Interview Questions UK

So, you’ve submitted a killer Curriculum Vitae and supporting documents. You’re ahead of the pack and have just received a call for an interview. What do you do next?

The interview is the most stressful and important part of job hunting. This is where the employers make a decision based on his or her impression of whether to hire you for their job. You will want to do your best in this part because here lays the culmination of all your job hunting efforts. Flub it here and all your efforts from application to examinations will go down the drain.

1. Make a Great Impression
Always dress in your best attire for the interview. Your attire should be appropriate. No matter what the company may require for their employees, the first impression for applicants should be conservative business attire.

2. Do a Little Research
One of the best ways to make a good impression on your interviewer is to do a little research on the company you are applying for. This will equip you with material to answer many of the questions the interviewer will ask. One of the main points of the questions you will be asked is how your skills can benefit the company. If you know a thing or two about the company, you will find it a lot easier to answer this question. Plus, dropping a few meaty tidbits about how much you know about the company will go a long way in impressing the interviewer.

3. Watch Your Body Language
Many of the interviewers are well versed in body language, and you will find that, throughout the interview, they will be looking for hints about your personality from the way you act, talk, and move. It would be abnormal to assume a different set of body language during the interview. What you should do is to take note of your body language so that at least it communicates openness and honesty.

Avoid telling lies or embellishing your answers. Experienced interviewers will notice this in an instant. Always keep your palms open and avoid crossing your legs or your arms together. Do not be afraid to make eye contact while speaking; just make sure that you do not come across as intimidating.

4. Confidence
Walk in with a purpose. Answer with a purpose. Try not to be too self-conscious. Make sure you are confident in what you say. If you hit a snag and find yourself in a compromising situation, make sure you handle the situation confidently – even when saying that you do not know an answer to a question.

Confidence reflects competence. Employers always look for competent people to fill their ranks.

Are you prepared for your next job interview? Do you know the secrets of pulling off a flawless interview and getting the job of your dreams? Use these five easy steps to prepare yourself and leave the best impression possible with the hiring manager.

1.Be Early - The worst thing you can do is show up to an interview late. What does that tell the hiring manager about your commitment level? Why would anyone want to hire a person who doesn’t have the organization skills to show up on time? By showing up early you are demonstrating and showing respect of the company and the hiring manager. You are also giving them the opportunity to take you early, which could give you more face time. Face time is important, the longer you have with the hiring manager the better your chances will be to get the job.

2.Research the Company – Never walk into an interview without knowing anything about the company. Do some research; find out how many facilities they have, who is the CEO, and what recent news has come out about the company. Look at the financials from their website or other investor news. Be prepared to ask some questions about what you have discovered. At the end of every interview that I have conducted, I always ask “Do you have any questions for me?” I am always impressed with people who have done their research and are serious about working for the company.

3.Listen, Don’t Talk – It may seem counter-intuitive, but get the hiring manager to do most of the talking. It is a proven fact, that hiring managers will think the interview go better if they do a lot of talking. So use your research and ask a lot of questions to get the interview talking.

4.Carry Copies of Your Resume – Hiring managers are busy people and many times they do not have a copy of your resume when they enter the room. Even if they do have a copy, a lot of the time, it will be a fax copy from the recruiter. This is the time to hand them your resume on a quality piece of paper. Resume paper is thicker and has a very good feel to it and that is what you want the interviewer to associate with you… a good feel. Later, when the hiring manager is reviewing your resume you will stand a better chance of getting the job or at least the second interview.

5.Follow-Up – After the interview, it is always a good idea to follow-up with the hiring manager is some shape, way, or form. If the interviewer gave you his/her card then make use of it. Call them and ask a few follow-up questions and thank them for taking the time to meet with you. If you didn’t get a card during the interview, then send a polite thank you letter. The goal here is to get the hiring manager to think of you again. And the more he/she thinks of you, in a positive manner, the better your chances are to get the job.