Job Interview Tips

It's the getting out of the routine bit that scares me most. I guess it's one thing having a few weeks out for annual leave, as you know afterwards you're back in the office. I'm going to try getting a strict routine together, even it's got some crap in like going for a walk into town or something along those lines.

Excel VBA is a very good idea actually, thanks. I work in accounting and finance so Excel is a pivotal skill. I'm already pretty good at the basics, but having some advanced skills can only help.

 

I had some work experience kids in this week and gave them 6 bits of wisdom:

1. Go to the interview in a smart suit. You can never be over dressed
2. Research the company so know who they are
3. Research the job and why you want it and why you'd be good at it
4. Lock down your social media so nobody can see that awfully funny pic in Amsterdam with a joint hanging out of your mouth
5. Take time to think about the question before answering
6. Have a quick google of the interviewer to see if you can get any info on him. Don't make out you're a stalker but if you see he's a footy fan then talk about football as one of your interests

 

Job is at KPMG! I didn't think I stood a chance tbh, I just graduated but have done an internship (at cedars for the WFC trust) and did a placement year working in marketing at the uni I went to LondonOrn, but the job is in marketing for their graduate programmes & I have worked with students before. It's not quite the same as if I was on one of the grad schemes or anything and I fully accept that, but having KPMG on my CV will surely be a big plus!

I also had to do a presentation as part of the second interview & they really liked my ideas.

So if anyone has any children graduating soon i'll be happy to give my advice after i've started!

 

I did this recently and stalked the guy on Facebook and saw a mutual friend. Turned out the guy interviewing me was my brothers best mate/housemate's oldest friend from where he's originally from. I'm also quite good friends with my brothers best mate as he's a hornet as well so I asked him about him and he put in a good word for me! It was bizarre, in the interview we ended up talking about the guy we both knew & whether or not Watford would keep Troy Deeney and how pivotal this would be to our season. The job was in sales and I decided against it, but it was strange how of all the jobs I could of applied for it was someone like him who I had connections with!

 

Or better still, those starting sixth form in a couple of months time - it's evident more than ever in today's increasingly competitive job market how important your choices are quite early on that could practically make or break the rest of your life. It's not just the current uni/college students that need advice but the under 18s!

For instance, the subject(s) you pick at Uni may be an important factor in how easily you break into the industry you want to work in and how quickly you establish a career. Those considering a degree in something like, social anthropology, music, or some obscure Eastern European language, may need to reconsider because while those may be interesting and rewarding courses in their own right, they may not lead directly to many long term career options.

 

Yeah I did a business degree and quickly realised I should have done marketing and knew I needed experience in it. Did the internship, which got me the placement year and i've no doubt the placement year got me this job. All the interviews i've been to haven't really asked about my degree at all, only the work experience i've had.

 

Well, its been a good week of unemployment so far, with some fantastic weather.

Day 1 - I walked about 10 miles in the heat, met a couple of people to discuss my options. Enjoyed the exercise, and the relaxation.
Day 2 - Did another 6 miles of walking, met a friend for lunch and a beer. Enjoyed the weather.
Day 3 - Spot of golf, then a couple of hours in a beer garden. Great weather again.
Day 4? - Job interview. Better get reading some of the tips on here!

 

[QUOTE=Cude>2 I am also on the job hunt. Good luck to you!

 

Have you had the interview yet? How did it go?

 

Handed my notice in at the supermarket to focus on my freelance work and my masters degree in September...

Posting more adverts for my work

www.rymedia.co.uk

[video=youtube;GfUSrIJczyU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUSrIJczyU[/video]

[video=youtube;OuF6wHeI49o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuF6wHeI49o[/video]

Live events, club nights, weddings etc are all things I do so if anyone needs professional but affordable work then please get in touch, might even do a discount for fellow Hornets

 

Was unfortunately awful. I left an hour and a half to do a 30 minute journey... The Metropolitan line decided to collapse last minute, and I ended up getting there late. Whole interview was rushed and I didn't explain answers clearly.

A really annoying day, but good to get an interview under my belt as it had been years since I had one.

