Transcript Key skills and employability

Interview technique
Kathryn McFarlane, Careers Adviser.
Careers course
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Career Management Skills
CV writing
Application forms and covering letters
Interviews
Interviews - outline
• Before - preparation
• During - how to perform effectively
• Afterwards - how to learn from it.
Preparation
• How did you prepare for previous
interviews?
• What preparation do you think is useful?
Targeting your applications
Your skills,
experience The
overlap
and
qualifications
Their
criteria
Preparation
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Research the company
Research yourself
Research the ‘match’
Prepare answers to likely questions
Practise your answers
Prepare a list of questions
Check out your wardrobe!
Interviews
• What happened during your previous
interviews?
• What helped you to do well?
• What hindered you from doing well?
• What do you think are the hardest
questions?
During
• Arrive early / on time
• Use appropriate body language - smile, eye
contact, posture, voice
• Be pleasant with all staff
• Look at all interviewers (spinning plates)
During - answering questions
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Listen for ‘open’ questions - use your preparation.
Check you understand each question.
Ask for clarification if needed
Pause - take time to think before you answer
Use three points; answer fully but don’t ramble
Use summaries where appropriate
Focus on the positive, not ‘skeletons’
• Avoid clichés - what do you mean?
Afterwards
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What did you do well?
What did you do badly?
What questions were you asked?
How can you improve next time?
Get some feedback from them.
The five Rs of interviews
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Research
Rehearse
Relax
Respond
Record
Comments from a recruiter
What sort of preparation do you expect
candidates to do, before an interview?
• Know the firm and the environment in
which we operate.
• Visit the website
• Have some prepared questions.
Comments from a recruiter
What sort of techniques do you use during the
interview process?
• Our policy is one of ‘no trick questions’. We
simply want to find out about the applicant and to
assess their suitability.
• Relaxed.
Any other advice?
• Try to smile!