Business etiquette and the job interview
Posted: November 7, 2011 Filed under: Interviews, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a comment »
There is a lot of advice around that’s intended to make you feel more relaxed about job interviews. Many people say you should just treat an interview as a business meeting. But what if you’ve never been in a business meeting?
As a student or recent graduate, it’s likely that you don’t have much, or any, experience of business meetings, so what should you expect?
Business etiquette
Most business etiquette is based on common sense and good manners – which means that some of these tips will sound obvious. There’s no mystique about this: generally, it’s about behaviour that shows you respect the other people and want to make them feel comfortable.
- Dress professionally.
- Be punctual: turn up on time or a bit earlier.
- Shake hands when invited to do so.
- Expect some small talk before getting down to business. This helps create rapport between people who have not met before.
- Business meetings generally have a chair – someone who leads the discussion, ensures that the agenda is covered, and signals when the meeting is over. At a job interview, this may not be explicit but you will notice the HR manager or someone else on the interview panel take this role. Be particularly aware of what this person is saying.
- Wait for someone to stop speaking before you reply; don’t interrupt. Answer thoughtfully and make eye contact with the person who’s talking.
- Don’t swear, and avoid slang as much as possible: it may not be understood by all present and can sound unprofessional.
- Avoid making jokes: these are best avoided with people you don’t know as they can misfire. They may also suggest that you are not taking the meeting seriously.
- Give your full attention to the meeting. Turn your phone off (and if you’ve forgotten, don’t answer it in the middle of the interview!). It’s acceptable to take a drink of water, though, if it is offered, and it’s also OK to take notes.
- At the end of the meeting, thank people for their time.
An agenda
A productive meeting always needs an agenda. In a business meeting, this might be a formal document circulated in advance. For a job interview, it’s possible that you may be sent a note about what to expect. More often, you are likely to be given a summary at the beginning of the interview. This could be along the lines of: ‘We will give you some information about the job and then ask you some questions. There will be time for you to ask questions at the end of the interview, but feel free to do so as we go along.’
A meeting of equals
At a job interview there is, of course, also an unspoken agenda. You may think that the interviewers’ agenda is ‘Choosing who to hire’ and yours is ‘I want them to give me a job.’ In fact, both sides should have the same underlying agenda: to find out whether you are a good fit for the job. It’s in your own interest, as much as theirs, that you come out of the meeting knowing the answer to this question.
So the best approach is not to treat the interview as a one-sided interrogation but as a meeting of professionals with a shared aim. Yes, you still need to present your case persuasively – as happens in many business meetings – but it’s also a two-sided conversation where listening and learning can take place.
This may not stop you being nervous, but it will help you to come across as considered, confident – and businesslike.
Why you should not be scared of silence in a job interview
Posted: October 21, 2011 Filed under: Interviews, Job interviews and assessment centres 1 Comment »
You’re in a job interview. They ask you a question you hadn’t anticipated. Your mind goes blank. You try to think of something to say. The silence is embarrassing. Finally, you say something, anything, just to fill the void.
It’s a nightmare scenario. But it doesn’t have to be. And here’s why.
1. The silence is probably not as long as it seems.
No-one expects you to jump in and answer a question straight away. That could be the sign of someone who is over-confident, and that’s not something interviewers are keen on. A certain amount of silence is normal.
2. The interviewers expect you to think.
A good interviewee takes time to collect their thoughts and prepare a considered answer. OK, you may feel afterwards that you should have prepared the answer in advance, but that’s not always possible. (And it’s something to put on your list for next time.)
3. They don’t mind you being nervous.
Generally, interviewers are on your side (and if they’re not, do you really want to work for them?). They know you’re likely to be nervous and they will make allowances for this. If they feel you are struggling with an answer, they may even give you some hints about how they want you to answer it.
So what are the tactics you can use when you find yourself in this situation? You’ll have to break the silence at some point, so here are some ways to do it.
- Ask them to clarify or rephrase the question. This buys you some time.
- Tell them you need more time. It helps to have a stock phrase prepared, such as ‘That’s an interesting question; can I have a minute to think it through please?
- Take a drink of water; this will calm you down and help you to think.
- If you really can’t come up with an answer, be honest: and say so. It’s better than waffling.
Read more interview tips at gradireland.com.
Skills and competences? They’re so yesterday…
Posted: August 25, 2011 Filed under: Accountancy, Employability skills, Job applications and CVs, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a comment »
Do your strengths equip you for battle?
The battle lines are being re-drawn. At my signal, unleash a hell of a change.
