During your interview, you should share your accomplishments and achievements and relate these to the role you are interviewing for.

It is important to remember that people tend to remember stories rather than random facts here and there. Stories inspire people, so you should tell a work-related story that demonstrates a specific capability you have.

You can use the STAR method to ace your interview!

Let’s say you are interviewing for a role as a Team Lead in a Recruitment Company:

Situation

A challenge or a situation that you have experienced:

“Last year I was brought in to manage a team of 4 sales consultants, responsible for the promotion and sales of an IT software to other businesses in NSW, QLD and VIC.”

Task

Describe what was expected of you in terms of your responsibilities, or the challenges /obstacles you had to overcome:

“Their results over the past 6 months had significantly dropped:

Revenue was down by 16% and on-boarding new clients was down by 27%

I had to ensure the team was motivated and performing: get the team back to achieving KPIs and bringing in new clients/revenue.”

Action

Detail the specific action steps that you took to handle the tasks or address the obstacle:

“I began with conducting one to ones with the team to really understand their feelings and thoughts on the role and the company. They expressed lack of knowledge, un-engaged with the company and little motivation on a daily basis.

I then delivered 3 training sessions on the product (software) and the different sales techniques they could use.

I organised team bonding events such as lunch, bowling and a golf day.

I also set them each KPIs, and when they were achieved they were rewarded with incentives or a reflective financial bonus, which was not in place before this.”

Result

What impact did you have on the situation? If you can provide measurable and quantifiable results it will always help:

“3 months down the line, sales were up 26% from when I first began to work with team. They had increased new clients by 32%.

I continued to conduct monthly one to ones to gain feedback from each of the team, which was much more positive than the initial one to ones. They showed they were motivated by rewards and recognition for their achievements, and were much more driven and focused.

The team’s performance had greatly improved, so much in fact that we were able to recruit a new consultant into the team.”

 

By following the STAR technique will allow the interviewer to visualise how you work by contextualising your skills and past experiences. They can gain an understanding as to how you solve issues and challenges and what attributes you can bring to their team that others may not.

Before attending your interview, you need to have spent time really understanding the company and how they operate. You need to demonstrate your passion and knowledge of the company to show your enthusiasm for the career field and the business itself. Here is what you should know-

Services and Products they offer

How does the company operate and what products/services do they offer? As you have sent an application to the company, it is likely you know what their services are, but you need to delve a little deeper to understand exactly how they work.

The company website will be the perfect way to find out this information. Their ‘About Us’ page will clarify their services, how they work, how they deliver their services and their strengths.

It will also be handy to read their mission statement and understand their values to determine the company’s direction and overall strategy and how you can work with them to align with these company values.

Who their client and customers are

You might find that many companies want to keep their clientele secret and not publicise it to their competition, or they may be more than happy to share who their clients or partners are. So take a look at the company website and see if you can inquire further to who they work with. If this is not publicly available, ask them at your interview and demonstrate your interest to find out exactly who they work with.

Who their competition is

The company might be offering the same products or services as hundreds of other companies or they may be new to the market and offering a new service, but either way it is important to find out who else out there could be classed as direct competition. Find out what they might be doing differently and impress them with your knowledge of the industry, the company and its competitors.

LinkedIn is a great tool to find out who the competition are!  If you research the company page on LinkedIn, there will be a section with ‘Similar Companies’ so this is a perfect way of establishing who the competition are. As an example, on the right is the list of competitors for Virgin Australia on LinkedIn.

Articulate what you find appealing about this company compared to its competition.

 

Recent news and achievements

It is very likely that companies will want to publish all their successes, so take a look on their website for recent news, press releases, quarterly reports and events that have/are taking place.

What recent articles have they published? What awards have they won? What innovative or ground-breaking products or services do they offer? What makes them a successful business? How and why has their revenue grown? What new clients have they teamed up with?

They will no doubt be excited to talk about this, so it could be a great conversation starter in your interview.

