Don’t go to an interview without reading this advice…
Don’t go to an interview without reading this top interview tip from one of our leading consultants.
Jake Cassidy (Divisional Manager-International and Scotland) has a wealth of experience of preparing candidates for interviews, and receiving feedback from interviewers. He was asked to provide his number one tip to help candidates be successful in interviews. Here’s what he had to say.
Today’s job market can be very challenging for candidates and for employers. Hiring the right person for the job is fundamental to all businesses and the difference such people can make, can be immense. Getting an interview for a job is only the first step, the hard work starts when you prepare for an interview; knowing which questions to ask in an interview is critical, not only must you be well versed at answering the expected questions you will be asked, you need to have a list of questions to ask the interviewer.
Jake explained that asking worthwhile questions is the key to any interview, this gives you a good understanding of what the employer is looking for (skills and experiences), and how they see the challenges in the marketplace. Asking questions, such as:
- “What skills and experience do you think is vital to be able to meet your expectations?”
- “Where are the challenges going to be?”
The answers to these questions will help you to highlight what relevant skills, knowledge and experience you have, relevant for this post. Not doing this can sometimes result in candidates talking about their work experiences which are not relevant to the post they are applying, waffling aimlessly.
ESP prides itself on getting a good understanding of what an employer is looking for and matching candidates to the vacancy, however in the interview it is down to the candidate to highlight the main points (why they are a good match for the job).
Jake advises not to squander an opportunity by asking mundane questions, asking relevant questions can show your understanding of the role and shows you have prepared well. The balance of asking enough questions, taking control, but not being rude needs to be thought through.