 

Have you signed on yet Cude? Make sure you register as soon as you can as it takes time to sort out. The Job Centre's no use for job hunting though. They've got nothing worthwhile there. Also look at housing benefits etc. You can sometimes get free library and leisure centre membership for being unemployed. Also don't forget your free NHS card for dental and prescriptions etc.

I don't know what sort of age you are, or how prepared for being unemployed, but you will probably be a bit shocked at getting turned down or not even getting an interview for some things you think you should walk into. Unfortunately your standards of the type of thing you would apply for start slipping after a while.

Most of all, remember that it is not your fault that you're unemployed. It's the fault of the stupid capitalist system that is organised so that your undoubted talents in whatever area you work are being cravenly wasted for this period of time.

 

The Job Centre got me a job at the Job Centre. Anybody who says they won't help you find a job obviously wasn't as polite to the staff as I was.

 

Going back to the original start of this thread...the company I originally applied to and got an interview at are hiring again, but in a slightly higher up role. Is it worth me applying despite the fact I haven't had the full time experience that stopped me getting the slightly lower down job a year ago?

 

I'm no expert of these things but I would have thought the worse that can happen is they say no again and you continue with your current plans as before!

 

Absolutely. You'll perform better in the interview having been there before. No one is 100% ready fro a new job, The worst that can happen is some new kid comes in thinks he can do everything better and screws everything up. It'll be a learning curve but often that is a very good thing.

Some experience is essential so that people know how to work and interact with other people. Too much experience can be a bad thing.

 

On a side note, if anybody is interviewing for a job in the media industry then I'm happy for you to send me a pm and I will give you some info on the company

 

I was in the industry for a while before hastily moving into finance, somewhat regretting it now. Out of interest which firm are you at and what type of media? (PM if you prefer)

 

Had an interview today for a job I'd really quite like. Fingers crossed!

 

Parent company is McCann-Erickson...my company is media rather than creative related. Who did you work for?

 

Would anyone care to read over my cover letter before I send it off today?

 

fixed

 

Bumping this. Don't need something excessive just someone to read my application so I know it's not ****e

 

I'll give it a read over if you PM.

 

Yes. You don't know what the competition will be like this year. At the very worst, you will have shown them a bit of enthusiasm and will have got more interview experience under your belt.

 

Unfortunately he hasn't got the interview yet (still time as that was posted nine days ago) - not sure he's even applied! So actually the worst case scenario would be that he shows them a bit of enthusiasm but sadly gets no response. Still, as others have said, no harm in applying, at least it doesn't cost you money like a bet or lottery ticket.

 

Well I started a contract role on Friday. Just a short term one for a couple of months.

arty1:

 

Isn't that how it always starts? ... if during this time they hand you a bucket, mop and overalls it's time to reconsider your position.

 

If he gets all that it'll be a promotion.


:sign13:

 

Have a video interview for a cadetship to complete in the next few days, anyone any experience of doing one before? Question appears on screen, 60secs to think about it, then you're recorded for 90secs through your webcam!

 

They're not nice. Do you know if it's one you can re-record, or one where you literally get the question then you have to answer straight away and give your answer?

You have to really prepare - I used to write my notes and stick them on the wall above my laptop to help.

 

I thought I'd add to this thread after having just been interviewed and offered a job today. Given my high failure rate, maybe I'm not the best person to offer advice so feel free to ignore another lengthy post of mine, but I believe these are pretty useful tips that apply well to a number of interview situations.

This is more about the interview preparation than the interview itself, but often the toughest part of a successful interview is the preparation, and if you're not sufficiently prepared then you're not going to answer the questions to the best of your ability. It's tough, because (a) it's not just about being able to remember the best answers to impress your prospective employer enough to want to hire you and the content, but it's about the quality of delivery and presentation, avoiding too many ers and ums, long pauses, body language etc. It's said that 55% (some say more) of a good interview comes from the purely visual. (b) matching your various strengths to the job without going overboard and keeping it relevant and focused without being superficial can be quite challenging, especially for one with a description and specs as long as your arm.

