Preparation is fundamental to a successful interview, so it is important that you consider what qualities will improve your chances of getting the position you want and what the employer will be looking for in their ideal candidate. What skills do you have that could benefit the company you are applying to? It could be your ability to plan and implement long-term projects, think analytically, manage a team, or your ability to research complicated issues that are your key skills.
Remember, interview preparation is not just for the young and inexperienced job seeker. Whatever your level of experience, your progress will be hindered if you are unprepared. At mid-level, you can look to your experiences of presentations, where careful planning is non-negotiable and at senior-level you must bear in mind that although you might feel confident in your abilities, lack of research about the company to which you are applying can cause all of your previous experience to stand for nothing.
Undertaking research about the organisation to which your are applying - searching their website or asking for copies of brochures, press releases and reports - will increase your understanding of the company’s mission and principles. Speaking to existing personnel is another excellent way to find out more about the business.
With a firm understanding of the employer’s requirements and interview style, your recruitment consultant can also offer support and advice to prepare you for an interview. They can give you tips on how to manage the interview successfully and will talk you through an in-depth job description, discussing the relevance of your skills and experience for the position.
Preparation essentials
The interviewer will be looking for evidence that you possess key competencies needed for the role you are applying for. For mid-level and senior positions, questions will be designed to find out about your interpersonal, leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, as well as your ability to think analytically and your technical competencies, so consider how to answer these in a way that best demonstrates that you have the right skills. Examples of questions that you might be asked include:
- How have you made the work of those who have reported to you easier?
- The sharing of knowledge is crucial to keeping up to date with technical and engineering industry developments. Describe a time that you were the source of information for improving the skills of others.
- Tell me about a specific project during which it was necessary for you to interact with a wide range of people over a long period of time.
- Describe a time that you gave a customer bad news. How did you do this and what was the end result?
- Give an example of when you have solved a problem for which initially no answer could be seen.
It is also a good idea to prepare some questions and have them ready to ask when prompted. For example:
- What plans does the company have for the future?
- What are the objectives of the position?
- What possible training could I receive in this role?
- How would you describe the culture of the company?