Company culture

Cultural fit means that the core values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of an employee are aligned with the core values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of the company. So it is important to know what the culture of the company and how they operate to ensure you will fit in suitably to the team.

Social media platforms can demonstrate the culture in a great way:

LinkedIn: what updates are featured? How do they interact with followers? What job vacancies do they have? How many employees are there, and who are they?

Blogs: What topics do they write about? Who writes their blogs? How often do they upload?

Instagram: what images and content do they post? How do they celebrate success? What does their office(s) look like?  What is their following and engagement like? What are their social events like?

Twitter: what do they tweet about? What topics do they highlight? Who do they follow? Are they social and engaging? What tone do they tweet in?

Facebook: What type of content do they share? How do they celebrate success? Do they demonstrate humour or keep it strictly professional?

YouTube: Do they have a channel? What are their videos about? Are they engaging and fun? What employees feature in the videos and how do they come across?

How hard do they work to improve their employer branding, subsequently boosting employee engagement and retention?

Glassdoor is a platform that collects company reviews, salaries info and interview questions from employees (old, current and potential) and displays them anonymously for all members to see.

Corporate culture can encompass everything from dress code and office décor, to history and tradition to the day to day running of a business. So how do you work out if a company’s culture is right for you? We have written a  blog here.

Key people

By researching the company’s LinkedIn page, you can see what other employees work there. Take a look at their profiles: What is there background? What do they do there? How long have they been there? What team will you be working with? What are their interests?

Take your time to look at the person who is interviewing you too and really get to know their background and specific role at the company. This will make you feel more comfortable when sat face to face with them in the interview and give you an understanding of how they fit into the whole business.

 

You can never know too much about a company. Interviewers will be impressed when you have conducted your research thoroughly and can ask informed, intelligent questions about the company and the job.

Doing your research will help you to convince the interviewer of why you want to work there and enable you to articulate what makes that company your preference over the competition. By demonstrating you have taken your time to learn as much as possible about the company will leave you in a great position to be considered as an employer at the company.

Areas which will help you research the information of the company are: Website, Google, Newsites, Social Media and (if through an agency) your recruiter. Doing this research is also a great way to prepare for the possible interview question: “What do you know about us?”.

A job interview is your opportunity to sell yourself to potential employers. Each job interview is different, but below we have 4 stages of an interview which can help you make the best impression during each phase:

Introduction

Think of the introduction as a means of ‘breaking the ice’, remembering this is the first impression the interviewer will get from you, so make it count.

The introduction will be a short but important part of your interview. Ensure you have good body language, a firm handshake, keep eye contact and remain confident in yourself.

It is likely the interviewer will conduct some ‘small talk’ with you which will allow them to develop their first impressions of you. They might bring up some informal topics of discussion to gauge your responses, your attitude and your reaction to spontaneity.

Interview Questions

These questions will take up the majority of your interview, and the best way to respond to them is preparation.

Preparing for the questions you might be faced with at your job interview is an excellent way to build your confidence and ensure your interview runs as smoothly as possible.

There will be a mixture of broad questions such as “tell me about yourself” to position related questions such as “what skills can you bring to this role from your past company?”

It is likely these will be open ended questions, so this is your chance to elaborate on your background and qualifications to demonstrate why and how you will be the ideal candidate for their position.

Here we have some blogs on certain questions which might be asked:

Interviewee Questions

The next part of the interview will be your chance to impress with your own questions.

When asked “Do you have any questions for us?” you want to come back with some valuable questions. You want to ensure you show genuine interest in the role and company. We have put together a blog on 5 questions to ask at your interview which provides some topics to ask when faced with this somewhat challenging question. Examples such as:

Closing

Like the introduction, this is a short part of the interview. It acts as a means to summarise the interview and is an opportunity to clarify anything further for both the interviewer and interviewee.

It tends to include a discussion of what the next steps are moving forward should you be considered for the role, such as: second interview, final interview, meet the team, trial day and when they will be in touch with you.

