Category Archives: Interviews

How to anticipate interview questions

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A key part of interview preparation should be anticipating the range of questions you are likely to be asked. My colleague, Suzanne Agnew, explains how you can approach this task:

Part of the service the Careers Service offers is tailored practice interviews (which are available via Skype and telephone as well as face to face).  How do we know what to ask?  Obviously, it’s down to professional experience but the way that we anticipate interview questions is something that you can do too.

Go back in time

What made you apply for this job in the first place?  Interviews are used as a way to explore your motivation and fit for the organisation.  Questions here shouldn’t be a surprise!  Be able to articulate why you are right for the role and what attracts you to this organisation.  No organisation exists in a bubble so be prepared for questions which look to discover how much you know about the sector. What are the current challenges and opportunities for the sector and for this employer?

Return to the vacancy

Look carefully at the job description and person specification.  What is it that really matters to the employer?  Some examples of phrases from a vacancy:

  • ‘a talented analytical individual with strong numerical capabilities’,
  • ‘have a passion and excitement for the industry’,
  • ‘have flair for problem-solving and teamwork’
  • ‘adept at delivering drive improved performance’

These are the qualities they are looking for in their ideal candidate.  They will use the interview as a way for you to demonstrate that you have what they are looking for.

The skills and qualities they are looking for can help you identify what competency questions they could ask.  Questions such as ‘tell me about a time when you used a creative approach to problem solving’.  They will want to you to use concrete experiences to demonstrate that you meet a specific competency.  If you have ever completed a CPD plan you will be familiar with this!

Know the employer

Many organisations have key competencies, qualities or values which underpin the way they operate.  Some organisations make these highly visible both to clients and staff via their website.  If they are particularly high profile then you can expect probing around these.  Employers will want you to demonstrate that you meet these competencies and/or share their values.  Think about it from their point of view: they want to ensure you are a good ‘fit’.

Tell your story

Fundamentally interviews are about making a connection.  One of the best ways of building a connection is through story.  What is your career story?  If asked ‘Tell me about yourself’, having an engaging story ready can be a good way for the employer to get a sense of your strengths and get a better understanding of who you are.  Can you demonstrate that you are someone they want to work with?

 

If you have got this interview through networking or via a speculative application your strategy for interviews may be different.  You obviously won’t have a vacancy to refer to but you can still anticipate questions around motivation and how you will add value to the organisation.  Competency questions can still play a part and this is where it makes sense to have a good understanding of the role and/or organisation.

There will always be questions that you hadn’t prepared for but by ensuring you have a good level of self-awareness and can easily articulate your experiences and strengths you can ensure you won’t be caught off-guard.  While these all focus on what an employer might ask you be sure that you have questions to ask them.

 

Interview Simulator

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An invitation to a job interview can bring a mix of emotions. An initial rush of excitement can also be accompanied by feelings of concern; especially if you haven’t had an interview for some time. One of the resources you may find helpful is called Interview Simulator.  I referred to this in our recent post about video interviewing but this resource can have wider benefits.  My colleague, Jane Challinor, explains how Interview Simulator works below:  

As a University of Edinburgh student you’re able to access Interview Simulator, an online interview preparation module we subscribe to for your benefit. Find it in the Resources tab of MyCareerHub.

When you’re in Interview Simulator, a short video gives you an overview of how to use it.

Simulator

Watch the video – but here’s an outline to give you a quick impression of what Interview Simulator can do for you.

You have two main options – to go straight into the “Mock Interview” option, or to browse through a list of questions. These questions are grouped into categories and for each question you’re given a written explanation of why the employer might ask it, and what they’re hoping to hear in response. You can also choose to hear an employer outlining the purpose of the question, and their expectations.

In the Mock Interview section you can choose a pre-built version, or custom-build one by selecting questions yourself. It’s a good idea to set the timer, so you experience genuine time pressure! If you want, you can record your answers, or type them on screen. At the end, view the explanations given by employers – as seen in the “browse questions” section – and assess for yourself how close you’ve come to meeting their expectations. You’re not being given personal, 1:1 feedback on your performance but you are getting a good idea of the sorts of things to say – and not to say – to increase your chances of success. So why not see what you can learn from it?

For more advice on interview technique see http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/using-careers-service/cvs-apps-interviews/interviews/overview

 

Video Interviewing – a growing trend

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Approaches to recruitment interviewing have evolved over time and in recent years it has become fairly common for initial screening interviews to be conducted by telephone or Skype. Over the last two years we have seen yet another development –  the video questionnaire interview. Although this is a relatively recent innovation, it’s an approach which seems to be growing in popularity. The UK Association of Graduate Recruiters have recently reported that 20% of their members are now using video interviews.

With video questionnaire interviews all candidates are asked the same set of questions. These questions are usually viewed as text on the screen, rather than via a live connection with an interviewer. This will take place either at a company office or off-site location with a webcam and microphone setup.

