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You may be happy
in your current job and not proactively looking for a new role, however
if you see your ideal job advertised or the head hunter rings with your
dream role, how prepared are you to step into an interview and make
a positive first impression? Research from www.jobsite.co.uk,
shows that 59% of interviewers still rely on good old fashioned gut
feeling about a candidate, so what can you do in 5 minutes to ensure
you make it to the second round?
The 5 minute
surf
Understanding the organisation's business and the issues it faces will
instantly impress the interviewer. A quick 5 minutes web search can
throw up a wealth of insight and knowledge. Recent press coverage, blogs
and articles will all help to give you valuable insights into the company's
reputation and successes, arming you with an immediate level of knowledge,
as well as "content filler" for the opening part of your interview.
Preparation sends out a message: I want this role.
Put yourself
on the spot
Focus on those elements of the interview which are in your control -
i.e. you and what you already know. Spend 5 minutes writing down the
most challenging questions you could be asked, then focus on answering
one each day in the count down to interview. Ultimately, you are likely
to challenge yourself far more than the interviewer, as well as prompting
yourself with examples of achievements you may not have previously considered.
Adapting your
language
Most organisations have a definite corporate language used to depict
the company's structure and processes. Spend 5 minutes studying the
job spec to get a feel for how they describe your role and what you
will be doing. If you can adapt your own language to that of the company
and include some key phrases in your interview you are instantly going
to make the interviewer feel comfortable and illustrate that you clearly
understand what it is they are looking for.
"Why are
you leaving?"
The most insightful answer given in any interview is why you are leaving
your current role. It instantly tells the interviewer not only what
you want out of the next role, but also provides some candid insights
into your attitude, current mindset and professionalism. When interviewers
ask why you're leaving your company, concentrate on the positives, "I
wanted to move on to…" not "I wanted to move away from…"
Stay with the facts of what happened, what you did, how you felt and
what you learned. Use this as an opportunity to show your interviewer
what you want to do differently this time.
Redefine experience
Where and when you did something is infinitely less interesting that
what you actually achieved. Don't discuss any experience or skills unless
you can back it up with real evidence and results. Prepared examples
of occasions when you provided great customer service or closed a significant
deal will create far better impressions than where you want to school
or the industry awards you have won.
Why should I
work for you?
An interview is not a one-way affair; it is also your way of finding
out more about the company and your employer so it's important you ask
questions too. According to Jobsite, 27% of job seekers think that prospective
employers ask too few questions, so use this part of the interview to
draw out experiences, ideas and concepts that you haven't yet had the
chance to illustrate. Also spend some time thinking about what drives
you ethically, motivationally and idealistically. Developing questions
which allow you to test your motivations will very quickly help you
work out what sort of organisation or department they are and whether
they will suit you.
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