COM 417 Mairead McFadden

Learning Outcomes  Prepare for interviews  Prepare for assessment centres

Interview Session Preparing for Interviews

The purpose of an interview For the Interviewer  To see if candidate matches application  To assess candidates interpersonal skills  To assess if candidate meets core requirements  To check for team and organisational fit For the Interviewee  To find out more about the company and the job  To demonstrate the key skills required for the job

Types of Interviews  Face to face  “Pop in” for a chat  Panel Interviews  Second Interviews  Telephone  Group

Preparation  Confirm attendance, understand the selection process, plan your journey and what to wear.  Do your homework on the employer Their aims and mission statement Number of employees, locations? Products, services, turnover, plans, recent news? What the company offers placement students Sources of information: visit website, company literature (annual report), Kompass Directory, ABI Inform Clip: Peter Mann, Assistant Head of Transport, Oxfordshire County Council

Preparation cont.d Do your homework on the job. Ask yourself  What are the main duties & responsibilities? Is there a job description I can read?  What skills and qualities are required – essential and desirable?  Could I talk to someone with a similar job?  Can I identify questions that might be asked? Against the job:  What have I to offer  What examples do I have that show evidence

Factors Assessed During Interview AppearanceQualifications PoiseSkills (ie Team work) Conversational ability Knowledge of Org & FriendlinessKnowledge of Job PersonalityExperience Drive & Initiative Overall Impression!

Answering Interview Questions  Identify the key skills being asked for  Reflect on your own experiences to find a suitable scenario which highlights these skills/competencies  Good approach - is to use STAR -Situation - describe the situation -Task - what did you do -Action - what steps did you take to complete the task -Result - what was the outcome  Try to draw on a range of experiences EXAMPLE OF STAR TECHNIQUE

Remember  Listen carefully to the whole question  Answer the question asked - provide relevant evidence and outcomes  If you need to - ask for clarification  If you are stumped – ask for a few moments

Telephone interviews 

Employers and interviews 

Body Language Messages GRADNAV: Non-Verbal Communication Exercise Positive Body Language Smiling, nodding, eye contact, sitting upright Negative Body Language Fidgeting, frowning, crossed arms, slouching

Questions to ask the interviewer  The Organisation What are the likely future developments?  The work and training What projects you would be involved in?  Colleagues Who would you be working with?  Salary and prospects Salary best discussed at second interview or when offer the post What career paths have other graduates taken in the organisation?  Timing How long will you have to wait before

Unsuccessful Candidates  Failed to prepare  Did not display a reasonable knowledge of the job/area applied for  Did not give direct answers to questions  Did not transfer their learning between contexts  Thought a good degree would be enough

Summary: Prep is Key 1.Know what you are offering 2.Identify key skills being asked for and have two examples for each 3.Find out some original things about the organisation 4.Identify questions you would like answered 5.Practise and get feedback Be positive, enthusiastic, natural & honest

Special instructions  You may receive special instructions with your invitation to the second interview.  Make sure you are happy with all the arrangements and check anything you are unsure about.  For example, do you need to arrive early to sit any tests?  Are you required to give a presentation ?

Application Forms  Employer applied to  Preferred Functions  Education – note prior to HR “List date /qualification/grade subjects A, AS, Irish LC etc. Include all examination taken at this level  Employment and Work Experience – do not confuse achievements with responsibilities  Personal Interests/Achievements – “describe with dates …Include organising, lead or group activities. Those requiring creativity, initiative, or giving intellectual development are also of interest”  Notice each of the Specific Evidence questions has 4 or 5 subquestions.  Specific Skills – notice that q1 asks ”list languages indicating level of proficiency etc”  Career Choice Why have you applied ? Evidence of Suitability and why you are to be considered a strong candidate.  Referees 1 academic, 1 work if possible  Availability and declaration

CV  CVs are one of the primary means of submitting an application to an employer.  They are often your first chance to make a good impression.  A focused, well presented CV will grab the reader's attention and make them want to find out more about you.  A poor CV could mean no interview and no further chance for you to impress anyone.  Be sure you are doing the right CV for your faculty –

CV and application forms are the main routes to getting shortlisted for an interview. Make sure yours are presented well.