If you think this analogy is a touch lame, then you haven’t tried making a job application to a big recruiter recently. If you have, then you know it’s a war out there. You need meticulous planning and organisation and then you sally forth armed with self-knowledge to meet a mysterious opponent armed to the teeth with difficult questions, psychometric tests, group exercises and (gulp) presentations.
And what’s in your armoury? Well, conventional wisdom tells you to equip yourself with a full understanding of the recruiter’s competences and matching evidence that you have developed all of these in your life so far. After all, each step of the recruitment process is based on the same set of competences.
But the ground might be shifting. No sooner have you got your head round competences, along come strengths and attitudes (it’s a kind of arms race thing). . The former measure is a bit difficult to explain so I’ll leave it to the leading professional services firm, Ernst & Young, to explain what happens in their interviews.
A final strengths-based interview is incorporated as part of the assessment centre in most cases. Whilst competency style questions will be asked, the focus will once more be on the idea of strengths, and whether a candidate is being genuine and natural in their answers.
So rather than asking you how you have demonstrated group work skills, they ask you what you do well, what activities energise you, when are you most yourself. In other words, they want to know from you exactly what you think you’re good at.
When it comes to attitude, a growing number of recruiters are focusing as much on your personality as your strengths and competences. Whether you are positive, genuine, enthusiastic and demonstrate the right attitude to work is going to be more of a selection factor than ever before. Same battle, slightly different rules of engagement.
If you want to read more about this, go to our sister site in the UK, targetjobs.co.uk and read the Employer Insight for Ernst & Young.
The five unspoken interview questions you need to answer
Posted: June 28, 2011 Filed under: Interviews 1 Comment »It can be pretty scary going to a job interview, but it might surprise you to know that the interviewer is also likely to be nervous. There is pressure on them to make the right hire, and they are depending on you to give them the information they need to make that decision.
Behind every interview question are some basic concerns – and, as an interviewee, you need to meet these needs and reassure the interviewers.
1. Does the candidate want the job?
Show them you have a realistic grasp of what the day-to-day job involves, and be enthusiastic about it. Don’t be afraid to be upbeat and say how the work matches your aspirations, work experience, interests and career plans.
2. Can the candidate do the job?
Interviewers want to see potential and willingness. Demonstrate that you have the skills and qualities the job description asks for through specific examples of times you have used these skills.
3. Is the candidate the best fit for the job?
Employers favour people with good interpersonal and communication skills. Take an interest in what other job roles and people are in the organisation and ask questions about them. Find out in advance about the organisational culture, and show them how this might fit your personality and work style.
4. Does the candidate have other job offers or interviews lined up?
This information will help them timetable their final decision. Don’t pretend that you do – or don’t – have other things lined up. But don’t be shy about mentioning other job applications you have pending. If they’re similar to the one you’re being interviewed for it shows that you’ve really thought through your career choice.
5. How do I feel about the candidate? Are they lying or behaving strangely?
It’s best to admit if you don’t know the answer to a question, aren’t sure what you’re being asked, or don’t feel you’ve yet developed the skill you’re being asked about. And if you have a problem on the day of the interview that’s likely to affect your behaviour (such as an illness or bereavement), it’s wise to flag this up at the start.
Secure the job by asking for it at interview
Posted: June 10, 2011 Filed under: Interviews, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a comment »
You wore the suit - but did you ask the right questions?
Guest blog by Sinead English
You would think that it is obvious. You wore the suit, turned up 30 minutes early, prepared well, and answered all their questions in detail. So why then do so many interviewers of graduates feel that they are not that enthusiastic about getting the job?
Maybe you should try asking them for the job at the end of the interview. It will certainly leave them in no doubt that you are hungry and keen to do the job – traits that employers regularly comment they don’t see in graduates at interview.
How to ask for the job (without sounding desperate!)
- There is usually time allotted at the end of the interview for your questions. Rather than asking them a question they have heard 100 times before – “What are the opportunities for advancement?” [yawn], try this: “From my research on the company and from what I have heard today I am extremely interested in this position – I really believe I would be a good fit for your company – is there any other information you would like from me today?” Chances are they will not ask you anything else but you will have left them in no doubt that you want the job. Practise saying this out loud so that you feel comfortable with it on the day – it is not something that comes naturally to most people.
- Alternatively when winding up the interview the interview may ask: “Is there anything else you would like to add?” There is your chance – on a plate! Tell them that you have enjoyed meeting them and from everything you have learned about the company and the role you are extremely keen to join the company.
Everyone loves flattery. Be sincere, tell them you want the job – not many graduates do and it could just make all the difference.
