Preparing for an Interview
Interviewing can be a daunting task for any professional regardless of their level of seniority or previous experience. It is however the best opportunity you will have to gain an understanding of the role and company you are interested in and establish how your background can contribute to the company’s growth and profitability objectives. As experienced interviewers, who have helped thousands of candidates successfully navigate their way through the interview process to successful offer, Morgan McKinley has put together the following guide which we hope will help you maximise your chances of success through the interview process.
Invest some time in research before your interview. Finding out as much as possible about the company and the people you are meeting with in advance is the best way to ensure you are ready for any eventuality, and prepare plenty of relevant questions. The more you know before your interview the more confident you will feel and appear.
Pre-interview
- Firstly, and most importantly, discuss the upcoming interview with your Morgan McKinley consultant who will provide invaluable advice and insight. This will ensure you are fully familiar with the position that you are being interviewed for.
- Research both the company and its industry sector to familiarise yourself with the operating environment. Your degree of preparation speaks volumes about your interest level and conscientiousness. In addition to increasing your confidence, solid preparation will help you to give articulate answers and ask pertinent questions.
- Obtain details in relation to the interviewers and their positions within their organisation. If possible, any information on their professional/career background would be beneficial.
- Ensure that you are familiar with your C.V. and your academic and career achievements. Give some thought into how these can be tailored for the particular position that you are being interviewed for.
- Ensure that you are clear in relation to the time and exact location of the Interview. It is natural to feel nervous before an interview. Your goal is to eliminate unnecessary nervousness by being well prepared.
An employer’s objective in an interview is to build a detailed picture of your skills, experience, competencies and personality in order to assess whether you have the correct skill set and cultural fit for their business. You meanwhile are trying to establish whether they and their firm offer you the best next step in your career. There are a number of interview questions that are commonly asked, and we would recommend that you prepare your answers in advance. Always remember when responding to questions to keep your responses concise and relevant. Make sure you sell yourself and your abilities using a variety of examples that reflect different aspects of your experience.
The interview
- At the outset, it is important to develop a friendly yet, professional rapport with whomever you meet in the organisation. This can be achieved through a firm handshake, sustained eye contact, a warm smile, good posture, and introducing yourself in a relaxed and confident manner.
- A few basics about superficial presentation bear repeating. A well- groomed, professional appearance is essential. Anything else will detract from the best possible presentation you can make.
- While the format will be primarily determined by the interviewers, it is important that you highlight, during the course of the interview, your specific skills, attributes and achievements that are relevant to the role and the organisation. In addition, an interview is a brief period of time in which to make an impression. You want yours to be a positive one. Present the highs and not the lows
- If you are being interviewed by more than one person, be sure to address all of the people in the room when you are answering questions. Even if one person is doing most of the talking, or if interviewers are alternating questions, it is polite and professional to maintain eye contact with each person.
- Communicating information about yourself is your responsibility. It is not up to the interviewer to drag it out of you. Find opportunities in the interview to highlight points that will highlight your attributes that are relevant to the position.
- Listed at the end of this section are examples of common questions. You will note that some are simply variations on a theme. If you spend some time considering how you would answer the ones on this list, you will be able to respond to any question more smoothly and with greater confidence.
Competency based questions
There is a growing trend towards employers using ‘competency-based’ interviewing techniques as a way of separating the really strong candidates from the rest of the crowd. Interviewers want you to be able to talk about how you have dealt with real problems in the past, as this helps them decide how effectively you would tackle future issues you might encounter in your career with the firm. Competency based interviewing is scenario based; you are asked to give detailed examples of situations you experienced in previous roles, and use them to demonstrate your underlying skill-set. They often relate to areas such as
influencing, communication, management, collaboration and conflict resolution.
influencing, communication, management, collaboration and conflict resolution.
Typical questions that are often asked include:
- Can you give me an example of when you had to work under a great deal of pressure?
- Can you give me an example of when you felt that you were out of your depth? How did you handle this?
- Tell me about some risks you have taken in your working or professional life? How did you go about this?
- Can you describe some of the approaches you take when ‘selling’ ideas to clients/colleagues
- When you have managed a project can you take me through how you have approached it?
- When have you had to go against general feelings or policies to accomplish a goal? Tell me about it.
Post-interview
- On successful completion of the interview, contact your consultant in Morgan McKinley and they will take you through the next stage - whether this is an offer or a second round interview.
- As soon as possible, take notes about what happened. If you are going to another interview in the same day, this is particularly important, because you don't want to confuse any details. This information will become crucial if you are invited back for a second interview.
Questions for the employer
Remember that an interview is a two-way process; it is not just about the company assessing whether you are right for the role, it is also an opportunity for you to find out information about the company that will help you decide whether the role is right for you.
- Tell me about yourself.
- How would your contemporaries describe you?
- What makes you different from the other candidates for this position?
- Describe the accomplishment of which you are the most proud.
- Why should we hire you?
- What strengths and attributes could you bring to this position?
- Why did you choose Accountancy/Finance/IT etc?
- How did you become involved in your extracurricular activities?
- Describe the job or the activity which has had the greatest impact on your career goals.
- What are your career goals?
- What would you like to be doing five/ten years from now?
- What interests/impresses you about this company?
- What do you believe are the key issues and problems in our industry today?
- What do you think it takes to be successful in this field?
- In what kind of work environment do you do your best work?
- With what kind of people do you like to work?
- What kinds of tasks and responsibilities motivate you the most?
- What is your ideal job?
- Tell me about what you learned from your previous jobs.
- What did you dislike most about your last job?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What has been your greatest challenge?
- What do you enjoy doing outside of work-in your free time?
- If you had six months ahead with no obligations and no financial constraints, what would you do?
- Does the company have plans to expand internationally?
- How successful has the company's business in Latin America been thus far?
- Can you tell me which new markets the company is currently considering entering?
- What will be the impact of the new tax law on this business?
- I'm interested in learning more about the company's new technology that was mentioned in the news last week.
- I understand that you have just introduced a new product. How has it been received thus far?
- How is the finance department structured?
- What are the potential career paths that might be available to me?
Important things to remember
- The interview is your chance to sell yourself, so don’t be shy about discussing your positive points – this is your time to shine; just make sure that you are able to back up what you are saying with examples.
- Your consultant will follow up the interview with you and the client, so don't worry if you have forgotten something – it can always be communicated to the client by your consultant at the feedback stage.
It may sound obvious but ensure…
- You are punctual
- You know the date, time and exact location of your interview
- You know who you are meeting, title, phone number
- You have clear directions and know how long it is going to take you to get there
- You wear appropriate business dress and are well groomed
- You switch mobile phones and other devices off before entering the interview room
- You stand up when the interviewer enters the room and firmly shake their hand
- You concentrate on maintaining eye contact throughout the meeting, while ensuring you minimise fidgeting and slouching
Closing the interview
If you are interested in the role, ask about the next interview stage if appropriate. If the interviewer offers you the job on the spot and you want it, accept it there and then. If you require further time to think it over, be tactful in saying so and qualify your reasons. Try and provide a definite date as to when you can provide an answer. Even if you have not decided if this is the job for you, the interviewer should be left with a positive impression – they should want to make you an offer even if you are not sure you would accept it. Ensure that you thank the interviewer!
Feedback
After the interview it is essential that you call your recruitment consultant and provide feedback. One of the most important learning aspects of interviewing is the feedback that you will receive from your recruitment consultant after they have spoken to your potential employer. Whether it is positive or negative, it is essential that you take it on board and use it for future interviews. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the interview process please contact your consultant who will be happy to provide you with further advice and assistance.
