Professional Interview Preparation

Get the job you want with ‘How to’ training in

proven techniques.

From the people that train the

recruiters

You know how

• You finally get an interview for a job• The interview is pretty tough• You don’t get any real feedback• There’s a lot of competition for the

job• You don’t get the offer and• You’re back in the job searchThis guide will fix that

Successful InterviewingA job interview is your opportunity to:– Work for a better company– Develop your skills and relationships– And not to forget, make more money

But there are no prizes for second place– Interviewing is difficult, competitive & stressful – Interviewing is a skill that we don’t practice often

which means we’re not as good as we could be

The solution is Interview Preparation

You’re in the right placeManager Foundation trains managers how to interview and we partner with recruitment companies.

This is why we know better than anyone else what recruiters are looking for in job candidates

A little interview preparation can go a long way. Because the average job candidate is unprepared and untrained in interviewing skills

7 Ways to Prepare for Interviews

There are many ways to prepare for an interview, including:1. Use a checklist2. Revise interview questions & prepare

answers 3. Research the company and the interviewer4. Review your own resume5. Take a psychometric assessment6. Mock interviews with friends and family7. Professional Interview Coaching

The Best Interview Preparation Method

Professional Interview Coaching is the best way to prepare for interviews. Because a coach can:• Adapt training to your needs• Identify what mistakes you’re making• Give you open, actionable feedbackThe problem is professional coaches cost money. If would like to invest in your career then go here: http://goo.gl/CQoHdW Otherwise continue with this on-line interview training course.

OverviewInterviewing for a job is a multidisciplinary activity. This guide will cover the following topics:• What recruiters want• Using Interview Checklists• Body language & building rapport• Company & interviewer research• Resumes and interviewing• Finding and communicating your USP• Difficult interview questions• Expected interview questions• Behavioural interview questions• Psychometric tests• Anxiety & self confidence

Are you right for this guide?Interview preparation isn’t for everyone.• Would you like a new (better) job?• Is it a competitive job market?• Do you want to control interview anxiety or improve

your confidence?• Have you failed at interviews in the past?• Do you want to take control of the interview

process?• Do you want to know what recruiters do with your

psychometric assessment?If any of the above apply to you then interview preparation will improve your interview success. But you must also be prepared to follow the process.

What recruiters wantRecruiters want to know that you:• Have the skills & abilities to do the job,• Are motivated to apply yourself and stay and• Will fit in with the organisation (team, values and

culture)In short recruiters want to know that you will add value. The problem is that interviewing is a flawed method:• Candidates misrepresent themselves• Interviewers are not objective• Having job skills is not the same as interview skillsThe result is you could be great for a job but fail at an interview

Using Checklists

Checklists are an excellent method to not miss important steps. The con is that checklists are a bit light on content - they tell you what to do, not how to do it.Good for:• Planning• Dress code• On the day drill

Body Language & Building Rapport

Body language and “connecting” with the interviewer are at least as important as saying the right things. A couple of easy to follow recommendations:• Making eye contact and smiling –

surprisingly effective• Mirroring the other person

ResearchA little knowledge can go a long way. It’s vital that you research these 3 subjects:1. The Company: – Sources: Google, website, social media– To know: products, vision, environment

2. The Job: – Sources: Job description, recruitment consultant– To know: Required skills, deliverables, challenges

3. The Interviewer:– Sources: LinkedIn, recruitment consultant– To know: Common ground, personality type

Resume ReviewYou need to be prepared for interviewer’s who:• Have scrutinized your resume & will drill you on

details &• Haven’t read your resume & ask you to explain itYour resume is meant to sell you. Even if you already have an interview it’s not too late to update it. Typo’s, grammatical mistakes and unclear resumes create a bad impression. Have a 3rd party review it because people are blind to their own errors.(Or use a professional service http://goo.gl/jCEh2k )

Finding and communicating your USP

It’s never been tougher to get a job• Market is saturated with qualified

candidates• Companies are getting picky• Interviews are getting tougherUSP = Unique Selling Proposition• Work out how your unique skills are best

for the role and how they will add valueNote: A psychometric assessment is a good way to do this – more later.

Difficult Interview QuestionsThe job of recruiters is to ask tough questions to identify the best candidates. Be prepared for any difficult interview question:• Warm up by practicing on a set of questions• Stall by clarifying & repeating the question• After answering, ask if you got it right• If all else fails, ask to move onHow to guidance for this here http://goo.gl/doQXzW

Developing interview skills• Interviewing is a complex skill• Unfortunately being good at a job doesn’t

make you good at interviewing• Ironically better workers stay in jobs longer

and practice their interview skills lessBut interviewing skills are an important life skill that gives you the ability to get the job you want. That’s why we recommend that you invest in your interviewing skills whether by study, practice or coaching. Developing your interview skills can do more for your career than other skills.

Expected Interview Questions

Certain interview questions are so common interviewers expect you to be prepared for them. For example you need to prepare for:• Tell me about yourself• What is your biggest weakness• Where do you see yourself in 5 yearsThe real key is to understand exactly what the interviewer is looking for.

