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ARE YOU PREPARED?

CAREERJOURNEYA&N Coaching Limited

T: 01279 21 64 [email protected]

careerjourney.co.uk

1Sunday, 23 September 12

Copyright © 2012 by Nik Lemmens

All rights reserved. No part of this publica@on may be reproduced, distributed, or transmiBed in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior wriBen permission of the author, except in the case of brief quota@ons embodied in reviews and certain other non-‐commercial uses permiBed by copyright law. For permission requests, email the author at: [email protected] (hBp://careerjourney.co.uk)


http://careerjourney.co.uk

http://careerjourney.co.uk

Table of Contents 1. General Interview Prepara7on 2. Basic Interview Ques7ons 3. Tough Interview Ques7ons 4.Prac7ce 5.Dress Code 6. Time Keeping 7. Engaging Your Interviewer/s 8.Good Ques7ons To Ask The Interviewer 9.Closing The Interview 10.Follow Up Techniques 11.Interview Success Formula


www.careerjourney.co.uk | [email protected] | +44 (0) 1279 21 64 80

1. General Interview Prepara1onIn terms of general interview prepara@on, it is important to make sure that:

1.Your CV is in an impressive state;

2.You have done a large amount of organisa@onal research; and

3.That you have the relevant skills for the role and valid examples to showcase these skills.

So, to firstly address your CV, it is crucial that it stands out from the crowd. Therefore, do not download a basic CV template online and just fill it in, nor should you merely edit a friend’s CV. You must make your CV unique.

You must make your CV relevant to each job that you apply for, making sure that you reference skills in your CV that are men@oned in each job specifica@on and that you locate your relevant experience and achievements to the role, at the very top of your CV. This process will take longer, however, the effort you make will be recognised by poten@al employers and you are more likely to be offered an interview, than if you just send off the same generic CV in every applica@on.



1. General Interview Prepara1onIf you are applying for jobs directly with the organisa@on, instead of through recruiters, then you must make sure that you have done your research; that you know what their organisa@onal objec@ves and goals are and that you have read any recent news ar@cles.

Do not be afraid to do some more in depth research using social media plaYorms; such as, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and TwiBer, as you’ll be able to be pick up extremely useful @tbits of informa@on that, if used in an interview, could really impress your interviewers.

Remember that interviewers are on your side, they want you to do well as they want to find their ideal candidate. So, keep this in mind and ensure that you have the skills that are needed for the role and that you have real examples that you can use to showcase how you have these skills and how you have used them posi@vely in the past.



At the start of an interview, the interviewer will always try to relax a candidate first, with a few simple ques:ons that generally focus on the candidates themselves. As this is the subject that candidates know most about, it helps to calm them down and get the interview started on a posi:ve note. Below are the top 5 basic ques:ons that candidates should be prepared to answer in an interview:

Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want this job? Where would you like to be in your career five years from now? What aCracted you to this company? OR What do you know about our company?

2. Basic Interview Ques1ons



For every basic interview ques:on, there will always be at least two tough interview ques:ons, so candidates would do well to prac:ce answering as many of the tougher standard of ques:ons as possible. Below are a few examples of tough ques:ons that candidates might expect to be asked in an interview:What can you do for our company that someone else can't? How long would it take you to make a significant impact on our firm? How do you feel about having to do mundane or repe11ve work? Why are you leaving your current employer? If successful in your applica1on, how long would it be before you would expect a pay rise/ promo1on? How have you managed to aCend this interview during work 1me? What areas of this job appeal to you the least? What is your current bosses’ biggest weakness?

If any of the above ques:ons make you feel uncomfortable, then make sure that you have a standard generic answer.Some ques:ons are not all they seem and are designed to see if you will be rude about your current organisa:on or boss, in order to test your loyalty and professional manner. No organisa:on will want to hire someone who is openly disrespecIul about their place of employment.

3. Tough Interview Ques1ons



Now you have an idea of the sorts of ques:ons that you might be asked, you must prac1ce, prac1ce, and prac1ce.

Do not be embarrassed about doing a prac:ce interview with a friend or family member. AKer all, they want you to excel in the interview and will be able to advise you, as well as point out where you might be going wrong in answering any of the ques:ons.

They might also be able to remind you of examples that you have forgoMen where you have shown off various skills and achievements. Especially helpful is prac:cing with someone who has done some interviewing, so knows exactly what organisa:ons will be looking for in an ideal candidate and also what mistakes are common amongst candidates and can be avoided.

Keep in mind the old adage of ‘Prac&ce makes perfect’, as when it comes to interviews; you can never be too prepared.

4. Prac1ce



It should come as no surprise to learn that, in order to make the best impression on poten@al employers, you should always wear appropriate clothing to an interview.

It is generally assumed that the following is the appropriate clothing for a man to wear to an interview:

•Suit (solid dark colour – black, navy or grey) •Long sleeve shirt (usually white but other plain colours are acceptable as they are coordinated with the suit) •Dark colour belt •Plain @e•Dark socks with smart, clean dark shoes •Neat, professional haircut•Clean shaven, or styled, neat facial hair •LiBle or no jewellery •PorYolio or a briefcase.

5. Dress Code



For a woman aMending an interview, it is generally accepted to wear the following:

•Dark Suit (navy, black or grey) •If wearing a skirt, it should be long enough to sit down comfortably without showing too much leg •Neutral @ghts should always be worn when wearing a skirt•Coordinated blouse •Conserva@ve, smart shoes •Professional, neat hairstyle •Neutral make-‐up and perfume •Neatly manicured, clean nails •Limited or no jewellery•PorYolio or a smart bag.

