Advice and Help for Candidates

Interview preparation

Background: I have been doing recruitment for many, many years now and I have directly managed 2 successful recruitment firms in that time after working my way up from a lowly 'Researcher'. I don't say this to impress you, just to impress upon you that I have found out some universal truths about the very best way to prepare for an interview.

These are things that the very best candidates do at interview and do in preparation for an interview; thus making themselves the more likely contenders for the role. Please have a read of my advice, I offer it freely and encourage you, no matter how experienced to take some of it on board and practice it as a matter of course. Some of it may seem obvious and I don't mean to patronise, especially the few of you that probably already do these things.

1.       Be five minutes early; be smart and well groomed with polished shoes. I know this is standard stuff, but I'm constantly surprised by how many candidates turn up late or look shabby. They very rarely get the role in these instances I might add; being late shows a lack of respect for the client's time and a lack of discipline on your part. Obviously if traffic, train delays affect you, phone ahead to the client directly and explain in plenty of time!

2.        Relax, be prepared and thus confident. This isn't always easy, but rest assured I'm sure you have or will complete many interviews in your working career. With this in mind, either practice with a friend or at least take some time out to think through possible questions and prepare answers and examples. If you can have a number of stock examples or problematic situations that you resolved and successes you have had, you will naturally find the confidence to demonstrate your full potential.

3.       Be cheerful. I have not met a client to date that doesn't want a cheerful person to join their team. If you're having a bad day, the traffic was horrendous, you argued with the train staff, leave it at the door, you only get one shot at an interview and there won't be another chance to come back in a better mood. If something serious comes up be prepared to cancel with and ask for the client's number to explain directly.

4.       Research the client thoroughly. Look at the client's website, partner websites, information on their projects, financial results and information, their staff including senior management, news stories etc. A serious, well informed candidate considers every angle including financial results and stability of a company. If there are problems you spot, don't be afraid to ask about them, I know of numerous examples of a client being extremely impressed with candidates that took the time to research the client this thoroughly. Knowing their financial results for instance demonstrates a serious candidate that values them self and the work that they do.

5.       Research the interviewer. We are lucky enough to have things like Google, Linkedin, eAcademy, Facebook even! These sites can provide essential clues to the personality of the interviewer. Many an interviewee as lost a job because although they in essence possessed the skills, they did not make a friend of the interviewer. Check out these sites, find the person's work history, news stories or papers that mention the interviewer's name, and be prepared to mention these at interview. DONT be a stalker, be do be prepared.

I have a great example of this: A contract role for a 'Technical Business Analyst' for a Blue-Chip Entertainment firm based in London. The skill set was quite specialist, but two candidates were submitted and both had the essential skill sets; one was submitted by me and the other through one of the other preferred suppliers. I told my candidate to do his research as above and he did, including finding some interesting articles the client had previously written. He actually disagreed with some of the client's points, but the client was impressed he had taken the time to research him that he made the offer to my candidate. I later found the other candidate's CV on an online database and to my surprise the candidate was more experienced and in my opinion had the stronger skill set.

6.       Bring three copies of your CV. Client's have a day job to do and unfortunately it can get in the way of recruitment, if a client forgets your CV, it can be immensely powerful if you can save the client's embarrassment by offering one of your copies. Similarly bring the job spec and refer to it if need be during the interview.

7.       Bring references to the interview. References can be enormously important in validating the client's thoughts about you as a potential candidate; they can even sway a decision. All too often the decision to hire has been made before references can be checked and thus they have very little bearing on the decision. If you have written references, produce them or at least have them available for the client to view at the end of the interview. Even if it is a page of one liners from managers or colleagues that you have previously worked with, it can help maximise your opportunity.

8.       Bring examples of your work or results. You may have tangible outputs or figures that you can offer to the client as demonstrating your skills and experience. Take them with you and offer them if you feel they are relevant to the opportunity.

9.       Salary or rate question. I have come across few clients that will offer a candidate that appears to be money motivated, other than perhaps sales, where one person's own motivation to earn can drive the client's ultimate motivation to increase sales. It gives the impression of someone who will not be committed to a project or role. If asked, tell them a figure that you have either agreed with your recruiter or better still leave it more open, saying something like 'I have been considering salaries/rates in this range...I'm happy to consider what the market can offer.' MOST importantly express that the salary/rate is not the most important issue and that you are keen to take on a role that you find rewarding and challenging.

10.   Ask questions. Recently I had three candidates interview for a highly paid 'Test Manager' contract; the client offered the candidate who asked the best questions. In truth he had little competition as the other two asked only one question each. On paper they all had the same skill set and looked very similar in experience. The client had no problem deciding which to offer though, simply by the perceived interest the eventual winner had in the company and the role. Think about some questions before hand and print them out, so you have them to hand if you get the opportunity to ask them.

11.   Wrapping up. Many people do not ask how they did or if there is anything else they can do to satisfy the client that they are the very best candidate for the role. Be prepared to ask for immediate feedback, what the next stage is or what else you can do to win the opportunity. DON'T always expect an answer to this as some interviewers will not offer it freely or can find it difficult when on a tight schedule.

12.   Give Feedback. Many candidatesare disappointed at the lack of feedback they get after an unsuccessful interview. At minimum call your recruiter after the interview to let them know how you think it went, or better still prepare an email that can be passed on to the manager expressing your keenness on the role or project.

NB. I would expect the best method of carrying all this information is a presentation binder that can be bought from any stationary shop. Be prepared to show the client it in full, it can only give the impression of a keen, interested and serious candidate that values them self and the opportunity the client is offering.

I hope you found this information useful, if there are any other questions please give me a call anytime and I'll be happy to explain or help further...

Kevin O'Shea

Managing Director

Suggero