Sinead English’s Career Development Blog
Like this:
Mind mapping for job interviews
Posted: May 19, 2011 Filed under: Interviews, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a comment »I often find when I want to learn about something new that a quick and easy way of doing it is to read a children’s book on the subject. So I was pleased to come across a book called Mind Maps for Kids. It’s a great introduction to a really useful technique for brainstorming and learning.
‘Mind mapping’ works on the theory that visual, non-linear ways of organising information and ideas can reach the places that writing a list can’t. You start with a piece of paper, write your main subject in the middle, and then start drawing branches out from this for related subjects. These branches also branch out as you put down more detailed information.
The idea is that the process of organising the information visually can help you to remember it. And because you fit all your notes onto one page it’s a handy way of reviewing the information quickly before you need it.
Mind Maps for Kids recommends this technique as a way of revising for exams, but it could also be useful when you’re preparing for a job interview. You might start with ‘job interview’ in the middle and then branch out into ‘Why this company?’, ‘Why this job?’ and ‘Why me?’. Other branches might be ‘questions to ask’, ‘my skills’ or ‘my experience’.
Everyone will tell you that advance preparation is important for a job interview. They’ll explain that you should research the employer and think about how you fit them and the job. That’s fine, but what if your nerves get in the way and you can’t remember any of it once you’re actually in the hot seat?
Creating a mind map could help you to mentally access that information. And, just by doing it, you might also come up with new, creative ideas about how to approach the interview.
Have you tried this technique? Please let us know how it went.
Under pressure: how to cope with student stress
Posted: May 5, 2011 Filed under: General, Job applications and CVs, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a comment »
You don’t need us to tell you that students across the country feel particularly pressured at this time of year. Exams are round the corner, coursework deadlines have all arrived at once, and revision feels like a never-ending task; you may also be juggling your studies with part-time work. There’s barely enough time in the day for lunch, let alone graduate job applications, or any other (more exciting) extra-curricular activities, so you can be forgiven for feeling stressed.
Stress affects everyone from time to time from every walk of life. It might not be pleasant, but in small doses it can be beneficial: stress can turn even the greatest procrastinators into paragons of productivity. The trick is to recognise your own stress levels, and learn how to manage them.
Careful time management and adopting a routine are the best ways of limiting the stresses of university life. It goes without saying that it’s important to structure your time properly and put the work in – coursework, revision, applications all take time, effort and determination – but it’s equally important to give yourself proper breaks. Eat well and make sure you get enough sleep. Make time for exercise.
Don’t try and do too much. If you set yourself impossible goals, you run the risk of becoming so anxious about your perceived lack of achievement that you won’t be able to face any of it. Instead, give yourself smaller, manageable tasks, and reward yourself for every target achieved. If you work best in the mornings don’t push yourself to work late into the night, and vice versa; adopt a routine that works for you.
Another good way to minimise stress is discovering the ability to say ‘no’: if you’re invited for a job interview right before an exam, it’s likely to send your stress levels soaring, so explain the situation to the recruiter. The chances are they’ll be happy to reschedule. Similarly, if you’ve agreed to an interview date but subsequently realise that it clashes with an important deadline, contact the recruiter as soon as you can to explain and ask if you can rearrange.
What those job interview questions really mean
Posted: May 3, 2011 Filed under: Interviews, Job interviews and assessment centres | Tags: questions Leave a comment »
What’s the worst interview question ever? According to career consultant Sinead English it’s ‘Tell Me About Yourself’.
But, she explains on her blog, there is an easy way to approach this question – if you realise that ‘Tell Me About Yourself is Interviewer code for Why Should We Hire You?’. This means that the interviewers do not want to hear about your social life or hobbies: they want to hear why you feel you have what it takes to do the job well.
It’s good advice – and a good approach for any job interview. Because ultimately, every question you will be asked means the same: ‘Why should we hire you?’.
There may be variations on a theme – and interviewers will want different answers each time – but if you learn to decode recruiter speak you will know how to tackle any question. The trick is to work out the interviewers’ underlying motivation and ensure that you give them the information they need to make a decision.
Here are some examples of questions that are commonly asked at graduate-level job applications – and what the interviewers really mean.
They ask: What do you know about the company?
They mean: Have you done your research? What have you found out that’s not on the company website? Why you want to work there? Why do you think you would fit in?
They ask: Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
They mean: Are you committed to this employer? Have you thought about your career progression within the company?
They ask: Why have you chosen a career in this sector?
They mean: Are you really committed to this job? Do you know what it involves? Do you have the right skills?
They ask: What is your greatest achievement?
They mean: What is your greatest achievement relevant to the job you are applying for? What qualities can you demonstrate that match what they asked for in the job description?
