 6). You could mention one or two specific facts you learned about the organisation at this point to demonstrate this. 5. What do you think you will like most about working here? Similar to question 1 above; this gives you an opportunity to talk about what you have to offer the company and include what you consider to be the attractive features of the organisation: interesting range of challenging projects; research; work with the public, and so on. 22 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS 6. Why do you want this job? Another variation on 1 and 5; see comments on those questions. 7. What’s your greatest strength? The organisation is interested in what you can offer them. So be selective and talk about your abilities in relation to the specific job vacancy; link your strengths selectively to the role you would play with this employer. If you really do enjoy new challenges and approach them in an organised way, this would be a strength in any work situation. 8. What skills do you have that would benefit our organisation? This is a more open variation on question 7; same comments as above. 9. Give us an example of when and how you showed some initiative? Pick an example when you took the lead to do something that worked well. It doesn’t have to be a major project; it can be as simple as organising a social event. The important thing is that it was your idea, you convinced others of its merits and you took the lead in managing the successful outcome. 10. What weaknesses have you that might affect your work here? Tricky! Contrary to popular belief this question does not come up very often in job interviews - but you should be prepared in case it does. Don’t duck the question; we all have weaknesses and the interviewers are looking for positive, talented people, but who are human and enjoy life. The following can be effective: • humour (‘I have irresistable daily urges for double choc-chip ice cream’). However, be careful with this, as you need to judge the mood and demeanour of the interviewers to get away with it. Something you are working on to overcome. This shows you recognise you have a problem, but are doing something about it. Something your interviewer may see as a strength, e.g. a tendency toward perfectionism in whatever you do; anxiety about timemanagement. • • 23 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS 11. Give us a past example of when you were creative or did something that was new or different. The interviewer is looking for evidence of your originality and problem solving ability. This doesn’t however have to be about discovering the secret of perpetual motion or a cure for baldness. It can be something quite simple, but made a difference to yourself or to others. It can be as simple as suggesting a different social activity to your friends and convincing them to join in. Creativity is often about looking at an established situation in new ways, particularly to resolve problems. 12. Why should we give you the job? The interviewers are looking for your genuine interest and enthusiasm to work for them. You would emphasise that you have the skills needed by the employer and that you will work hard for them. It is best to tackle this question in terms of ‘win-win’: the employer wins because you have the skills they need; and you win because it offers you an opportunity to develop those skills to your career advantage. 13. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? The employer is looking for evidence of your ambition and commitment. You could answer this one by saying that you would seek opportunities for career progression and self-development in the organisation whenever they occurred. 14. What motivates you? Connect your values and the things that drive your ambitions with the job. However, enjoying a challenge, working as a team, not ducking away from problems would be positive characteristics for any type of work. You might want to tackle the exercises in ‘Futures’ workbook 2: ‘Your Personality and Values’ in preparation for questions like this. 15. How do you operate under stress? Another tricky question! This is aimed at discovering if you can deal with problems quickly and efficiently and confront problems head-on. The best response would be to think of a particular situation that you felt you dealt with well and then describe what happened and how you handled any stress. The important thing about stress is to have strategies for dealing with it, e.g. exercise; relaxing music; talking it through with someone else. 24 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS 16. How do you handle criticism? No one likes to be criticised and it would be honest to say that. However, a positive answer would be that you would think objectively about what has been said and resolve to change your behaviour if the criticism was justified. But you would assert yourself if you thought the criticism was unjustified, particularly if based on a misunderstanding. 17. How well do you work in a team? Give examples of the roles you have played in past or current teams. You could use course groups or work projects for your examples, or any other groups or teams you belong to. It is a good idea to present examples of when you took the initiative or lead in a team, or how you helped to overcome or resolve a problem. 18. How do you spend your leisure time? Employers will be asking this to make sure you have a rounded personality – but also to ensure your interests will not interfere with the job! Try and connect your interests to the job in question in some way, e.g. skills that are common to both. If You Get Invited to Lunch If you get invited to lunch during your visit to the organisation, don’t relax your guard, as this will be an important part of the interview process. The Futures workbook 6: ‘Selection Methods’ deals in depth with this issue, but the important points are these: Avoid alcohol – you need to stay alert, and sober! Avoid food that can potential cause you difficulties, e.g. picking out fish bones; messy food with the potential to splash on you, and worse, others. “Watch your table manners – keep your elbows off the table; don’t talk whilst eating” (Yeah, OK, Mum!) Have some questions or discussion topics in case the conversation dries up, and to show you are interested in the company Above all, don’t forget you are being observed and judged. 