What is a job interview?
A job interview is a common technique used by employers in order to decide whether or not to hire someone. An interview usually takes the form of a face-to-face meeting, but if travel is an issue then you may be asked to interview via phone or webcam.
Why do employers go to the effort of conducting interviews when they could just pick the candidate with the best CV?
Interviews are crucial to the recruitment process for a number of reasons. Firstly, an interview allows you to go into more detail about your work history, skills and strengths than you can on your CV. Secondly, and most importantly, the interview is an opportunity for you to show your personality. For employers, it’s very important that they find the candidate with not only the right skills and strengths, but also the right personality to fit in with the team.
Types of interviews
Panel
In this type of interview you will be asked questions by two or more interviewers. Big companies often favour this approach as the panel can be made up of people from different areas of the business. While it may feel intimidating being interviewed by a group of people, the plus side is that the decision on whether or not to hire you comes down to more than just the opinion of one person.
Competency-based
In a competency-based interview you will be asked to describe past situations where you had a task to do or a problem that needed to be resolved. In order to do well in this type of interview, you will need to have examples prepared and be able to describe in detail the situation, what action you took and how you went about achieving a positive result. For more advice read Succeeding in competency based interviews.
Presentation
You may be asked by an employer to give a presentation on a particular topic. You will be told in advance, so you can prepare thoroughly. If you plan to use a computer program like PowerPoint or Prezi , make sure to ask ahead of time what equipment will be available in the room and make sure to pack everything you’ll need like a memory stick and printouts.
Informal chat
Small companies sometimes prefer this type of interview. While an informal chat can be less stressful than giving a presentation or speaking to a panel, there are still some important things to remember. The conversation is likely to be less structured than in a formal interview, so it’s important to prepare what you want to get across ahead of time such as your skills and strengths as your interviewer may not ask you about them directly. Also, don’t let the informality of the situation tempt you into being too casual or jokey. Keep things professional.
Group
Some employers conduct group interview sessions with several candidates. Group interviews often involve role playing and team working activities. The key to succeeding in a group interview is to show that you can work well in a team and stand out from the crowd.
Technical
If you’re going for a job that requires technical knowledge you may be asked to take a test or answer specific technical questions. The employer will tell you in advance, so you can prepare ahead of time.
Telephone/webcam
You may be asked to interview via phone or webcam if travel is an issue for you or the interviewer or where good phone skills are crucial to the role e.g. a job at a call centre. Ensure your phone line/internet connection is good and that you’re sitting somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed.
What next?
My Interview is an interactive tool designed to help you understand more about what can happen in a competency-based job interview. Start improving your skills now and be ready to impress when it counts.