Targeting  Use the language and competencies on their website in your covering letter and on career choice

What do employers want?  Someone who can do the job They need someone with the right set of skills, attributes and experience to handle successfully the duties and responsibilities of the post.  Someone who will do the job They want someone who appears keen and committed and worth the investment in their training and development. An employer will not want to replace someone six months into the job because they couldn’t do it or they left to do something else.  Someone who will fit in They need someone that they can picture doing the job, working within the team, meeting clients, if appropriate, and fitting into the culture of their organisation. This means complementing rather than replicating existing staff.

Demonstrate that you can be this person  How can you persuade employers that you can tick all three boxes?  Think about the skills and examples you would include in your CV or application form and the words you would use to describe yourself.  Employers will make their final decision at the interview stage, but keeping these three areas in mind when completing applications should improve your chances of getting there.

The Employer’s Perspective on the Recruitment Process

The Interview: Commonly asked Questions  Why are you applying for this job  What do you know about our company?

Commonly asked questions  Why did you choose to study your university course?  Apart from your academic knowledge, what skills have you gained from being at university?  What would you say is your greatest strength?  What would you say is your area of weakness?

LABOUR MARKET TRENDS 20 YEARS AGO  Job for life with its planned careers structure and company training scheme  Clear functional identity and progressive rise in income and security  Large recruiters would take on 300 graduates through the national Milkround Process  Most graduate jobs would have been from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday

LABOUR MARKET TRENDS PRESENT AND FUTURE  World of customers and clients  Life Long Learning  Portfolio careers  Self Development  An overwhelming need to stay employable  Organisations have far larger and more influential networks, many of them on a global scale

LABOUR MARKET TRENDS  Today’s market is open 24 hours a day, straddles a number of different time zones and recognises no geographical boundaries  Extended customer services to include banking, loans and insurance  Expanding use of IT  Growing concern for environmental issues

Why Bother with Placement? POSITIVE ASPECTS  Relevant /real life experience  Develop the skills employers are looking for  Provide career insight  Paid a salary  Made sense of what had been already learned  Challenges/new opportunities  Help with project NEGATIVE ASPECTS  No time off during the day  Deadlines had to be met  Had to report in every day  Thought I would have been paid more  It was hard coming back to university  Starting something new  Missing friends from university

What we’re looking for….  You’ll understand the importance of great customer care  You’ll need to have the ability to grasp new ideas and technological concepts  You’ll be able to learn fast and to adapt easily to changing environments  You’ll be motivated and enthusiastic, with a great sense of humour  You’ll also be a genuine team player happy to lend support and take advice

JOB ADVERT MARS We’re looking for ambitious, self-motivated individuals - people with passion and a hunger for success. Mars is a “highly entrepreneurial environment” and you’ll take on significant responsibilities from the moment you join us. Mars managers have the enthusiasm and initiative to get the job done, regardless of location or circumstances. Ultimately your desire to challenge both yourself and the way we do business - and your ability to adapt to a changing environment will be key to your success”

References It’s a small world but when it comes to IT professionals in NI, it is very small indeed !

WHERE TO LOOK  Career Development Service website  Your Faculty vacancies notified to you on PDSystem  COMPANY check their websites  NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES Local/National  LOCAL CONTACTS/ NETWORKS Family/Friends/Part-time Job

Microsoft job  s!2F13761BB2121A86!206.entryhttp://microsoftirishjobs.spaces.live.com/blog/cn s!2F13761BB2121A86!206.entry

Seminar Group  Please come to MF226 E at

Evaluation Forms  Please complete and pass back to me