Interview techniques - what questions should you be asking?
If you’ve made it as far as interview stage then congratulations! We told you all that time spent on a CV and cover letter would pay off!
Job application advice
Unless you’re one of the lucky ones you’ll now be experiencing terror out of all proportion to how scary an interview actually is. Witty, charming and coherent you may be – but all it takes is the prospect of an interview to turn most of us into gibbering wrecks.
First of all let’s dispel the big myth surrounding interviews - recruiters are not trying to catch you out! Interviews are really just a great big chance for you to talk about how great you are for an hour or so – who wouldn’t enjoy that! As long as you’re prepared (and the CV you sent them wasn’t entirely fictitious) then interviews can actually be enjoyable – really!
Here are a few of our top tips to help you walk into that interview room full of confidence:
Do:
- Research the company. You’ll never convince anyone you want to work for them if you don’t really know what they do. Do your homework and make sure you come across as genuinely enthusiastic and well informed. On absolutely no account are you ever allowed to ask “so what is it you guys do here?”
- Familiarise yourself with the job spec until you know it inside out. Write down examples of how you fulfil each of the requirements and any experience you have that is relevant to each of the duties of the role. Repeat them to yourself until they come easily to mind
- Confirm and memorise the names of the interviewer/s. If you’ll be interviewed by a panel, it’s worth making a note of what each person’s role is so you’ll know the right person to address any questions to (eg – training questions to HR representative, role specific questions to the Line Manager)
- Find out the dress code prior to your meeting. If you’re not sure then it’s best to dust off your best/only suit - first impressions count and this will make you look professional. On that note remember a confident (not crushing) handshake and a friendly smile can go a long way (keep the smile natural though or they’ll think you’re a nutter)
- Be on time, double check your address and plan your route beforehand. If you’re up against a lot of people for this job the people who turn up late will most likely be the first names crossed of the list
- As will anyone chewing gum! It’s a great idea to chew gum or a mint before you go in – but make sure it’s gone before you get in there! Chewing throughout the interview just doesn’t say “I’m a professional.”
- Think about your body language. You want to appear friendly and confident (even if you’re absolutely terrified and your every instinct is telling you to run away) so sit up straight, arms uncrossed and maintain good eye contact
- Ask questions – it shows you’re genuinely interested in the role and company
- Answer the question asked of you. If you’re unsure what they’re asking then ask them to clarify it, don’t just go off on a tangent and hope that at some point you’ll say the right thing
- At the end of the interview ask what the next step is…and congratulate yourself for getting through it!
Dont:
- Ask stupid or irrelevant questions. Maybe you do really want to know more about the potential pay/holidays/good-looking colleagues – but keep it to yourself for now
- Ask about sick-pay/flexitime. Remember - you’re trying to give the impression that you’re so dedicated to your job you’d walk across hot coals to be at your desk on time
- Slouch, fidget, sit with your arms crossed or gaze aimlessly around the room
- Be overly familiar
- Wear a comedy tie (to be honest this one doesn’t just apply to interviews)
- Talk over the interviewer or interrupt
- Complain about past employers. Save the moaning for your friends/partner/blog and pretend that your office isn’t largely populated by people you’d cross the road to avoid in normal circumstances
The most important thing to do (and therefore the most difficult) is to relax! Bear in mind that if you’ve made it to the interview stage you’ve got the experience and qualifications necessary to do the job. The interview is just to find out your attitude, aptitude and how well you’ll fit in with the company – so just be yourself.
Preparing for the interrogation (don’t worry it won’t really be that bad)
Ok so you can’t predict every question you’ll be asked, but there are a couple of questions almost guaranteed to come up in an interview. They’re neatly listed below – don’t say we’re not good to you!
- What made you apply for this job?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why are you leaving your current role?
- What would you imagine to be the immediate duties to be undertaken after starting this job?
- Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
- What aspects of the job really appeal to you and which do you think you’d find difficult?
- What has been your biggest success in your current role?
- What has been your biggest failure?
- What drives and motivates you?
- Are you able to work under pressure/prioritise lots of different tasks?
Do you have any questions?
First of all…
Under no circumstances do you answer this question with:
" No, I think you’ve covered everything. "
We promise you, they haven’t. If you don’t ask questions when given the opportunity you risk damaging all your previous good work by sounding like you’re not fully prepared for or engaged with the interview.
Asking questions isn’t just a way to show the interviewer you’re interested and committed to the job, it’s also your chance to find out if the role really is right for you. Find out about the company’s values, whether the role will involve team work mainly or working alone, is the office fast-paced, are new ideas encouraged? Before the interview take time to think about what factors are important to you in a job and make sure the company can supply these.
Ideally, questions will occur to you as the interview progresses. It’s always best to be prepared though, so here are a few questions to get you started:
- Now that we’ve discussed my qualifications and experience do you have any reservations about my ability to do the job?
- As my direct report what are the main priorities you would like to see accomplished in the first weeks/months?
- In what area could your team use a little improvement? What skills can I bring to round out the team?
- What made you join the company? Why would you recommend that I join the company?
- What kind of processes are in place to encourage team work?
- What kind of training and development could I expect?
- How much travel is expected?
- Can you tell me about the management leadership style within the business?
- What made the last person successful in this role? Are there any changes you would like to see in the way the role is performed?
- Who are the key people, internally and externally, who this role will interact with?
When you get started you’ll soon find there are loads of questions you can ask. And then you can smugly look forward to impressing the interviewer when you say:
"Actually, yes, I do have a few questions for you."