Interviews

• Re-familiarise yourself with the job description and the person specification.
• Be completely aware of your own skills and experience in relation to the position being applied to.
• Re-visit your application form / CV.
• Research the employer and consider why you want to work for them and what you need to know about them / the position.
• Prepare answers to possible questions - consider the essential and desirable attributes for the position.
• Dress appropriately - if unsure, ask.
• Plan what you need to take with you and ensure that you know how to get there.

• Be professional and make a positive impact from the moment you reach the organisation - don't be late.
• Switch your phone off!
• Start the interview in a positive way through smiling and a 'firm but friendly' handshake.
• If more than one person is interviewing you be sure that you address all those on the panel throughout the process.
• Listen to what you are being asked and present a structured answer (consider using the STAR technique). Be specific to your experiences and make your answers interesting!
• Ensure that you are answering the question that you have been asked - don't be afraid to ask for clarification if required.
• Consider your answer before you speak.
• Don't criticise current or previous employers.
• Have questions for the employer and find out the next step in the process i.e. when will you find out if you have been successful.

• The STAR technique is a useful way to structure your answers to any competency-based questions i.e. those asking you to demonstrate a skill.
• It stands for Situation Task Action Result. You may also add an additional 'R' for Reflection if you wish to talk about what you learnt from the process or what you may do differently in the future.
• This is a useful technique to use both when verbally communicating your answer at interview as well as in written form on an application form.

This is an example of someone using STAR to analyse an occasion when they coped with a difficult customer. The employer asked the following questions - "Tell us about a recent difficult situation or problem that you encountered in with, how did you resole it and what did you learn from it?"

Situation: whilst acting as a relief supervisor at a well-known pizza restaurant a customer began to loudly complain in about the service being slow.

Task (or target you set out to achieve): To satisfy the person without upsetting other customers who were also waiting for their food and who had arrived earlier

Actions (you took to bring this about): Listened carefully to the customer's point of view. Calmly and diplomatically explained that there was a lack of staff due to illness. Reassured the customer that the order was being death with and offered complimentary drinks whilst waiting.

Result (this cold be the concrete outcome or the personal learning that took place): The customer calmed down and appreciated the situation we faced. They realised that it wasn't deliberate and decided to wait quietly, with the free drinks. Learnt the importance of listening to people and seeing their point of view.

• It is estimated that interviewer's first impressions are formed in the first 4 minutes.
• 55% visual impact; 38% tone of voice; 7% what you say.
• So... smile and maintain good eye contact.
• Have a confident handshake.
• Assume a relaxed sitting position.
• Use breathing techniques to help you calm your nerves - slowly inhale through the nose, pause, slowly exhale through the mouth.
• Also, take note of the interviewer's body language - do they look interested?

• Always aim to get to get feedback so that you are able to learn from the process.
• Follow up the interview with an email to the person / people interviewing you to thank them for the opportunity (and to re-emphasise your interest in the position). You never know, this could make the difference if they are struggling to decide between two candidates.
• Be proud of getting to this stage of the process, whether you get offered the position or not!