You are usually be given around 30 seconds to read each question and one to two minutes to record your answer. Before you complete the video interview, you may be given the opportunity to practise online until you feel comfortable with the process. This can really help as it can take a bit of time to get used to talking without getting any of the feedback which you would normally receive in a face-to-face interview. You can also make use of ‘Interview Simulator’, a Careers Service resource which lets you practise interview questions and learn what employers are hoping to hear. You can access it this through MyCareerHub:

What are the benefits of this approach?

  • Video interviews are seen as a particularly fair approach to selection. Every candidate will have exactly the same interview experience and this reduces this chance of any assessor bias.
  • Video recordings can be viewed by a number of assessors including those based in different geographic locations.
  • Video Interviews are quick and easy to set up. There is no need to schedule interview days taking pressure off both companies and applicants.

If you would like to find out more have a look at the Careers Service web pages on video interviewing:.

Explaining gaps in your experience

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Many of us have had a career ‘gap’ at some point in our lives. It is sometimes difficult to think about how to address these gaps when it comes to preparing a CV and attending interviews.  My colleague Lorna Cox shares some ideas on this below – Carol  

Employers can get suspicious of time gaps in your CV, so make sure you don’t let them jump to the wrong conclusions. Take control by briefly explaining the reason for the time gap and try to put a positive spin on it.

Time off to have children?

  • Emphasise your time management and organisational ability.
  • Give examples of how you maintained an interest in your career such as reading professional literature, networking or voluntary work.

Time off due to illness?

  • If appropriate, reassure the employer you have now recovered from the illness or show how well you cope with an ongoing condition.
  • Emphasise your resilience and determination to return to work.

Time off to go travelling?

  • Show what you gained while travelling eg. increased independence, planning and organising skills, resilience, communication in another language.
  • Convince the employer you are now ready to start/resume your career.

Time off to change career direction?

  • Explain the research you did to be sure the new career is the right choice eg. work shadowing or volunteering
  • Give examples of relevant skills you gained from your previous career.

Time off between courses?

  • Many graduates have a gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study to earn money, gain work experience, travel or volunteer.
  • Explain what you gained from this time gap and why this is relevant for the job you have applied for.

Good Luck!

 

Great candidate – shame about the maths!

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photo calculator

If you’ve had no need to use numeracy skills for a number of years it’s quite possible that you may be feeling a little rusty in this area. With numeracy tests becoming a regular part of the recruitment process, particularly with larger employers, a weakness in this area can become an issue. Due to this I wanted to let you know about a free MOOC (on-line course) which could be just what you need to refresh your knowledge.

A three week Future Learn course entitled Numeracy Skills for Employability and the Workplace is being offered by Loughborough University’s Mathematics Education Centre. It is open to all learners who wish to build on their basic understanding of mathematics and aims to support employer psychometric tests. Over 5500 learners have already taken this course so you are not alone. Registration for the course is required by 19 October 2015 and you learn at your own pace.

If this course isn’t for you, or you’d like to find out a bit more about selection tests before signing up, you may want to have a look at the selection tests page on the Careers Service website. You’ll find an overview of the types of tests you may encounter, advice on approaching them,  and links to practice tests through the link below.

Good luck!

 

Increasing your confidence at interviews

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You’re certainly not alone if you feel a bit nervous and under-confident before an interview. Your nervous energy can be a real asset when channelled positively by giving that adrenaline boost which helps you to make a great impression. But this is not always the case!

So, if this applies to you, what can you do to turn this situation around? Preparation is the key to interview success but there are also a number of techniques which can help you feel more relaxed on the day. A recent article in the Guardian newspaper “Seven ways to boost confidence at a job interview” offers some great tips:

  • Aim to connect with interviewers, not impress them
  • Use breathing techniques to boost confidence
  • Be kind to yourself before the interview
  • Use power poses and relaxation exercises to curb anxiety
  • Imagine yourself succeeding
  • Prepare and rehearse your answers out loud
  • Make friends with your anxiety, and smile

With all this in mind let’s come back to that all important interview preparation. Allowing enough time to prepare thoroughly for an interview will make huge difference to your confidence. Ensure that you gain a really good insight into the job you are being interviewed for and the organisation you are applying to. You also want to be absolutely clear about your motivation for applying for this particular role and what you will bring to the organisation.

Anticipating the sorts of questions you are likely to be asked and preparing how you’ll answer them will help you to feel in control on the day. You can expect questions asked to focus on the requirements highlighted in the vacancy details but it’s good to reflect on what else you know about the role and organisational culture. Don’t worry about formulating word perfect answers at this stage. What you need is a clear idea of the skills, experience, knowledge and personal qualities you possess which are relevant to this role … and to identify specific examples of when you have developed and used these. Having these examples in the forefront of your mind will help you provide convincing evidence of your suitability at the interview.

You’ll find more information on interviews, what to expect and how to prepare, on the Careers Service website.

Good luck with your next interview!

E-books now available to download

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We can now offer you a selection of careers-related e-books. They can be downloaded or read online by current students who have access to the University of Edinburgh Library’s e-resources.

The e-books cover a range of topics including preparing for assessment centres, interviews and psychometric tests, planning your career and developing employability skills. A full list of the titles available and information on how to access them can be found on the e-books page of our website.