Interview Workshop

ARTS301 April 29th 2013

What Is The Process

• You search the jobs pages– What else might you do?

• You identify a job that you like– In most cases the capabilities described will be

beyond you… but only just• You need to find out more about the company– Where do you do the research? – How?

First Steps

• Read all that you can on the company website• Ensure that this is what you want• Review your existing CV• Edit to incorporate key words from the job ad• Draft a cover letter• Review your LinkedIn page• Get someone else to check your writing for

typos etc

The interview

• They will expect that you have read about the company, and that you know what they do, how they do it, where they do it etc.

• If you were asked to take a written test as a part of the interview process and had to write 250 -500 words on the company, would you be able to do it?

What would you write if asked:

• What are the main objectives of the business.• The outside issues affecting the firm and the

ecosystem it operates in?• What are the firm’s growth strategies?• Who are the major players in the industry, what is their

market share, and how do they compete?• Could you describe what you think are the main

responsibilities associated with the role and the KPI’s that go with this role? In other words could you write down, off the top of your head, the job description?

Be prepared

• Bring with you to the interview a set of power point slides that include bullet points about what you would bring to the organisation if you were to join.

• If you don’t use it, it will still be a great discipline to get you focused on what you can do for them.

Use the interview productively

• Be prepared to ask questions about the company’s culture

• Before you do, try to understand what the company values

• Make sure you know about the backgrounds of the key executives and in particular the people who interview you

• Where will you find this information?

Questions you can ask them• Where will this company be in five years?• What is the company’s most important asset?• How much respect do you have for your competition?• What would a typical day or week in this position entail? • Could you describe the typical people I would be interacting with day to

day (or client or customer I would be dealing with)?• Why is this position available?• What did the last person in this position go on to do — and were you

happy with their work?• Are the KPI’s clear and how often do reviews occur?• What are the main factors that will determine the right person for this

job?• What was it about my qualifications that appealed to you?

Technical questions

• What are the expected goals for the person who is appointed to this job during their first 30, 60, and 90 days?

• Can you tell me about how this job has been performed in the past? And any improvements you expect over past performance?

• Are there any specific skills that you’re looking to fill with a new hire?

• If I was starting in today, what would you advise me to do first?

Useful cultural questions

• What do you like best about working here?• What type of work do you delegate?• How does the company recognise excellence in performance

by staff? Has someone recently been recognized?• Has anyone on your staff been promoted recently? If so, what

was the reason?• What would be three things that your superiors would say

that you do extremely well?• Do you have a program for professional development and

training?• Do employees socialize together out of work hours?

Questions that will help draw out the conversation

• This job sounds like something I’d really like to do — do you think that I would fit in here?

• Now that we have met and talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any reservations about me and my potential to be successful in this position?

Critical Questions You Must Raise!

• What is the next step in this process?• What is your time line for getting back to

candidates about the next steps?