5. Dress Code



It is absolutely essen@al that candidates arrive on @me to an interview. Remember that this is the very first impression you will be giving to your poten@al employer, if you are late this says to them that you are disorganised, bad at @me keeping and don’t really care about the interview. Not a good start.

To ensure you are on @me, follow these simple steps:

•Plan your route a few days in advance;•Print out a hard copy of the address of where the interview is taking place;•Make sure you have the telephone number of the office in case something beyond your control occurs and you need to cancel or delay the interview;•Ensure that you know which bus or tube lines you must take;•Have a plan ‘B’ route as a backup, in case of tube/ traffic problems;•Have extra money on you in case you need to get a taxi;•Leave more than enough @me to get to the interview; being 1 hour early is beBer than being 1 minute late. •Aim to register at recep@on 10-‐15 minutes before the interview is due to start

6. Time Keeping



One of the most important things to achieve in an interview is engaging your interviewer. This is not always easy; however, there are a number of pointers that you should take on board that can help you:

Research your interviewer -‐ before the interview you can search for the person interviewing you online, in places such as LinkedIn, where you might be able to see what their hobbies and interests are. It can then do no harm if you just ‘happen’ to men:on something of interest in the interview to get their full aMen:on. Eye contact – looking your interviewer directly in the eyes when they are asking you a ques:on communicates interest and is an absolute must, as is maintaining the eye contact when you are providing answers, as this communicates honesty. Tell a story – you need to cap:vate your interviewer, so make sure you are animated when speaking and try to tell a story when you are answering their ques:ons, so that they are eager to hear more. Don’t lecture -‐– on the flip side to the above point, you need to make sure you do not drone on and on when speaking, as this will only bore your interviewer and you will not make a good impression.

7. Engaging Your Interviewer/s



• How would you describe the responsibili1es of the posi1on?

• How would you describe a typical day in this role?

• Who does this role report to? If I am offered the posi1on, can I meet him/her?

• How much travel is expected?

• What is the typical working week?

• What are the prospects for growth and development?

• What do you like about working here?

• If I am offered the job, how soon would you like me to start?

• When can I expect to hear from you?

If you are a bit more daring:

• When can I start?

8. Good Ques1ons To Ask The Interviewer



An interview should be thought of as a sales process, in that you are ‘selling’ yourself in order to be given the job. With this in mind, you should work on “closing” the interview in the right manner, as you would a sale.

1.Before you leave, ask if there is anything else that you can provide, e.g. references, background informa@on, a porYolio.

2.At the end of the interview, re-‐emphasise your interest in the posi@on. Make sure you sound energe@c and interested and restate the value that you can bring to the job.

3.Enquire about the next step in the interview process, e.g. when can you expect to hear their decision.

9. Closing The Interview



The hard work does not finish once the interview is over. You must make sure that you are remembered and at the forefront of the interviewer’s mind for the days aier the interview. The following steps will provide you with recommended interview follow up techniques that can help you to achieve this:

Thank You LeCer/ Email – wri:ng to your interviewers to thank them for taking the :me to interview you is not a requirement but it is looked upon with posi:vity and will certainly give a great impression. Be sure to reference and thank everyone that was in the interview with you. Timing – make sure that you send the thank you leMer or email within twenty four hours of being interviewed. Length – it is best to keep the leMer/email at only two paragraphs; the first to express your thanks and reference anything specific that was discussed in the interview and the second to clarify why you want the job and think you’re the ideal candidate. Chasing – if you have not heard anything about whether you have been successful in your applica:on within a week or so, it is generally accepted to send another email to the organisa:on or simply call in to find out what the latest status is. Make sure you enquire politely and double check the contact details that they have for you.

10. Follow Up Techniques



Interviews can be very stressful. Being well prepared is the key to success.

Over the last two years we have been working hard to put together a simple and effective formula to help you pass interviews. The eBook recently got published on Amazon kindle and has received amazing reviews.

Here are some of the highlights:

“Much Needed Today”“Great and Valuable Guide”

“You CAN Get The Job!”“This book shares @ps to winning jobs using your strengths”

The book is available now on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk

The e-‐Book also comes with handy templates which you can download from our website.

Click here to get your INTERVIEW SUCCESS FORMULA now!

11. Interview Success Formula


http://www.amazon.com/Interview-Success-Formula-ebook/dp/B009A7DZ1U/

http://www.amazon.com/Interview-Success-Formula-ebook/dp/B009A7DZ1U/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009A7DZ1U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B009A7DZ1U&linkCode=as2&tag=businjourn-21


http://livepage.apple.com/

http://livepage.apple.com/




Final Words

Interviews can be very stressful. Being well prepared is the key to success and with our e-Book we think you should be able to succeed. However some people prefer a more personal approach.

Interview coaching can help you over the last hurdle in obtaining that all important job.

Our coaching program includes:

•Curriculum Vitae review•Job descrip:on assessment•How to conduct research•Confidence building•Selling your strengths•Ques:on and answer prepara:on•Succeeding at competency based interviews

The Program is spread over 4 hours of telephone coaching. These can be 4 one-‐hour calls or they can be bundled to suit your needs.

The interview coaching program is geared towards people who have failed previous interviews, lack confidence or want to land that next job as soon as possible.

Best of luck and if this guide has helped you feel free to email us your story. We might even publish it on our blog.

email: [email protected]




mailto:[email protected]?subject=Career%20Coaching

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Career%20Coaching

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