Interview Tips

You only have a short time to show a prospective employer that you are the person for the job and it is important that you create a good impression. This is a chance for the company to learn more about you and your skills and experiences, as well as a chance for you to review the company, the position and the offer. IT2 has put together the following guide with some useful tips from experienced professionals.

PREPARATION

Location of the company and interviewer's details.
Make sure you know the exact place and time of the interview, as well as the interviewer's name, pronunciation and title

Facts about the company
Do some research on the on the organisation and the position offered.

• What its products and services are.
• Where its offices / plants / stores are located.
• What its growth has been.
• What operating system, hardware, software, languages they use

Other sources of information include:

• Annual Company Reports
• The Stock Exchange Research Handbook
• Ask your ITCRA member recruitment consultant to help you.

PRACTICE

Questions to practice
The following are frequently asked questions during interviews. Read through them and mentally prepare a brief answer for each.

• Tell me about yourself
• What kind of job are you looking for?
• Why did you leave your last position?
• What are your goals?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are you doing about addressing them? (Weaknesses)
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you feel qualified for this job?
• Why did you chose this role?
• Why did you choose your particular career?
• What you would like to be doing in five years' time?
• What is your most significant achievement?
• How would your boss describe your job performance?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Describe your ideal job.
• How long will you stay with us?
• Why haven't you found a new position before now?
• How would you evaluate your present/last company?
• What do you think of your previous/current boss?
• Describe a few situations in which your work was criticised.
• If you had your choice of jobs and companies, where would you go?
• Describe what you feel to be an ideal working environment and an ideal boss?
• Are you willing to relocate?
• What does teamwork mean to you?
• What was the toughest decision you had to make last year and what made it so difficult?
• What type of books do you read?

Facts about your present / past employer(s) and your responsibilities
You will be expected to know a lot about a company you have previously worked for and should be able to answer questions which demonstrate your competence, experience, knowledge and abilities. Make a list of all of your past significant achievements - expand on the ones you have highlighted in your resume.

During the interview, you can present your achievements using the Problem, Action, Result (PAR) format. Identify the PAR "story" for each of the skills required for the position. Remember to use this format to give a complete and concise illustration.

• Describe the problem in one to two sentences.
• Explain your actions in response to the problem in one to three sentences.
• Provide a short, punchy sentence that clearly expresses the result or the benefit to the company

Questions you might ask...
Remember that the interview is your chance to determine whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek. If you have more than you are prepared to ask: express that you have additional questions, but out of respect for the interviewer's schedule, you'll save them until your next meeting.

Some suggested questions you might ask during the interview about the position and the organisation:

• A detailed description of the position
• Reason the position is available
• Culture of company
• IT changes and develops rapidly, what opportunities for training and advancement are envisaged?
• What style of person has done well
• Opportunities available for those who demonstrate outstanding ability
• Earnings of those successful people in their third to fifth year
• Company development and growth plans
• Best-selling products or services
• The next step

THE INTERVIEW

Be well presented and dress conservatively.
Arrive on time. Give yourself plenty of time to make the journey, park the car and have a coffee. Even if you have to spend a few minutes waiting, it is better than being late. If you are late for any reason beyond your control, stay calm - explain and apologise.

• Switch off the mobile, or better still, leave it behind.
• If presented with an application, fill it in neatly. Watch for spelling errors.
• Greet the interviewer(s) by his/her surname. Shake hands firmly.
• Wait until you are offered a chair before you sit down.
• Don't smoke even if the interviewer smokes and offers you a cigarette.
• Look people in the eye as you speak to them. If there is more than one interviewer on the panel, try to address each of them at some time during the interview.
• Don't wander, stick to the matters raised by the interviewers. Avoid over answering questions.
• Listen at least as much as you talk.

Body language
Be aware of your nonverbal communication and gestures, which might convey anxiety and interfere with your message. Words express only about 30 - 35% of what people actually communicate and nonverbal communications such as facial expressions, body movement and actions convey the rest. During an interview, what you convey nonverbally may be as important as what you say.

Facial Expressions: eyes are a key nonverbal indicator. Looking away indicates shyness, dislike or a lack of interest. Eye contact indicates a desire for communication, feedback and friendliness. Posture: the way you sit or stand can convey energy or fatigue, interest or boredom. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to indicate interest and enthusiasm. Voice and Gestures: a well-modulated voice with a moderate pitch and inflection conveys interest and appropriate excitement.

Negative factors

• Overbearing - aggressive - conceited 'superiority complex' - 'know-it-all' attitude.
• Lack of planning for career - no purpose or goals.
• Lack of interest and enthusiasm - passive and indifferent.
• Lack of confidence - nervousness. If you are nervous, say so.
• Over-emphasis on money - interested only in remuneration.
• Evasive - makes excuses for unfavourable aspects in past record.
• Lack of tact/maturity/courtesy.
• Persistent attitude of "What can you do for me?"
• Lack of preparation for interview - failure to get information about the company, resulting Inability to ask intelligent questions or to express thoughts clearly - poor grammar and diction

Don'ts

• Don't make negative or derogatory comments about your past employers.
• Don't gossip.
• Don't allow yourself to be led into matters of politics or economics even if you hold strong views on such matters - if the interviewer makes statements which you find unacceptable you might wish to consider a polite withdrawal from the interview.
• Don't enquire about salary, holidays, bonuses
• Don't lie - Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as to the point as possible. Be yourself, most people play this part well. Don't play roles - you are selling yourself, not something you cannot deliver.

Closing the interview
Try to decide whether you want the job during the interview. Let the interviewer know how interested you are in the position. Ask for the next interview if the situation demands. If they offer you the position and you want it, accept on the spot. If you need time to think about it, say so - but give a time within 24 hours by which you will respond. Don't say you have other options to consider without offering to respond within a reasonable time. Remember that if you accept a job, you have given your word - it is a verbal contract. If you change your mind and want to retract later, you will plunge everyone concerned into an awkward mess. You will also jeopardise your standing as an ethical professional. If you have any doubts, ask for time to think.

Don't be too discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary discussed. The interviewer will probably want to communicate with their office first or interview more applicants before making a decision. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration of you.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Immediately after the interview, call your ITCRA member recruitment consultant who referred you to the position and explain what happened. They will want to talk with you before the interviewer calls them 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.

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