Inevitably there's going to be the odd unexpected question you'll have to think hard about and may not answer as well as the others, that's why it's important to have at least a basic framework in mind of answers to standard interview questions, so even if they don't ask all the questions you prepared for, at least you've put yourself in the mindset to be sufficiently knowledgeable about the job and company to be prepared for just about anything they throw at you. There are at least five standard questions you should expect:
(a) What do you know about the company?
(b) Why are you interested in working for them/this particular role?
(c) What relevant work experience do you have?
(d) What makes you well suited for this position/why should we employ you (there should be some overlap between (c) and (d))
(e) Any questions? (Even if you have nothing to ask, don't just say "No" - at least give some explanation why you feel you know all you need to know, and if you think they've covered it all in the interview, show them your appreciation.)

At the risk of preaching to the converted (though hopefully those who have recently graduated and/or have limited work experience will find this useful), no matter how many times you've answered these, the answers are always going to vary depending on the nature of the job (even "what are your major strengths/weaknesses", a question I could have added above, but really is quite similar to (d)). So make sure you have some answers written/typed. And like revising for an exam (only this is far worse IMO), it's not enough simply to read those answers, and go over them in your head, you have to rehearse them, many times a day for several days if necessary. Don't overdo it; just make sure you allow enough time (at least three days ahead of the interview, if you have that much time) to revise and rehearse your answers, to improve on speed, delivery and fluency.

The way I did it was to first of all simply read out the answers from the script, time myself, and bearing in mind that the interview is going to be at quite a leisurely pace, make sure my answers away from the script are within double the time it takes to say them with it. This especially applies to the answer to the big question, "why should we employ you?", the big chance to really sell yourself. Make sure for maximum coherency there are no pauses other than between sentences and clauses, and not too long ones at that, and try to make it passionate and spontaneous, and not mechanical - it doesn't matter too much if you deviate from your original words a bit, as long as the key points and key words/phrases that best express yourself are made and with conviction.

For me, the longer you have to prepare the better (although anything much over a week is pushing it a bit). This doesn't mean you should spend every hour of every waking day in between the day you hear about the interview and the interview itself brainstorming over what you should say - quite the opposite in fact. Make sure you balance the preparation with what you normally do, recreation, music, exercise, fresh air, socialising etc. If the interview happens to be some days after the weekend so much the better. Too much over-preparation and fretting can make you over-stressed and give you restless nights. In fact, I'd suggest that apart from a few glances back at the job description and some thoughts over one or two of the questions you're likely to get asked, just relax for the first two days after being told of the interview, and then build your preparation into your schedule gradually. (Though I'd advise avoiding WFC Forums unless we are on a good run!) That's not going to guarantee a completely nerve-free interview day, but at least it helps put you into a more positive frame of mind in the build-up.

As for the interview - well it's been pretty much said already, and by people far more well versed in this by me, but it's worth reiterating: if you're well prepared, you have nothing really to worry about. Just look confident when you enter the building/interview room, be affable with your interviewer(s) and maintain eye contact all times, and try to relax whenever you can (no hunched shoulders, swallowed words etc) and remain focused on getting the job. Good luck to anyone still in this boat (or has just embarked it)!

 

Top tip ...

If you feel the interview isn't going well just stand up and say "Sorry but this company seems a little Mickey Mouse to me but do call me with a serious offer once you've got your ship in order". Then leave saying nothing but be sure to dazzle the gorgeous receptionist with a wide smile and a wink on your way out.

Works every time.

 

Not even an e-mail back from the latest job application despite myself and others telling me my application this year was miles ahead of last year's.

Oh well, on with the masters degree!

 

I was asked 'What is your biggest weakness?'

I sat there for too long and it got slightly awkward, so i said 'well, sometimes it takes me a long time to answer questions.' They cracked up, and I got the job.

Corporate answers are cookie cutter and boring. An interview is somebody checking they can work with you - almost anyone can do any job with enough training, but they want to know you are good to work with and you will get along with them. Just make sure they know you want to work there and be funny.

Even if they say they are, nobody actually finds somebody telling them about their 'excellent verbal and written communication skills' interesting. In fact I'm pretty sure most of that jargon was made up by recruitment agents to try and pad their part.

Just my two cents.