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Interview Tips
How to Improve Your Performance at Interviews:

The short time you spend at a job interview could have a dramatic effect on your career prospect. It is therefore important that you preform well because no matter how good your carreer record is to date, tje interview remains an important step towards fulfilment of your ambitions. These hints, combined with guidance provided by our consultants, will equip you with valuable information on how to conduct youself during interviews with prospective employers.

During the course of an interview, the employer will be evaluating your negative factors as well as your positive attributes.  Listed below are negative factors frequently evaluated during the course of an interview and those which most often lead to rejection.

  •    Poor personal appearance;
  •    Aggressive and conceited ‘superiority complex’- coming off as a ‘Know it all’
  •    Inability to express thoughts clearly – poor diction or grammar
  •    Lack of planning for career – no purpose or goals;
  •    Lack of interest and enthusiasm – passive and indifferent;
  •    Lack of confidence – nervousness;
  •    Over-emphasis on money – interested only in remuneration;
  •    Evasive – makes excuses for unfavourable factors in record
  •    Lack of tact / maturity / courtesy
  •    Condemnation of past employers
  •    Failure to look interviewer in the eye
  •    Limp handshake
  •    Lack of appreciation of the value of experience
  •    Persistent attitude of ‘What can you do for me?’
  •    Lack of preparation for interview – failure to get information about
       the company, resulting in the inability to ask intelligent questions
Preparation for the interview
Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview. Company interviewers are continually amazed at the number of applicants who drift into their offices without any apparent preparation and only the vaguest idea of what they are going to say. Thus it is important to know the following: -

  •    Exact place and time of interview
  •    Interviewers full name
  •    Correct pronunciation and his/her title
Dress conservatively and preferably in darker colours, pay attention to all facets of your dress and grooming.

Find out specific facts about the company – where its offices or stores are located; what its products and/or services are; what its growth has been and what its growth potential is for the future.

Ask your consultant any questions about the company you want answered to prepare yourself for the interview, also it is a good idea to ‘Google’ the company.

Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present / former employer.  You will be expected to know a lot about a company that you have previously worked for.
Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview.
Remember that an interview is a ‘two way street’. The employer will try to determine through questioning if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must determine through questioning whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek.

Tips for probing questions you might ask: -
  •    A detailed description of the position
  •    Reason the position is available
  •    Culture of the company
  •    Anticipated induction and training programme
  •    What sort of people have done well
  •    Advanced training programmes available for those who demonstrate outstanding    ability
  •    Earnings of those successful people in their third to fifth year
  •    Company growth plans
  •    Best-selling products or services
  •    The next step
Be prepared to answer questions like: -
  •   Why did you choose the particular role? What do you really want out of your    next career move?
  •    Why would you like to work for our organisation?
  •    What do you want to be doing in your career five years from now? Why?
  •    What was the size of your last salary review / bonus?
  •    What style of management gets the best from you?
  •    What interests you about our products or services?
  •    Can you get recommendations from previous employers?
  •    What would they say about you?
  •    What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
  •    Which did you enjoy most? Why?
  •    What is your major weakness? What have you done about it?
  •    What do you think determines a person’s progress in a good company?
  •    Are you willing to relocate?
  •    Tell me about yourself?
  •    What does ‘teamwork’ mean to you?
The Interview
You are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to hire somebody – not because he/she wants to trip you up or embarrass you. Through the interaction which will take place during the interview, he/she will be searching out your strong and weak points, probe deeply to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity.
Closing the Interview
If you are interested in the position, ask for it. If he / she offers the position to you and you want it, accept on the spot. If you want some time to think about it, be courteous and tactful in asking for that time. Set a definite date when you can provide an answer. Don’t be too discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary discussed. The interviewer will probably want to communicate with his / her office first or interview more applicants before making a decision.

If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don’t let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction.

Thank the interviewer for his / her time and consideration of you. Make sure you have answered the two questions uppermost in his / her mind: -
  • Why are you interested in the job and the company?
  • What can you offer and can you do the job?
After the Interview
Lastly, call the consultant at RecruitMan who referred you to the position immediately after the interview and explain what happened. He / she will want to talk with you before the interviewer calls him / her back. If you are interested in progressing further it will assist if your feelings towards the position are known, together with your perception of what the client’s reaction is likely to be.


Do…

Plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable.

If presented with an application. Fill it out neatly and completely.

Greet the interviewer by surname if you are sure of the pronunciation. If not, ask them to repeat their name.

Shake hands firmly

Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair. Look alert and interested at all times.

Be a good listener as well as a good talker.

Smile

Look a prospective employer in the eye while you talk to him/her.

Follow the interviewer’s lead but try to get the interviewer to describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview so that you can relate your background and skills to the position.

Make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual and sincere manner. Keep in mind that you alone can sell yourself to an interviewer. Make him/her realise the need for you in his/her organisation.

Don’t…

Don’t answer questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Explain whenever possible. Tell those things about yourself which relate to the position.

Don’t ever make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies.

Don’t ‘over-answer’ questions. The interviewer may steer the conversation into politics or economics. Since this can be ticklish, it's best to answer the questions honestly, trying not to say more than is necessary.

Don’t ask about Salary, holidays, or bonuses at the initial interview unless you are positive the employer is intending to hire you and raises the issue first. However, you should know your market value and be prepared to specify your required salary range.

Don’t smoke even if the interviewer smokes and offers you a cigarette.

Don't always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on opportunity. It is better to be in the position where you can choose from a number of jobs rather than only one.


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