Interview Techniques

[meh_too]

As previously posted, due to a number of incidents at work, and that some of my colleagues are less than honest, I think its time I moved on.  I don't really want to, but I am wasting my time where I am.

So here is my question - I have a good resume and skills however, I interview poorly.  I  am aware I also come across here poorly most of the time too, but the person I appear to be at interviews (and here) is not the person who does the job.

Any tips on how to approach an interview and come out not feeling like I have made a complete pratt of myself,

Thanks for any help

[crystal**flake]

Relax and smile, you have to be confident also it shows if you're not.

[mum*of*goldens]

Read up about the company, it's history etc. Often they will ask you "Can you tell me what you know about XYZ?"

If you can rattle off a short spiel about the company and it's history, how it's grown, what attracts the public/customer about it.......they tend to like that sort of stuff.

[kopenhagen5]

Like others have said, relax and smile.

Be yourself and don't think of it as an interview, more like having a conversation with someone over a cuppa. Employers more than often want to see the YOU behind your preparation for the interview.

I employ a lot of people and the first thing I do is get them to relax, then they open up and just begin to be themselves. It makes it easy and even enjoyable for both.

If your mind frame is, "It doesn't matter if I don't get this one, there are others", you tend to relax.

Good luck. 🙂 

[shhh_its_me]

Put your hands on the table in front of you so you don't fidget. 

Smile. 

Fake it. 

Put your resume in front of you so you can refer to it. 

Dont ramble. 

Look the interviewers in the eye. 

Have about 4 scenarios in mind that arerelevant to your job and use them for anyquestions asked. 

If there is water drink it when thinking. 

Look at the businesses website and try to integrate their beliefs etc into your answers. 

Make sure you're comfortable in your interview attire. 

Good luck. 

[krylekathe1]

Present beautifully.

Hair & makeup done tastefully, professional outfit & take a Valium before the interview if you get anxiety.

You don’t need to answer straight away, if you need time just say ‘I’ll need a moment to reflect on your question before I answer it”, and you can always ask a question to clarify what they want you to say, these give you thinking time. You can also say “that’s an interesting question, does this situation come up often in this position”, it’s a way of buying time to think about the question.

If you smoke - don’t the day of the interview! Nothing worse than interviewing a smoker, it’s so obvious and puts you off.

Remember - the job goes to the best candidate so you need to appear to be that person.

[domino-710]

aaah,

The OP has probably had a job for the past 5 years.

Where did you dig this old thread up.

[zanadoo_56]

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@givemeaspell wrote:

I agree it's very daunting going for interviews these days.  I had a friend went for a group interview at Bunnings which involved role playing different scenarios out, she said there were mostly young people and she felt ridiculous.  Another at one of the large banks who also had to role play, seriously that would def put me off.  Some of the questions they ask as well? I also hated 12 montly reviews "where do u see yourself in five years?"......"umm hopefully winning lotto and not working here"....."what are your goals?" - "don't have any except just to do my job"...........give me a massive spell!

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I can't stand role playing. It is so fake and often irrelevant to the work.  I was in a job where my posiiton was amalgamated with another section where all the staff were new (to their employer as well as the jobs).  I didn't actually have to work with them, in my case it was 'all on paper' which section I belonged to.  However, for the new employees there was a three day workshop of role playing to get them to feel like a team.  Unfortunately I was also roped into it.  It was garbage and I began to get very angry at having to be there.  In the meantime for every silly thing we had to do the rest of the group congratulated themselves on how much a team they were after doing this stuff.  The orientation did not include anything about their actual work or what was expected of them as employees.

After the three days they began their new jobs.  One person lasted two weeks then just stopped coming to work.  Another 'found it hard to start so early in the morning'.  Two staffers developed such animosity towards each other the atmosphere became toxic.  A new supervisor came in to sort things out...and failed.  Eventually it got so bad that a special section in Human Resources had to be called in to restore calm.  From my experience with my employers, I could see these newbies were not going to immediately settle in, no matter what role playing we all had to do.  Their working backgrounds were so diverse and they were so certain that they could make their section like they wanted it, rather than how their employers wanted it, that once they started working there it was like a cultural shock.

Role playing.....pffttt.

[johcaschro]

I used to work on weekends and every Saturday morning I would find a workmate perusing the newspaper for jobs for which he would apply. (this was a long time ago now)

Anyway, when i asked him why he was applying for so many jobs, he told me that he often applied for jobs he didn't actually want, just t get the interview experience.

He reasoned that if he sat so many interviews he would deaden himself to the experience and would be able to relax more in future interviews (as he was so used to them and the novelty had worn off) and when he came to apply for a job he really wanted, he would be better able to present himself.

I know it's different in the job market today; I'm remembering a time when there were lots of jobs available to choose from.

Still, if you don't get the job you didn't want anyway, but learned something about the interview experience, then that's important too.

[chameleon54]

I,ve been self employed for the last twenty years. When one business slowed down or I got sick of it,  I just started another one. Frankly I couldnt put up with going to interviews, working for a boss and the 9-5 grind with the traveling to work. And at my age I doubt that too many people would want to employ me.

Plus it is a lot more interesting running your own business rather than watching the clock all day. Its worth trying if you have never done it.

[johcaschro]

"Plus it is a lot more interesting running your own business rather than watching the clock all day. Its worth trying if you have never done it."

And all those tax deductions, eh?  Mouth-wateringly interesting.