This is also your chance to verify contact details, ask for a business card and express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview there. Close the interview with a firm handshake and a smile!

Turning up late for an interview is one of the biggest blunders you can make. Arriving even a couple of minutes late could leave a negative impression with your potential employer, leaving them questioning your time management and organisational skills.

Not only that, you will have no doubt stressed yourself out by rushing and panicking to get yourself to your interview on time, leaving you flustered and slightly anxious.

So what should you do if you are running late for your interview?

The moment you realise you will not make it to your interview on time, you should call up the contact from the company to let them know. Give them a realistic timeframe, such as: “The road has now reopened so I shall be at your office by 10:20am”. Make sure you have made contact with them prior to your scheduled interview time.

Apologise over the phone and double check your interview is still OK to take place. It might be that they now need to rearrange your interview, or cancel it altogether. Confirm this over the phone and if they need to rearrange, be as flexible as you can be. Remember they are doing you a favour by rearranging your interview so show your appreciation and thank them for giving you a second opportunity.

If you are given a second chance, you need to do everything in your power to ensure you arrive within plenty of time and not to make the same mistake as last time.

If you are luckily enough to continue with your interview, albeit late, apologise for your lateness and for making the interviewer wait for your arrival. Your excuse needs to be a good one, but make sure you tell the truth and don’t lie or exaggerate. Starting off this recruitment process on a lie as well as tardiness is not the best way to begin your journey.

Before you enter the building for your (late) interview, take a deep breath and calm down. You still need to go into your interview and convince the employer you are the ideal candidate for this position, so get your confidence up, compose yourself and show them you are the perfect person for the job.

How to avoid being late for your interview

Set your alarm with enough time to shower, have breakfast or your morning coffee, find the right outfit and make yourself look presentable.

Plan your journey prior to your interview:

Top up your opal card in advance so you know you have enough money to get you to your interview, if you are taking public transport.

If you are traveling in rush hour or peak time, ensure enough time is left for queues, traffic and any delays.

Before the day, if you get the opportunity, run through the journey from your home to the business. Familiarise yourself with the journey, landmarks, entrance to the building and any obstacles along the way which could hold you up.

Factor in delays such as: strikes, accidents, road closures, weather and school drop off/pick up zones.

Before you step into that interview, take a deep breath and remember you are there for your skills and expertise, so show them you are the right candidate for the job.

You can also read our blog on 7 sins to avoid at your interview.

This question is a great way to gauge how you react under pressure whilst establishing which traits might not necessarily fit with the culture at the company.

First, let’s see what answers you want to avoid with this question:

 “I don’t have any weaknesses”

Hmm… although a job interview is a means of showcasing your skills and expertise to the hiring manager to prove why you would be the ideal candidate for the position, they have asked you this question to test your answer. You don’t want to come across as a know-it-all or too smug. Even if your weakness is miniscule, it is better to say this, rather than “I am perfect in every way”.

Try not to be too much of a cliché:

“I am too much of a perfectionist”

“I work too hard”

These are not weaknesses; these are more like strengths disguised as weaknesses. Of course, employers want people who work hard and are dedicated to their job, so it doesn’t actually give the interview any real insight into your weaknesses.

Don’t damage the potential to be hired:

Remember this is a job interview, so try not to say anything that could jeopardise your application, such as

“I am really bad a time keeping, so am often running late most mornings”

“I struggle with managing people and they don’t seem to have any respect for me”

So, you are applying for a job as a Team Manager and learning you can’t manage people is not the ideal scenario.

Your tardiness may come across as lazy and unorganised and employers wouldn’t want someone who turns up late and flustered every day when the rest of the team are already well underway with their productive working day.

So how should you answer this question?

A real weakness makes you sounds more genuine.  Think about a time you have had an issue, concern or come across a problem that needs fixing, then how you overcame this issue.

