1. Interview skills

2. Objectives: What is an interview? First impressions Predicting questions What skills are required for a job?

3. An interview is a meeting with an objective: Employer’s objective is to find the best person for the job Your objective is to impress employer and assess the position on offer

4. Preparation is key: First impressions count Dress smartly and look clean and tidy! Arrive early Use strong, confident body language

5. Predicting questions… It is impossible to know what you are going to be asked It is possible to predict what skills an employer is looking for

6. Looking at skills Identify the skills/competencies required for a job Review job description or ask for information Research the company Break down skills/competency

7. Think of past experiences to illustrate how you demonstrated that behaviour/skill/competency Prepare about 3 examples for each skill/ competency Practise talking about your experience Examples, examples, examples!

8. Matching skills to requirements : Employer needs: Communication Team work Leadership Initiative Customer Care IT Your evidence: Presentation to class Helped a colleague Class rep/Sports captain Fundraising Part-time job Website design

9. Questions you may be asked What can you tell me about yourself? Why are you interested in this job? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What skills do you bring to the job and to this company?

10. Thank the interviewer Ask what the next steps will be Ask when they plan to make a decision Prepare a couple of questions- Might make you stand out from the rest Do not ask about wages!!! This may not be the way to behave: ………………… Closing the interview:

11. Interview skills video

12. Mock interview task: Read through job description that follows then: 1. Think of some key competencies they are looking for 2. Take it in turns to ask each other interview questions, and answer using some of the examples you have thought of.

13. Vacancy Description Answering telephone Diary management Booking in jobs and re-visits Ordering parts Filing, answering emails, general office tasks and projects. This is a heavily IT based vacancy so knowledge of Excel experience is essential. Employer Description We are a family run gas, heating and Saniflo engineering company. The company was started 28 years ago by Simon Hancock who was a sole trader. In the last 8 years, with new staff members and more family on board, the company has shown a healthy growth which has allowed us to continue offering the personal and professional expertise. We pride ourselves in offering excellent customer service and expertise in our industry. Furthermore, as a Checkatrade member we are also confident to be rated by our customers and display our live scores.

14. Questions