are you preparing for an interview?
Interview Preparation
In our many years’ experience in the Electrical Industry, we have been bewildered by the occasions we have interviewed poorly prepared candidates. Suffice to say they never stood a chance at getting the role and just wasted every one’s time. So we have compiled a simple list that gives you the candidate every chance to impress your prospective employer.
Preparation of the company
We will provide as much information about the role and company as we have, and it’s up to you to privately research more to give you an ‘edge’ over your competition.
Visit the prospective company’s website for background information on the size and sites of the company, the product groups they sell, and other subsidiaries they may own.
Utilise your contacts to gain, or request directions from the company to your home address, a catalogue and/or a company profile document.
Utilise a ‘confidential’ contact to gain more information on the company (be cautious with this approach though).
Preparation for questioning
One main consideration – Your prospective employer has a problem, they have a key vacancy they need filling with the best candidate they can find. It’s your job to prepare yourself to meet their needs.
Start with your CV and think from their perspective. What questions are they going to ask from your CV? Practise your answers.
What other rudimentary questions are they likely to ask? I.e. why do you want to work for us? What qualities would you bring to our company? (Even if these are not requested you can work your answers into the interview).
Note down your most significant achievements and most importantly how you achieved them. Also, note your personal assets and attributes thinking how these can be beneficial to the prospective company.
Preparation of yourself
Simple tasks like personal grooming and leaving enough time for your journey are often overlooked but are crucial, these all state how important this meeting is to you.
Always take a notepad and ask at the start of the interview if you may take notes (interviewers like to see people not solely relying on memory) you can also have your personally prepared questions noted down.
Try not to rush in with your comments and answers, and make sure you have answered what they have asked of you (this is a surprisingly common occurrence)
When answering a question, try to give an experienced example which backs up what you are saying and expands on your answer
Most importantly of all – Be positive and enthusiastic in all of your discussions. Enthusiasm is contagious (be wary that the opposite also applies)
Finally, attempt a ‘close’. At the end of the interview ask ‘If there are any grey areas why they think you would not be successful in gaining the position’ as you would like the opportunity to answer them now.
Always leave the interview on a positive note by asking of the next stage and thanking them for this opportunity.
With all the above we can not guarantee you success, however, we do guarantee you will perform better and get more out of the experience yourself while feeling less nervous with the whole process. So prepare well, in order to grant yourself good luck!