By making it relevant to the job you are interviewing for will show you are self-aware and it will portray a true analysis on how you can develop and grow with the available position:

“I find public speaking a nervous situation to be in, so I can sometimes lose my nerve when giving a presentation”

Demonstrate how you over came this:

“I decided to practice my presentations in front of my partner so I could feel more confident when it came to the real thing. They gave me feedback and encouragement to strive, do my best and not to worry. Every presentation gets a little easier each time now.”

Let them know what else you could do:

“I have done some research into methodologies on public speaking, so I want to start practising these approaches so I can overcome any fears and nerves I still experience when I give a presentation”

This proves to the hiring manager that you have learnt from your weakness and are overcoming the obstacles along the way, and you are still willing to work on the situation, so you can eventually turn your weakness into a strength!

If you are stuck, think about where can this job take you; what qualifications or experience can you gain in order to achieve your 5 year plan. Discuss this with the hiring manager:

“I have experience as Project Manager and software development but my experience within the Agile space is minimal, which is an area I want to develop in. So I would want to learn more about this so I can eventually become a certified Agile Tester.”

By committing to developing and improving your weakness shows determination and allows the hiring manager to see a little insight into your work ethic. Remember, nobody is perfect, so you will have something you can improve on. Prepare yourself for this question in your interview and be aware that (sometimes) you can be asked for more than one weakness. Good luck!

What examples have you given in your interview when asked about your weaknesses?

This question is a great way to gauge how you react under pressure whilst establishing which traits might not necessarily fit with the culture at the company.

First, let’s see what answers you want to avoid with this question:

 “I don’t have any weaknesses”

Hmm… although a job interview is a means of showcasing your skills and expertise to the hiring manager to prove why you would be the ideal candidate for the position, they have asked you this question to test your answer. You don’t want to come across as a know-it-all or too smug. Even if your weakness is miniscule, it is better to say this, rather than “I am perfect in every way”.

Try not to be too much of a cliché:

“I am too much of a perfectionist”

“I work too hard”

These are not weaknesses; these are more like strengths disguised as weaknesses. Of course employers want people who work hard and are dedicated to their job, so it doesn’t actually give the interview any real insight into your weaknesses.

Don’t damage the potential to be hired:

Remember this is a job interview, so try not to say anything that could jeopardise your application, such as

“I am really bad a time keeping, so am often running late most mornings”

“I struggle with managing people and they don’t seem to have any respect for me”

So you are applying for a job as a Team Manager, and learning you can’t manager people is not the ideal scenario.

Your tardiness may come across as lazy and unorganised and employers wouldn’t want someone who turns up late and flustered every day when the rest of the team are already well underway with their productive working day.

So how should you answer this question?

A real weakness makes you sounds more genuine.  Think about a time you have had an issue, concern or come across a problem that needs fixing, then how you overcame this issue.

By making it relevant to the job you are interviewing for will show you are self-aware and it will portray a true analysis on how you can develop and grow with the available position:

“I find public speaking a nervous situation to be in, so I can sometimes lose my nerve when giving a presentation”

Demonstrate how you over came this:

“I decided to practice my presentations in front of my partner so I could feel more confident when it came to the real thing. They gave me feedback and encouragement to strive, do my best and not to worry. Every presentation gets a little easier each time now.”

Let them know what else you could do:

“I have done some research into methodologies on public speaking, so I want to start practising these approaches so I can overcome any fears and nerves I still experience when I give a presentation”

This proves to the hiring manager that you have learnt from your weakness and are overcoming the obstacles along the way, and you are still willing to work on the situation, so you can eventually turn your weakness into a strength!

If you are stuck, think about where can this job take you; what qualifications or experience can you gain in order to achieve your 5 year plan. Discuss this with the hiring manager:

“I have experience as Project Manager and software development but my experience within the Agile space is minimal, which is an area I want to develop in. So I would want to learn more about this so I can eventually become a certified Agile Tester.”

By committing to developing and improving your weakness shows determination and allows the hiring manager to see a little insight into your work ethic. Remember, nobody is perfect, so you will have something you can improve on. Prepare yourself for this question in your interview and be aware that (sometimes) you can be asked for more than one weakness. Good luck!

