Career Development Service Learning Pack – Preparing for Interviews

Learning pack Preparing for interviews

The importance of preparation

Taking the time and effort before the interview to prepare will provide the following benefits:

It will create a good impression. When you have prepared well it shows you are serious and have a commitment to the company and the position for which you have applied.

It will enable you to articulate your strengths clearly and concisely and to show your match with the requirements of the recruiter.

Being well prepared will help to boost your confidence.

Types of interview

The types of interview you are likely to face include: • Competency based interviews – very common for MBA and MSc roles. • Case study interviews – particularly common for consultancy roles. Please see our separate pack Preparing for case study interviews . • Strengths based interviews . • ‘Fit’ – checking your fit with the organisational culture and values. • Technical/professional/operational . • A mixture of the above – e.g. some general CV and ‘fit’ questions followed by some competency based questions.

Your interviewer(s) are likely to be one or a mixture of the following: • Line Manager • Senior Manager • Human Resources (HR) professional • Occupational Psychologist • Recruitment Consultant

The interviewer(s) may take different roles accordingly, for example a Line Manager might focus more on technical questions whilst HR might ask some competency-based questions. However, it is best not to make assumptions as many Line Managers have been trained in competency-based interview techniques.

Broadly you can expect to face questions based on: • Your knowledge of the company and sector. • Key competency areas. • Your motivation and personal characteristics. • Technical/professional expertise.

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Learning pack - Preparing for interviews

Questions to test your knowledge of the company and sector

Your performance here will provide evidence of the following areas: • Your level of interest in the company and the job role. • Your proactivity and research skills. • Your commercial awareness.

Thoroughly research both the role and the company (profile, performance, strategy, values, competitors). All candidates would be expected to look at the company website as a minimum. So make sure you look at this thoroughly and then extend your research further. Use other databases in the libraries such as MINTEL and MarketLine Advantage and look at recent articles on the company and sector. Talk to alumni working in the sector/target company. Typical questions you could be asked include: • What research have you done on our company? • Why do you want to work for us? • What are some of the opportunities and challenges facing our industry? • What do you know about our strategy? Our values? • Who do you see as our key competitors? What are our key differentiating factors versus our competitors?

Learning pack - Preparing for interviews

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