"Keep calm and level-headed"
Getting The Job - Interview Advice
Once you’ve been for an interview with MPC Recruitment, and you are shortlisted for an interview with a Company, the following information should help you in preparing to get the job.
Information you'll need
Arrive before the interview time – about 10 minutes early. If you are running late, phone ahead and let your consultant know this. He/she will then contact the company concerned on your behalf. Arriving late at the interview immediately puts you at a disadvantage with the interviewer.
Find out as much about the company as you can. Get hold of annual reports (available in large libraries or directly from the company itself); research the company on the internet (for example TAPS.com has a section dedicated to company brochures). The type of information you might want to research:
- The nature of the business i.e. what do they do?
- How many people do they employ?
- Where are they located and how many offices do they have?
- What was their gross income last year and what are their revenue forecasts for the next year?
- What general impression do you get of their commitment to the career development, training and motivation of personnel?
You should always take extra copies of your CV with you, which you can also use as a memory aid if you feel under pressure in the interview.
It is vitally important that you dress appropriately, so as to make a good first impression. Many interviewers make decisions about an applicant during the first 5 minutes of the interview. The last thing you want is for your outfit to distract the interviewer from evaluating you or your abilities. If you have a tattoo or piercings (other than normal earrings for women) cover them up, or take them out. As mentioned, these could distract the interviewer. You should never chew gum in an interview! It looks unprofessional.
You will need to make sure that you understand who is interviewing you and what the interview process is likely to be like i.e. should you expect more than one person? How many interviews will you have? What are the interviewer’s names and job titles? How many people contribute to the decision-making process? Do you expect there to be assessments and do you need to prepare anything for them in advance?
[ Back to the Top ]Before the Interview
When you arrive, greet the receptionist and state that you are there for an interview, and the person you are there to meet. Remember that everyone gives feedback, so be polite to secretaries, receptionists and all administrative staff.
When you first meet your interviewer, make sure that you extend your hand for a hand-shake. Your hand-shake should be firm but not overtly. Make eye contact, smile and greet the interviewer, and thank them for seeing you.
Remember that you body language says as much about you as the actual interview does. Without distracting you from the interview, try and pay attention to what you are communicating with your body language.
Negative Body Language (to avoid):
- Yawning
- Slouching in your chair
- Fiddling
- Touching your face
- Crossing your arms
- Speaking too quickly
- Tapping your foot
Positive Body Language (to use):
- Smile and make eye contact
- Sitting upright, but in a relaxed manner whilst leaning slightly forward
- Keep your hands and legs still
- Gesticulating with your hands when answering questions is acceptable, as it reveals a relaxed frame of mind
During the Interview
Be clear about what your strengths are in relation to the position you are being interviewed for, but give the Interviewer an opportunity to ask the questions before you start selling yourself! Make sure you responses are straight to the point. Attentive listening is one of the most essential abilities that you should focus on before answering a question.
It may not be easy under the circumstances, but try and remain positive. Every time you talk about a problem or issue that you may have faced, you should always try and mention what your involvement was in resolving the issue, or what you did to overcome it. [ Back to the Top ]
Common Interviewer Questions
Preparation for the interview is essential – you need to anticipate and be able to answer any type of question that they ask you. You need to research the company – go on their website and find out as much information as possible about them. If you are able to answer all of the questions below, confidently, you are properly prepared for the interview. Many of the questions they will ask are aimed at finding out whether you have the right qualities for the position, and for the corporate culture of the company.
- What do you know about our company?
- Why do you want to work for us?
- What makes you think you would be successful in the role?
- Why are you considering a career change at this time?
- What do you like most/least about your current job?
- What is the most difficult thing that you have done in your current position or what has been the highlight of your career so far?
- What are your most significant accomplishments to date?
- How would your team describe you?
- Describe your personality to us.
- What are your career goals?
- What are your three main strengths, and three main weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
- What do you think we are looking for in this position?
Common Interviewee Questions
- Why has the position become vacant?
- What are your expectations of this role?
- What opportunities are there for training and career development?
- What are the most difficult aspects of this job?
- How would you describe the corporate culture in this company?
After Your Interview
Thank those in the interviewer for their time. Should you be interested in the position, tell them that you are, and that you look forward to hearing from them.
Presenting your CV
It is beneficial to include a covering letter of some kind with your CV. This should fit easily on one side of an A4 piece of paper and should indicate:
- The position you are applying for (with a reference if you are replying to an advertisement)
- A brief outline of your experience and skills that are relevant to the position in question
- A summary of your qualifications
- Your salary expectations
- Your availability or notice of termination period e.g. 1 month
- All your contact information (including an e-mail address)
Laying out your CV
You need to remember that your CV may be one of hundreds being read in a short space of time, so you need to make sure that it conveys who you are and what you are capable of clearly and quickly, in about 60 seconds!
The layout of a good CV is as follows:
- Name, ID number, area where you live and your contact details (especially a cell number and e-mail address)
- Education and any tertiary qualifications
- Your career history with your current or most recent position first
- A brief outline of your duties and responsibilities in each position
- Hobbies, interests and any other short courses you may have done
- Your CV should be typed on a computer and printed on plain white paper. Fancy designs or fancy paper actually make a CV more difficult for the person reading it.
The more difficult it is to review your CV, the less time the person reading it will spend on it. Do not include certificates i.e. matric certificates etc. unless it is specifically requested in an ad or by the person who requests your CV.
It’s a good idea to include your name and the page number on each page of your CV in case they get mixed up by the reviewer at some stage.
[ Back to the Top ]Tips in writing your CV
Good CV's are concise, accurate and relevant to the job. You should never claim to skills and/or knowledge that you don’t, or make any other untruthful claim, because if it is discovered it casts doubt on the all of your achievements.
You should give an outline of your responsibilities and achievements, but state the size and scope of your responsibilities as well. Examples of size and scope could be the duration of a project, the size of the budget, the number of people you were responsible for etc. It may be that your existing Employer is not well known in the market place, so briefly state the scope and size of the business.
Your CV is an opportunity to sell yourself, so communicate your strong attributes prominently and confidently.
If you make statements such as 'I work well at all levels' or 'I work well under pressure' or 'I learn quickly', you must be able to back them up.
There’s no excuse for spelling errors! If your CV is badly written and disorganized, it is going to reflect poorly on your overall capabilities.
[ Back to the Top ]Gaps and Inconsistencies
Prospective employers often treat date gaps between jobs, and inconsistencies in facts, with suspicion. You should ensure that your dates follow a logical sequence and that all gaps are accounted for (e.g. you may have been travelling abroad).
Finally, ask a colleague or friend (not your boss!) to read through your CV and to give you constructive feedback with regard to its readability, structure and how effectively you have ‘sold’ yourself.
