StaffingExperts Interview Tips

It is important to be prepared for your interview.  The following are important interviewing tips and techniques.  Please review at your earliest opportunity.

These are generic interview tips for your review, but number one is to be yourself and have fun!  This is an opportunity for you to assess the organization as well, so don't let your nerves get the best of you.

Prepare Yourself
Preparation - Your preparation can be one of the most important phases of the interview. The more prepared that you are, the more confident that you will feel during your interview.
  1. Know the company - Visit the website of the organization that you are interviewing with so that you are familiar with the products and services that they offer.
  2. Prepare accomplishments - Take the time to review some of your previous accomplishments. Many times, candidates are unable to vocalize why they would be a good fit for the role that they are applying to. Try to think of things that you have done in the past that could relate to the role that you are applying to. When describing your accomplishments, please keep in mind four things. This being said, keep your answers to one (1) to two (2) minutes each. The four items (STAR answer) are:

    1. Situation: (Why were you there) - The interviewer wants you to present a recent challenge and situation in which you found yourself.
    2. Task: (What were you assigned to do) - What did you have to achieve? The interviewer will be looking to see what you were trying to achieve from the situation.
    3. Action: (What did you actually do, including alternatives) - What did you do? The interviewer will be looking for information on what you did, why you did it and what were the alternatives.
    4. Results: (What did you accomplish) - What was the outcome of your actions? What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your objectives. What did you learn from this experience and have you used this learning since?

  3. Dress for Success - It is not inappropriate to dress for success when going for an interview. The culture of the organization may be relaxed, but it is important to ensure that you are dressed in an appropriate manner to show how serious you are about the role. Ensure that you are cleanly groomed, including cutting your nails before the interview. Please dress in a professional manner unless specifically instructed to do so (in very rare cases a client may request that the candidates go to the interview in jeans and a t-shirt.)
  4. Be on time - Make sure to prepare how you are going to get to the interview. Prepare enough time for travel (transit or driving and parking). Try not to book meetings or anything else right after the interview, so that you are focused on the interview and not worrying about if you are going to be late for another engagement. Make sure that you are around 5-10 minutes early. If you are more than 15 minutes early, go take a little walk and then return to the interview office ten (10) minutes before your interview.

During the interview

  1. Keep answers precise - Your answers should not take more than 1-2 minutes each to explain the Situation, Task, Action and Result. If you speak longer than two (2) minutes or so, it can be easy for the interviewer to lose focus on what you are saying. On the other end of the spectrum, answers should never be a "Yes" or "No" as they have no substance behind them.
  2. Be Specific- When answering questions, you should give SPECIFIC examples of occurrences.  This applies to technical and behavioural based questions.  Use the STAR answer method.
  3. Clarify questions- If you don't understand a scenario that is being described or don't fully understand a question, it is completely ok to ask 1-2 clarification questions to help focus your answer on what they are looking for.
  4. Be positive - At any given point in an interview, stay positive about previous roles or bosses. It is your goal to generate an offer for the role that you are applying for, and you want to keep the feeling of the entire interview positive. This also means that you shouldn't volunteer any negative information about yourself.
  5. Only state the truth - If they ask you a question based on a skill-set that you do not possess, be truthful about your experience. If you do not have experience with a specific technology/skill, you can express your experience with similar technologies/skills, or describe to them that you do not have experience in that technology/skill and then express your understanding of that technology/skill.
  6. Eye Contact - Eye contact is critical in an interview. If there is more than one person in the interview, make sure that you are giving every party member equal eye contact while speaking to the group. Don't look at the roof, the floor, or anything else, other than the interviewer(s) eyes.
  7. Smile! - Body language is also very important. Don't slouch, and make sure that you are smiling during the interview. A smile can brighten up any conversation. Do not twiddle your thumbs, or do anything with your hands/legs/arms/etc. that can be distracting.
  8. Focus on your skill/cultural fit - If the interviewer asks how much money that you are looking for, a simple "I'm completely happy with the rate that StaffingExperts has presented me at." You want to focus the interview on your skills and how you can be a great fit to the organization, and not turn your interview into a negotiation.

Closing the interview

  1. Have questions prepared - Rather than thinking of questions at the interview, please write down specific questions that came up while doing your research on the organization. If you bring out your paper with questions written on it, it shows that you actually did some research and that you are genuinely interested in their job opening.
  2. Ask for feedback and let them know you want the job - This is a great opportunity to ask them if they have any additional questions for clarification, or if you have missed anything that they were looking for.  If they say no, graciously thank them for the interview and say your goodbye's. If they do have any concerns, this is an opportunity for you to address the concerns, if you haven’t had the opportunity to properly ease their concerns. One example on how to do this is "Thank you so much for your time today. I look forward in hearing about next steps as I'm very excited about this opportunity. Based on our conversation today, have I left any questions unanswered and are there any concerns about my ability to fulfill this role?".
  3. Leave on a positive note - Don't linger around. When the interview is over, thank everyone in the interview for their time, shake their hands, and then leave the office. Don't forget to say goodbye to the receptionist, as every impression counts.

After the interview

  1. Call your recruiter back - At your earliest chance, please make sure to call your recruiter when your interview is over.

 

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