Interview Tips

The key to a successful interview is in thorough preparation. Finding out as much as you can about the position, the company and the industry will place you in a strong position and give you the necessary confidence to handle most situations. Similarly, a careful analysis of your own career history will allow you to highlight the most positive aspects of your application and prepare you for in-depth questioning on any weaker points.

You are being interviewed because the employer needs to hire someone and wants to find out if you are the right person for the post. Through interaction which takes place during the interview, the employer will be evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, your qualifications, skills and intellectual qualities. As well as assessing your technical expertise, your interviewer will probably delve deeply to determine your attitudes, aptitudes, stability, motivation and maturity.

Preparation

Analyse your own revenue and business relationships, past, present and future possibilities.

Your billings: in the last year, quarter and month. Provide proof of your earnings and sales that you can show at the interview such as pay statements, P45s, P60s or company league tables.

Your client base: Consider some of the following questions. How many clients you have, what level of contact you speak to in these organisations, how much revenue is generated from each one and what percentage of their total recruitment budget you receive, what is their likely future revenue, where do you have cross-selling opportunities? Did you win these relationships yourself? Are you sure you can work with these clients in the future?

Your candidates: who do you place and where? Which functions and disciplines do you work with, what methodology do you use and at what salary level? Where do your candidates come from and what is the cost of sourcing these (such as a database, resourcers, research, marketing or advertising)? How does your current organisation attract these candidates?

Your approach: Check your current contract of employment for restrictive covenants. Decide how you will build your desk, or division or brand in a new company. How will you fund it and grow it over the first year? What administrative and management support do you need to achieve this? How do you want to be managed?

Finally, what responsibility have you taken for your own training and development to get the skills you need to progress your career?

The self-assessment, exploration of opportunities, goal setting and other activities needed to find the right job. If you know what you are looking for, we can find it for you.

Career Planning

There are plenty of opportunities in the market for good recruiters. Career planning is a crucial step in balancing your personal needs and aspirations with these opportunities so that you choose the right job. We are often surprised at consultants who leap at unsuitable opportunities and then want to change jobs again shortly thereafter. Setting yourself a defined career plan may seem a little daunting, but it provides a framework with which to logically compare your opportunities, thus enabling you to make an informed decision as to whether to change companies and, if so, to whom. When you find the right opportunity you will recognise it.

There are four steps in planning a recruitment career and we are here to help you with each of them.

Assess yourself: Gather (honest) data on yourself - strengths, weaknesses, values, interests, motivators, aspirations, successes. What have you got to offer - technical/functional expertise, sector knowledge, personal skills etc?

Set goals: What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Two years? Five years? What skills do you want to use or acquire? What environment do you want to work in? What are your financial targets? Do you want to manage, change discipline? Perhaps you'd like to relocate or work abroad? Identify what you want from a new job and what you are prepared to negotiate on.

Explore opportunities: Gather data on potential employers through interviewing. We can get you as many interviews as necessary to find you the right opportunity. Get as much information as possible. What are the career prospects, short and long term? Will you get the experience, exposure and training needed to get to where you want to be? (Remember you may not actually need to change organisations to do this). Match your career aspirations to market opportunities. What can you offer a new company and what can it offer you?

Match offers to original goals: Hopefully there will soon be several organisations making you attractive offers. Refer to the goals you decided upon in Step 2 to find out which company can keep you on the right career track and help you achieve your original objectives. Stick to what you originally wanted and don't capitulate on your non-negotiable! Money is important but don't be swayed by huge packages and guarantees, other criteria are just as important. Your Strategy consultant will provide objective, unbiased help in making your mind up.

The Interview

Focus: The aim of the interview is to get to the next stage in the process which is usually a further interview or a job offer. Visualise this outcome and focus on achieving this aim throughout the meeting.

Be positive: A positive mental attitude is everything. You are far more likely to have a successful interview if you believe in yourself. Remember that you are at the peak of the Interviewer's expectations when you start the meeting. He or she hopes you are the ideal candidate so they can hire you and you can begin making them money. The odds are in your favour so there is no need to be nervous. Don't be cocky either!

Fit in: Turn up on time, in smart business dress (dark suits are best). Ensure that you have clean shoes, clean nails, clean hair and so forth. Look like a professional who could be introduced to the firm's top clients. Take an original copy of your CV with you.

Practise: Leave nothing to chance. Know your strengths, weaknesses, why you want to get into recruitment (or continue in it), what your long-term career goals are and the answers to all the obvious questions you will be asked. Talk about what you have achieved in the past and how you performed over the expectations of your previous jobs. Explain how you think you can add value to the company and make a positive contribution, not just add to their headcount. The following list shows the kind of questions you should be prepared to deal with during the interview.

• What do you know about our company?
• Why do you think you might like to work for our company?
• Why did you choose to work in this industry?
• Why do you wish to leave your current job?
• What do you enjoy most about your work?
• What do your consider to be your area of expertise?
• What have you done that shows initiative and a willingness to work?
• What job in our company do you wish to work towards?
• Describe a difficult situation and how you have handled it?
• Why were you not working between ..... and .....?
• Give examples of your major achievements to date?
• How do you get the best out of people?
• How do you manage your time?
• How do you approach a new project?
• Do you like regular hours?
• Do you prefer working alone or as part of team?
• Where do you see yourself in five years time?
• If you are successful today, how long would you plan to stay with this company?
• Are you applying for jobs in other companies?
• Do you have any questions for us?

Listen: Ask for the profile of the ideal candidate. Now you know what they want and you can explain all the ways in which you fit the bill. Sell yourself. Interviews are no place for modesty. Be yourself though. A potential employer needs to see the real you to ensure you are a good fit for the business and vice versa. The prize isn't just to get the job - it is be happy and successful in it. Remember, the harder the interview, generally the better it is going. If you are clearly not right for the job, they wouldn't bother to ask probing questions.

Close: You wouldn't leave a sales meeting without asking the client what he thought about your product or service. Treat an interview in the same way. At an appropriate point, ask the interviewer what he thought of you and what the next stage is. This gives you an opportunity to overcome any objections. Say how interested you are in the company and why. Then call us immediately with feedback.

Congratulations! Now that you have found the right job you can concentrate on delivering the goods and fulfilling the company's expectations of you! However, career planning is an ongoing process, which should be regularly reviewed, redefining your objectives if necessary. It doesn't hurt to prepare a CV, at regular intervals, just to make sure you are still headed in the right direction. We are always here to give you impartial advice.