Interview Tips

How to handle an interview without shitting yourself

Background

You should research the company before you go to your first interview. Regardless of the field you are entering, it is VERY IMPORTANT to have a bit of background knowledge on the company. Whether you want to work at a law firm or a Donut King- a bit of knowledge on how the company started, what they look for in employees, what products they sell etc will put you ahead of the rest. You can research through sources such as:

–company websites
–recruitment literature
–job descriptions
–company profiles
–annual reports
–newspapers / magazines

Interview tips- 10 Step program

• 99.9% of people shit themselves in job interviews. Your aim is to be one of the ones who doesn’t. This is important because if you can master this skill, you will be the one who gets the job. Here is how to master it:
• Step 1- Don’t forget to breathe
• Step 2- Walk into the interview with your head held high. The company has a weakness. They need you to fill their job. They want you as much (if not more) than you want them. Remember this when you get scared/nervous and imagine the interviewer on their knees begging you to take the job. You will NEVER need a job as much as a company needs to fill a job.
• Step 3- Never think about the other people applying for the job. Chances are they are a lot less worthy than you.
• Step 4- Greet the interviewer and shake the interviewers hand firmly. If you do not properly know how to shake hands, practise with someone. Your hand should be firm but not stiff. There is nothing worse than a limp fish handshake- as you grow older (believe it or not) people will judge your ability on how firm and self assured your handshake is.
• Step 5- Always maintain eye contact and smile. You can never underestimate the power of a smile in an interview.
• Step 6- If you are nervous or shaky, push your nail into your opposite palm or use one heel to step on your opposite toe. Anything which will cause a small amount of pain and make you forget your nervousness.
• Step 7- Never let on to the interviewer that you are nervous unless you just can’t shake your nerves. If you feel like jelly inside but are smiling and calm on the outside- I guarantee you will fool every interviewer. Otherwise if it is obvious you are nervous and the nail in the palm thing ain’t working- let them know!! It is important that they know you are not always like that.
• Step 8- Use your knowledge of the company to charm the pants off them. I good way to start that conversation is… “Before I arrived today, I did abit of research on your company, and I am fascinated by/especially interested in…your work culture/your innovative products/your clever advertising/your success in the industry etc.
• Step 9- Turn your mobile phone on to silent or you’ll be sorry.
• Step 10- If they ask you questions that you just don’t know the answer to, IMPROVISE. Instead of saying ‘Oh I don’t know’, say ‘Wow that’s a good question. I hadn’t thought about that. Probably…(give a brief answer)’. Don’t be scared to have silence while you think. Take as long as you want to think. 10 seconds, 2 minutes- it doesn’t matter to the interviewer.

You will never be totally calm in your first interview. Take each interview experience as it comes, as the more interviews you do, the calmer and more relaxed you will become.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Have you ever held a position of leadership?

• Think sports coach, captain/vice captain of a sports team, debating coach, head of a club, supervisor or team leader at work, won a trophy in anything, babysat etc. If you haven’t, improvise. Make your own club and be the president.

How would your friends describe you?

• Best words to use are motivated, caring, patient and responsible.

What is your biggest weakness?

• If someone is being lazy or not doing their job properly, I become very impatient with them.
• I like to do everything myself so I know it’s perfect. I need to let others share my responsibility more
• I am too anal-retentive (best think of another word) - I have to make sure everything is perfect before I hand something in to a senior employee.

Why do you want to work for us?

• Because your company is an industry leader
• Because your company appears to have a good work culture
• Because I am really interested in this industry

Why would we want to hire you?

• Because I’m organised, responsible, enjoy working in a team, always arrive to work on time, enjoy the industry/am interested in the industry, am motivated and will do any job big or small.

What are your short term goals?

• To work in a team, to have a job I can work hard at, to enjoy a balance of work and (whatever else you do i.e. study, school, sport etc), to earn some money doing interesting work, to be challenged in a job.