How to ace any job interview with our tips from opening statements to awkward questions
If you’re job-hunting, you’re not alone – the start of summer is the most popular time to hand in your notice
SPENT the past few months thinking about quitting your job and now finally feel ready?
Turns out it’s quite common to jack work in as the mercury rises.
According to recent statistics, 56% of us are unhappy at work, while another study reveals that over a third of unhappy employees will quit their position at the start of summer, due to resentment that grows in the first half of the year.
“Some spend a lot of time building up to actually making the decision to quit,” says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, principal coach at .
“Most of the people I see for career coaching are considering not just quitting their job, but also making a whole change in their career.”
With that in mind, how do you prepare for the next job and make sure you nail the all-important interview? We have all the answers…
Opening statements
This is the part of the interview when you have the opportunity to get across everything that you want to, before you move on to the finer details of the job.
Play to your strengths: “‘Tell me about yourself’ is a gift question,” says career consultant Sherridan Hughes.
“Respond by explaining why you want the job and why you can do it, as well as why you’ll fit in – and make sure you rehearse your answer beforehand.”
Focus on body language: “Be confident, smile and maintain eye contact with your interviewers,” advises Jenny Goulding, founder and director of . “Make use of hand gestures and try to be the most positive version of yourself.”
Keep it professional: “That means no gossiping about your current employer, no matter what the reason is behind you deciding to make a move,” adds Isabel Cutts from recruitment company .
The nitty gritty
The question and answer section is where you definitely need to try to avoid the “erm” factor.
Use examples: “Every answer to an interview question – even theoretical – should be followed up with an example,” says Adrian.
“Candidates who just read from their CV do not have the same success as candidates who can give real-life examples,” says recruitment company director Guy Jassal. “Interviewers like to hear numbers, too, so be specific.”
Don’t be a cliché: “The strengths and weaknesses part of the interview is the most common time where answers fall flat,” adds Sherridan. “A clichéd response to a request for a weakness is that you are a perfectionist, but the ideal way to answer this is to admit to a certain weakness, adding that you have had training or explaining how you managed it.”
That awkward question
There’s always going to be something you don’t know the answer to, but there are ways to avoid drawing a blank.
Get personal: Penny De Valk is a CEO and mentor who likes to surprise candidates. “I am interested in their self-awareness, so I like to ask: ‘What’s the biggest surprise you’ve given yourself in your career? What article or book have you read lately that you really enjoyed? Why? And how would you make the decision to take this job or not if it was offered to you?’”
Be logical: “Some interview questions are designed to throw you off balance,” explains James Reed, and author of Why You? 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again.
“Show how you would think through the problem and focus on presenting a logical answer. They want to see how you react. If a question comes up that you haven’t prepared an answer to, take a sip of water to give yourself time to think.”
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Closing statement
Getting to the end of the interview signifies the time for you to turn the tables and ask the company what you want to know about the job – and this is a must.
Wise up: “You shouldn’t underestimate what this part of the interview could say about you,” says Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of .
“Be sure to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in the role and business.”
Stay smart: “‘What’s in it for me?’ style questions are a big no during the first stage of the interview process,” says James Cumming, MD of executive recruitment specialists . “This isn’t what the employer wants you to ask.
"These queries can come across as very self-centred, so save them for after the interview if you get asked back for a second stage.”
Be a S.T.A.R.
When recounting examples of great work in an interview, Sherridan shows how to break it down.
S - Situation
“What happened? Explain this in a concise way.”
T - Task
“Explain what you had to do. And remember to say ‘I’ not ‘we’.”
A - Action
“What did you do to achieve a resolution? Maybe you ended up moving to plan B when things started to go off track.”
R - Result
“Outlining the positive outcome will help you to demonstrate competency and show how you added value.”
For example
“A customer was frustrated because… I investigated and discovered that there had been a problem with… I was honest and organised for… The customer was delighted and made a repeat order.”
- Sources: , Robert Half
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