Interview Techniques
Congratulations! Your CV has got you past the first hurdle and you have been called to interview! This is your chance to make a great impression on the recruiters at interview.The key to success is to prepare well to show the interviewer you understand the job, have researched the employer and match the Job Description they are looking to fill.
Job interviews are always stressful – even for experienced candidates who have had many successful interviews. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared.
Remember
Research rehearse relax
Or
Prepare practise perform
The more prepared you are, the more relaxed and confident you will feel and the better impression you will give.
The balance of power in an interview is more equal than you might think. Just as candidates are not all perfect, neither are interviewers. Not all are highly experienced or highly trained
You would be surprised how many interviewers there are who are not prepared. This may be because interviewing is not a frequent part of their job role, or the interview was passed to them at short notice, or they just haven’t had a chance to prepare because of pressure of work!
Remember that an interview is a two-way process. You are seeking your ideal job; they are seeking their ideal candidate. You are marketing yourself; they are marketing the organisation.
| The interviewer wants | You want |
| to evaluate your skills and professionalism | to understand what the job involves |
| to establish the relevance of your skills and competencies | Demonstrate that your skills match the job description |
| to decide whether you would fit in to the organisation | decide whether you want to work with this organisation |
| to promote the organisation | promote yourself |
| find out if they can afford you | find out if they will reward you adequately |
Research and experience show that the most carefully prepared and conducted interviews are not terribly effective at selecting the correct candidate for the job.
A survey in 1989 among a dozen top UK employers for the Financial Times Career Guide suggested that the chances of finding a good employee through interview was only 3% better than if they had picked a name out of a hat.
And if the interview was conducted by a personnel expert the success rate dropped to 10% below that of picking a name out of a hat!!
Even though that was some years ago, and technology has moved on, people are still people, and the likelihood is, that fact still holds true.
Job search techniques change, the labour market changes and job descriptions change. But what more or less stays the same is the job interview.
It’s your chance to sell yourself!
Nathan Azrin, a professor for Psychological Studies, has likened the hiring process as similar to choosing a mate.
As we know this is not a rational process, but an impulsive, irrational and intuitional decision!