Now the job market has picked up many people are job hunting for the first time in years.
Maybe you think it’s finally a good time to change jobs or perhaps you been out of work for a while. Whatever the reason for your job hunt if you haven’t done an interview in a while then the thought of it can be quite daunting.
When you get that invitation to attend an interview it’s important to stop and think carefully about the whole process that lies ahead. And in doing so you will calm your nerves.
First and foremost, remember the whole purpose of an interview is to ascertain if you, the applicant, is suitable for a position that’s on offer. Nothing more or less and it is just a discussion between two adults about a particular subject; a job on offer.
They are not there to trip you up or make you feel foolish. Their task is to find out as much as possible about your past work experience.
If they fail to get the information they want then it is most likely the interviewee who is at fault. If that person is you, then there are several things you need to attend to.
In the course of any interview, or discussion with a potential employer it is perfectly normal that you will be asked about relevant parts of your career history that you have documented in your C.V.
When asked about details of these events it is reasonable to expect that you can elaborate with more detail about the event, how you dealt with the issues mentioned and the results you achieved.
This is the competency based interview process. You are expected to be able to relate issues with a clear explanation of what you did, how you did it, who you worked with and the results achieved, in monitory terms where possible. Nothing less than a total knowledge with total and instant recall is acceptable.
Before attending any interview you must review your C.V. or any other documentation you may have submitted. Think through every situation documented, recall every detail of every event and how it unfolded. In other words refresh your memory, re-live every detail of every event that’s of any consequence. By doing so you will be;
- Fully prepared for any questions
- Able to respond to almost any question with total recall
- Able to provide an example of your involvement in a similar event
In this way you will have instant response to the interviewer’s question and, more importantly, you will be credible.
Why? Because you will have thought through these events in great detail and there will be no ‘oohing’ or ‘aahing’ while you scratch your head trying to recall a detail. You will have immediate response, you will be in control.
Bear in mind that at interview you will only be asked about two general topics;
- Questions about your past work – Your career history
- Questions about you as a person – Your skills
The career history part is straightforward enough. That’s the work you have done and you can think it through and recall.
Your skills are a bit harder to identify. Think of successful projects or tasks you were involved in and then ask yourself what skills you possessed that made that project work so well.
It might be creativity, negotiation or sales abilities, technical or other. Every one is a skill and very relevant.
Make a list, relate them to events past, think it through – yes – refresh your memory.
It is only with long and patient preparation and being confident that you have a full knowledge and instant recall of every event or topic you may be asked about will you be relaxed and be in a position to discuss confidently, any issue raised.
Recall, recall and recall again and again; then when you are really ready you will notice that the butterflies in your stomach will have strangely disappeared.
Colm Cavey has over 24 years’ experience in helping people change careers and find the kind of job they want. Colm can review your CV, help you organise your job hunt and provide one to one interview and presentation coaching or all of those elements together in a full Career Change programme. To find out more about Colm you can contact him directly on 086-3017207 or via his company Professional Career Consulting