What examples have you given in your interview when asked about your weaknesses?

“Tell me a bit about yourself” is probably one of the most common interview question that candidates are faced with. So how do you respond to this?

Focus

They have your cover letter and your CV, but this is their opportunity to delve a little deeper into who you are and what you can offer them should they choose to recruit you.

This question allows you to elaborate on who you are and why you are the ideal candidate for the available position. But you don’t want to waffle, so remain focussed and keep to a reasonable timeframe:

Talk about your relevant skills and experience that match those required for the job. Emphasise why you are right for the position.

Highlight your strengths and demonstrate your success to showcase that you a high achiever and an expert in your field. What can you bring that differs to other applicants?

Finish your “About Me” discussion with how you want to move forward and why you are interested in the role you are interviewing for. Express your passion for the job and what you find exciting about it.

Tailor your response

The company you are interviewing for want to see how your skills and experience match that of the job vacancy. But they also want to see how you will fit into the culture at the company. So you need to show them that your qualities match that of the perfect candidate.

If they are hiring for a Software Developer with Java experience, talk about your Java Development experience and how you have “used modern tech stack and methodologies to develop a variety of innovative solutions.”

Do your research into the company via social media sites to find out what the team do and what their culture is like. Are there pictures on Instagram of a team night out bowling, or a picture of the corporate football team or a charity bake sale at work? If so, talk about any similarities you have, ie; “I played football each week with my previous company and we managed to reach the final last month in an exciting penalty shoot out, so I would be hoping to find a company that enjoy a friendly game of sport with its team mates.”

Prepare and Practice

Each interviewer would have their own reason for asking this question, it could be they are just interested to find out more about you, but it is also an excellent way to see how you handle unstructured questions and articulate yourself in a pressured environment. It shows your ability to adapt and think on the spot.

Therefore, it is worth brainstorming a few ideas on how you are going to reply. You don’t want to come across like you have rehearsed a script, but try to have some bullet points to have a confident response on the following:

Talking about yourself doesn’t come naturally for many of us, so run this through with a friend or family member so you feel you can answer this question confidently and effectively in the interview.

These guidelines should help position you for success when asked that question many applicants dread: “So, tell me about yourself”.

So you have made it to the end of your interview and (hopefully) feeling confident with your answers. But here comes the next challenge:

“Do you have any questions for us?”

Just when you thought that you could stand up, shake their hand and breathe a sigh of relief, you have been asked to bring some questions to the table.

But fear not, here are five questions you could ask, that will leave your potential employer thinking “Wow, they came prepared and asked some excellent questions”, giving you a heads up over the other candidates applying:

  1. Where do you see the organisation in the next five years?

This shows your interest in the company and passion to see how it will grow… hopefully with you on board. Do your homework: do they have new products on the horizon? Will there be industry changes, if so, how will they be affected? Elaborate on your question!

  1. How would you describe a typical day in this role?

This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the role, rather than what you read on the job advert. It enables the employer to go in to more detail about your duties and responsibilities, and if you are unsure of any aspect, this is a great time to ask.

  1. What would be the benefits of working for your company over the competition?

This is quite a brave question, but it will demonstrate the passion the employees feel towards the company. There maybe an aspect of “sales” involved, but it will allow you to understand the perks and benefits of working at this company over the competition.

  1. What type of training is provided for this role?

This shows your interest in expanding your knowledge and skills, and ultimately growing with the employer. It proves you are not a know-it-all, and open to learning and developing on a professional level.

  1. Do you have any questions or hesitations about my experience or qualifications?

This demonstrates to the interviewer than you are confident about your skills and abilities, and feel it suitably fits the role. If they do have any hesitations, refer back to the training they might provide and how you envisage this to help you, showing you are worth the investment.

So there you have five questions you can ask at the end of your job interview. Do you have any more examples which you have asked, or been asked?