25 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 6: TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS Telephone Interviews Telephone interviews can be challenging because you cannot see the interviewer's non-verbal reactions to what you say. Conversely, the interviewer cannot see you. This places all the weight on your phone manners, clarity of speech, tone and the content of your answers. If you are expecting a telephone interview, keep these points in mind: Before the phone call • • Treat the phone interview as you would a face-to-face interview. If you expect a telephone interview, conduct a mock telephone interview with a friend to gain feedback on your voice quality and speech. Before the interview, prepare talking points for the call including the skills and talents you would bring to the company, specific achievements, reasons why you want to work for the organisation. Have some key facts about the organisation at hand. You are likely to be asked ‘what-do-you-know-about-the organisation’ type questions. Have some specific questions to ask them about the job or organisation. Make sure you have your CV and a copy of your original application to the organisation near the phone. Have pen & paper ready to take notes. Try and take the call in a quiet room away from distractions. • • • • • • When the phone rings • If the call arrives at a totally inconvenient time, do not be afraid to say so and arrange another day and time when you both will be free. Telephone interviews can make you nervous; this can sound in your voice. To overcome this, breathe deeply and relax. Make a conscious effort to slow your speech, as when we are nervous our voice can speed up. Smile, it changes your speech and the person on the other end can sense it. • • 26 FUTURES • • JOB INTERVIEWS Write down the full names and titles of each call participant. If you think of a question or comment while the interviewer is speaking, jot a note on your talking points list, so you remember it later. Take notes: dates, times, venues of any next step in the selection process. Before ending the call, be sure you know the next step in the process, and offer to provide any additional information needed. Do not hang up until the interviewer has hung up. If you are invited to a second stage of selection, send a formal follow-up / thank you letter. • • • • NOT QUITE THE RIGHT RESPONSE! Interviewer: ‘ Tell me what you think your main strengths are?’ Applicant: ‘O, hang on a minute, I’ll ask. MUM!!! 27 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS SECTION 7: AFTER THE INTERVIEW Immediately after the interview it is important that you review your own performance: What sort of experience was it (tense, unpleasant, challenging, relaxed)? Did you manage to stay (or at least appear) relaxed and confident in manner? Were you able to demonstrate a good knowledge of the organisation and the job? Which topics had you anticipated, and which came as unexpected? What did you feel you put across well? What do you feel you could have improved upon and how? Were there any questions you found particularly difficult, and if so why? How did you cope with them? What sort of impression do you feel you made on the interviewers? What aspects of your interview performance might you have improved on and how? If you get offered the job, then you can congratulate yourself – and don’t forget to let your referees know and to thank them. It is also a good idea to gain feedback on your interview even if you have been successful, as there may have been things, even in a successful interview, that you could have done better. The checklist on the following page will help you to evaluate your interview performance, and is best done soon afterwards when the interview is still fresh in your mind. 28 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS AFTER INTERVIEW CHECKLIST: HOW WELL DID YOU DO? Complete this immediately after each job interview. Tick √ each item dealt with satisfactorily. Put a X against anything forgotten or otherwise unsatisfactory. Add any relevant comments. Place of Interview ___________________________________________ √ or X Researched location, arranged transport, arrived on time Dressed appropriately Kept good posture Avoided nervous mannerisms Answered questions fully Didn't undersell myself Described my qualifications Described my previous experience Described my personal interests Pointed out my special strengths Stressed why I was suited to this job Looked at interviewer whilst talking Smiled occasionally Concluded interview positively and confidently Comments 29 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS Questions needing review or practice of answers: Question Better Answer *********************************************************** However, few people get what they are after with just one interview. You have to accept that no matter how well you do in preparing and presenting yourself, someone else may have done just as well and have qualifications or experience equal or better than you. Not being offered the job should not be taken as a reproach – the odds are always against you in an interview, e.g. 5 or 6 to 1 against you being accepted. All you can do is your best, but if you are not offered the job you should always seek feedback from the lead interviewer on your performance. The chances are however, that the feedback will focus on some aspect of your performance, answers to certain questions posed or on certain aspects of your communication skills, e.g. avoiding eye contact with interviewers, hesitant answers or, conversely, over-confidence. No matter how unjustified you feel such comments are, it does more harm than good to get into an argument about it with the employer. They may even be right! There may be other work opportunities in the near future with that organisation and if you can leave a good impression in their minds, they may come back to you to see if you are interested in the new opening. If you are really keen on working for that organisation, let the interviewer know. And keep in touch with them from time to time. Sooner or later, there’s every chance it may win you another job – which might be better than the one you originally applied for. 30 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS It Was Written... It is frustrating and often hurtful to be unsuccessful at job interviews, particularly if you know you are a strong candidate. But if you are not appointed, perhaps the job wasn’t really right or destined for you. In some cultures, they would say that it ‘was written’ that you would not get that particular job, and that this will spur you or guide you to find eventually what is your true calling. Whether you believe this or not, you can learn valuable lessons from rejection. The important thing is not to let the rejection defeat or depress you - but encourage you on to do better next time. If you feel you have been discriminated against on the grounds of age, disability, gender or race you may have grounds to complain to an Industrial Tribunal. But you will need evidence of actual discrimination to succeed. This evidence would normally be found in the words or actions used by interviewers before, during or after the interview. 31 FUTURES JOB INTERVIEWS THE ‘FUTURES’ WORKBOOKS There are six ‘Futures’ workbooks. Numbers 1 to 3 concern selfassessment, and 4 to 6 are about effective communication with employers and job selection methods. The titles are shown below. If you found this book useful it is advisable you also look at book 6 before your interview. 1. Your Skills Error! The workbooks are av 2. Your Personality & Values Self-assessment 3. DecisionMaking & Problem Solving 4. CVs & Applications 5. Job Selection Process (1): Interviews Communication with Employers 6. Job Selection Process (2): Selection Methods The workbooks are available online at www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers and from the Careers Centre in G102, Civic Quarter and G02, IT Block, Headingley Campus (near the bookshop). 32