Interview techniques

Interviews

Interviews can be very scary…but the more you prepare the better equipped and more confident you will be. And remember if you have made it to the interview stage, then the employer is interested in you and impressed by what they have seen on your CV. Now you just have to persuade them to give me the job!

Some things to research before your interview:

• Research the company, industry/sector and what is happening in the market or news that may effect them – visit Jersey Finance website or JEP, BBC, Time, Guardian etc   
• Research what the role you're applying for will involve
• Research the person/people who will be interviewing you if possible
• Know why you want the job and what skills you could bring to it
• Think about your key strengths and weaknesses – how you can add value to the job/company and what things you need to work on, as many companies will ask you
• Prepare some questions that you wish to ask and practice responses with your friends or family
• Remember examples of work or projects that you have worked on which will highlight your skills and knowledge

Some tips on how to behave in the interview:

• Keep calm and try to stay relaxed - that way you will keep a clear head
• Make sure you look smart. It is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed, don’t generally wear things that are ultra fashionable or wear too much make-up  
• Arrive early
• Be polite and professional
• Do not chew gum, smoke or swear during the interview
• Feel free to ask for clarification before answering a question
• Answer questions honestly and with enthusiasm

Some interviews questions that you maybe asked:  

• What do you enjoy about this industry?
• Give an example of when you have worked under pressure?.
• What kinds of people do you like working with?
• Give me an example of when your work was criticised? How did you cope and react?
• What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?
• Give me an example of when you have had to face a conflict of interest at work.
• Do you prefer to work alone or in a group? Why?
• What are you looking for in a company?
• How do you measure your own performance?
• What kind of pressures have you encountered at work?
• Are you a self-starter? Give me examples to demonstrate this.
• How do you feel about working long hours and/or weekends?
• What can you bring to this organisation?
• Give me an example of when you have exceeded expectation at work or a project that you have worked on?
• What do you either like or dislike from your current job?
• What would you day where your key strengths and weaknesses?
• Can you describe a particular situation when you have…………?

For further information about how to prepare for an interview, please click on the links below.

Interview Advice

Business Balls.com

Competency Based Interviews

Skills and personality traits will differ from job to job, but the majority of employers look for:

• Intelligence
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Numeracy
• Teamwork and leadership skills
• Organisation skills and results orientation
• Customer service
• Commercial awareness and a degree of understanding about the industry
• What qualifications you have  
• Ability to display commitment, motivation and ambition 
• Attention to detail
• Maturity
• Passion to learn
• Confidence
• Initiative
• Reliability 
• Poise and presence

• Sense of humour
• Positive ‘can do’ attitude
• Organisational skills
• Problem solving
• Personal presentation