Behavioral Interview Questions

More sophisticated interviewers use behavioral interview questions. Behavioral questions ask what you did in a past scenario.• Spot them: They sound like “Tell me about a time

when you XYZ”• Complete them. Use the STAR technique (Situation,

Target/Task, Action, Result)• Expect them: Behavioral interview questions relate

to job competencies. Knowing the required job competencies warns you which questions to expect

• Smash them: Recruiters are looking for certain indicators

See example overleaf

Behavioral Interview Questions Example

• Spot them:– Non behavioral question: “Can you manage a budget?”– Behavioral question: “Tell me about a time when you had to achieve a

challenging budget”

• Expect them:– This question is asked when budget management is a key job

competency

• Evaluation criteria: – Positive: Achieved target, planned in advance, monitored,

consultative, made contingency plans, didn’t reduce service levels– Negative: Missed target, complained, reduced service

• Example answer – “I managed a cost budget of $3.7m in the operations department and

I had to make a 10% saving. I brain stormed with my team to identify and evaluate our options. We agreed what to cut to achieve the target plus a contingency fund. I implemented monthly reporting and a standing agenda item. We achieved a total saving of $0.4m with minimal impact on operations.”

The need for feedbackHave you ever done an interview, not got the job and then wondered what you did wrong? In job interviews:• Interviewer doesn’t give you open, useful

feedback,• This makes it difficult to improve• A little objective feedback will increase

your interview success.When preparing for interviews, get feedback from objective, skilled persons. Whether friends or a professional coach.

Psychometric tests in interviewingThe truth is that a personality test can eliminate you from a job• Different types of people suit different types of jobs• Recruiters use psychometric assessments (commonly called

personality tests) to match applicants to jobs• If the recruiter knows your behavior profile but you don't, you

will be at a disadvantage• Worst case: many job applicants are eliminated because of

concerns raised from their psychometric assessment • But it is possible to address these concerns if you know what

they are and howThis is an advanced interview technique and may not be for everyone. You can find out your strengths and weaknesses by taking a Psychometric Test http://goo.gl/D7djfL But as an advanced technique this is better dealt with by using the assistance of an Interview Coach. The advanced interviewing course explains how to use a personality test to interview better

Anxiety & Self Confidence

Interviews are stressful, important and we don’t practice them often. Understandably this leads to high anxiety which decreases interview performance. • Anxiety can be controlled through

breathing exercises• Questioning techniques can build self

confidence

Next steps

Congratulations on completing this interview preparation. Already you are on the path to being a much better interviewer. The next steps are:• Identify problem areas• Learn how to apply the techniques in

practiceThe following pages identify options

Options: Developing Interview Skills

1. Professional Coaching2. How to Guide3. Resume ReviewSpecial mention:• Salary Negotiation• New Job Transitions• Managing your Boss

Professional Interview Coaching

The best way to succeed at interviewing is to do professional interview coaching. It’s not for everyone because it costs money. But interview coaches do the following better than anyone else:• Identify interview mistakes you’re making• Give tailored coaching and objective feedback• Identify your relevant strengths• Work out strategies to compensate for

weaknesses• Know what questions you will most likely face in

your interviews (these vary for different jobs)

An example of what interview coaching can do

“Before my Interview Skills Training, I was struggling to get away from a job I hated because I wasn’t getting job offers from my interviews. I was frustrated because I knew I must be doing something wrong in my interviews but I didn’t know how to fix it. Being rejected from jobs I thought I was qualified for was starting to affect my confidence and I felt trapped.

I struggled to connect with interviewers and clearly my interview answers weren’t what the interviewers were looking for but I was at a loss as to how to improve. I know I have to “sell” myself in interviews but I don’t like bragging or stretching the truth.

I got an interview for a job that I didn’t want to miss out on. So I decided to try interview training. I thought - what can I lose!

Getting constructive expert feedback was an eye opening experience. Finding out what interviewers thought of me and why and was what I needed. Even if there were a few “uncomfortable truths”! All those interviews I went to and practice interview questions didn’t improve my interview skills as much as one session of coaching.

My interview was a totally different experience, I was confident, I knew what I was doing and I felt like a total pro. Needless to say I got the job! I’m looking forward to changing jobs. But better than that I know that I now have the freedom and the skills to easily change jobs in the future.” – Alison

Developing interview skillsThe guide that you have just completed is introduction and overview to interview training. The next step is to develop your skills by using using a more advanced guide. A more advanced guide covers a lot of what a professional interview coach would cover but is more of a “self service” model. It’s suitable for people who:• Are disciplined at on-line learning,• Aren’t ready to invest in an Interview Coach• Are able to progress without an Interview CoachThe guide contains:• How to answer Interview Questions• What interview mistakes to avoid• How to control anxiety and increase confidenceAnd more

Special MentionsFact: More than half of all workers do not enjoy their jobs. But it doesn’t have to be this way.The mission of Manager Foundation is to “Make Work Work” by sharing practical tactics in order to • Increase employee job satisfaction• Show managers time proven, saving people

management techniques and• That results in companies achieving their goalsIf you are a worker you will at some point need one of the following solutions.

Resume ReviewTo get an interview, you need an exceptional resume. Interviews revolve around your resume. We offer a number of resume review services to suit your needs• Identifying typo’s, mistakes, unclear

language• Expert recommendations• Expert rewrites• Designer resumes to really stand outFind out more: http://goo.gl/IQWFfg & get y0ur free template here: http://goo.gl/sU2fB3

Special mention: Salary Negotiation

The best time to increase your salary is in a job transition. Negotiation can create the job you want: whether it’s pay, healthcare benefits, extra vacation, development or flexible working conditions. Find out:• How a salary negotiation works• Tactics to get you what you want• What your salary package should look

likehttp://goo.gl/3N5Xu8

New Job Transitions You’re optimistic about your new job. The opportunity to progress, meet new people, learn new things and have a better working environment. But then things start to go wrong. Why? Because a job transition is one of the most complicated and challenges changes we can make. You can’t take for granted that you will integrate well with your colleagues or fulfill your bosses expectations. And a good job can turn bad.This is why we made the New Job Success Guide http://goo.gl/BLJtBI