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Interview Skills: 

© Careers Advisory Service Page 1 Interview Skills Careers Advisory Service

What is an interview?: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 2 What is an interview? A Two Way Process Interviewer Interviewee Are you the right Is this the person for the job? right job for me?

Why do employers interview? : 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 3 Why do employers interview? To find out 3 things : 1. Will you be able to do the job well = your skills and experience 2. Are you really motivated to do the job = evidence that you really want it 3. Will you fit into the organisation = what kind of person you are

Styles of interview: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 4 Styles of interview Panel One-to-one Formal Informal Telephone Group Presentation Case study Competence based

Panel Interviews: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 5 Panel Interviews Very common for graduate jobs Usually 2-4 members, 1 will act as the chair, normally all will ask questions Not all of the panel will necessarily be experienced interviewers or know a great deal about your post Panel interviews can often be fairer than 1-2-1 interviews- you’re not just relying on the opinion of one interviewer. A HR representative may also be present to ensure the process is fair.

Individual Interviews: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 6 Individual Interviews Just because this is a one-to-one, don’t believe it is ‘informal’! May be a sifting exercise or a ‘first interview’ The focus is often on information taken from your CV/ Application form but be prepared for any type of question

Telephone Interviewing - an initial screening process: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 7 Telephone Interviewing - an initial screening process Treat it as a formal interview!! Pre-arranged or unannounced? Choose suitable location/environment Have CV/App Form, key notes, pen, paper, diary, to hand Speak clearly and concisely Sound enthusiastic and confident

Group Interviews : 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 8 Group Interviews May cover more standard interview questions May ask you to discuss contemporary business or relevant current affairs issues Are often used to assess your inter-personal skills: verbal communication, team work, leadership, listening, facilitating, understanding, persuasiveness/ negotiation, confidence

Video/webcam Interviews : 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 9 Video/webcam Interviews Although these are rare, they are becoming increasingly popular Prepare for and dress in the same way as you would for a conventional interview Talk to the camera rather than the screen so that you appear to be looking at the interviewer(s) Do a run through first to check the equipment is working and ensure someone is on stand-by to help out with any technical hitches

Case study interview: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 10 Case study interview Often used by e.g. consultancy & law firms Analysis of a business problem Evaluated on: How you analyse How you identify key issues How you pursue and develop the thinking “The process not necessarily the result”

Example of a case study question.: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 11 Example of a case study question. A large integrated steel manufacturer is contemplating entering the specialist stainless steel market. Should it? What should it think about in order to make its decision? Who would you think makes up the main customer base for stainless steel? What would you need to know about the processes involved? What if you are told that the stainless steel market is dominated by three main players?

Another type of case study: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 12 Another type of case study How many cats are there in the USA?

Competency based interviewing: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 13 Competency based interviewing Examples of competencies Influencing skills Leadership Managing Priorities Teamwork Analytical Thinking Communication Customer orientation Initiative

How do they find out?: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 14 How do they find out? Tell me about a time that you have successfully demonstrated … Describe an experience where you were …….. If you were to do this again, how would you do it differently? What have you done that demonstrated …. What obstacles have you faced …….

The three ‘P’s for interviews !!!: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 15 The three ‘P’s for interviews !!! Preparation Practicalities Presentation

Preparation: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 16 Preparation Research the employer/sector/job Study job description and candidate specification Consider why you want this job What can you offer/ your Unique Selling Points? Prepare responses to questions Prepare your own questions

Planning your marketing pitch: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 17 Planning your marketing pitch Think about an opening ‘career goal’ statement Spend the next 5 minutes writing yourself a 30 word career statement then note down your Unique Selling Points.

Practicalities: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 18 Practicalities Confirm your attendance with employer Check exact location/plan journey Decide on dress style Organise documentation: letter of invitation/map, CV, application form, your questions, diary/note pad Be aware of personal safety issues

Preparing for Questions on …….?: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 19 Preparing for Questions on …….? Knowledge, skills, experience, Self awareness Work attitude and values Working/relationships with others Decision making, problem solving, judgement Subject/vocationally/technically specific Future plans/ambitions Interests Circumstances, health Awareness of equal opportunities

Remember the 3 reasons for interviews: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 20 Remember the 3 reasons for interviews Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Will you fit in? This can help you work out how to respond to questions

Complex Questions: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 21 Complex Questions What is your greatest strength and weakness? How do you react to criticism? What is your preferred role in a team? Give me an example of when you provided a solution to a complex problem?

Tricky Questions: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 22 Tricky Questions What would you say has been your greatest failure? Why should we take you above everyone else? Why have you changed jobs so frequently? What salary are you looking for?

Technical questions: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 23 Technical questions What are the factors you would need to consider when putting a value on a multinational firm? Describe how the content of your degree will help you contribute to the goals of this company? What do you think the key trends in the industry are? What are your views on the health and safety issues related to running a project in this environment? What would be the major impact on predicting the profitability of a new product?

Practicing your fluency: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 24 Practicing your fluency Working in pairs take 5 minutes each to practise some typical interview questions. Q1 Tell me about yourself? Q2. Describe how you have contributed effectively to a team? Q3. What will you bring to this organisation? Remember to get across your career statement and your unique selling points

Do you have any questions for us?: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 25 Do you have any questions for us? How has the vacancy arisen? How will my performance be measured? Who would I be working with? What would the key objectives be in the first sixth months of the job? What would my future career prospects be like? What training/support can I expect? What happens next? When will I know your decision? Not about salary, working hours, holidays etc!

Presentation - On the day…: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 26 Presentation - On the day… Arrive early Look the part! Make sure your mobile phone is off! First impressions: body language &mannerisms Be polite to all those you encounter Be positive! Act naturally! Be attentive, listen carefully Answer questions fully but succinctly

On the day…Avoid: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 27 On the day…Avoid Over confidence Being too familiar Being negative Smoking/drinking/chewing gum! Arguing Criticising others Asking about salary and conditions in an inappropriate way Any other points…………….?

After the interview:: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 28 After the interview: Unsuccessful ? Move on! Do more reading and research. Study ‘interview’ videos. Reflect positively - what did you learn from it? How will you do it differently in future? Seek feedback from employer?

Things you can do to get help: 

© Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service Page 29 Things you can do to get help Excellent video ‘Why ask me that?’ Many reference books e.g. ‘Ace your Case’ and IT technical questions Ace your case www.prospects.ac.uk www.imperial.ac.uk/careers 20 min ‘quick query’ session Appointments to discuss or practise interview techniques