PREPARING FOR
INTERVIEWS
AIMS OF SESSION
To increase your understanding of the types of
questions you may face during an interview via
a practical activity. By the end, you will have:
• Prepared questions as if interviewing candidates for
the Graduate Management Trainee position
• Used the STARR approach to prepare your own
answers to these or other ‘typical’ questions
• Practised interviewing/ being interviewed
• Identified some interview ‘dos and don’ts’
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
INTERVIEW
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Telephone
One to One
Panel
Sequential (One after the other)
Interview plus other selection methods (e.g.
tests, presentations = assessment centre)
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
AN INTERVIEW ?
The employer aims to:
 Assess whether you meet their requirements
 Obtain EVIDENCE of your skills and suitability
 Determine if you will fit in with their culture and ethos
You aim to:
 Persuade the panel you have the skills/qualities for the
position they are offering
 Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job & organisation
 Demonstrate your knowledge of the job role and sector
VIDEO
• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-andadvice/general-advice/interview-tips.aspx
• As a reminder from the earlier session,
what do employers look for?
EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR?
Inter-Personal
skills
Job
Well
presented
Skills
Timekeeping
Commercial
Awareness
Knowledge
Sector
Professional
Work
Enthusiasm
Education
Motivation
Life
Experience
Interests
Voluntary
Personality
EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Candidates who can
– Communicate their skills and experience
confidently
– Demonstrate an interest in the area of work
– Show motivation for working in their
organisation or company
So, how do they work out what questions to
ask?
GROUP ACTIVITY
Imagine that you going to interview candidates for
the GRADUATE MANAGEMENT TRAINEE post
Prepare a list of ‘core’ interview questions
that you would ask everyone.
TIP: refer back to the Person Spec!
REVIEW OF ACTIVITY
Give an example of a question that your
group would ask.
Thinking of the ‘criteria’ on your Person Spec
- is this question likely to get you the
‘evidence’ you need?
Does it encourage the candidate to talk?
DID YOU USE ANY OF THESE
QUESTION TYPES?
• Analytical/motivational questions
Focus on motivations/reasons for career and
employer choice
Long term career objectives
Competency based questions
Focus on skills and abilities required for the position
Some employers use ‘strengths’ questions
• Questions relating to the profession/sector
Keep up to date with the news and be commercially
aware
TYPICAL ANALYTICAL/ MOTIVATIONAL
QUESTIONS
• Why do you want this job?
• What do you consider to be your most important
personal or professional achievement?
• What would you like to be doing in 5 years time?
• Why should we give you this job?
• Tell me about yourself?
• What have you gained from your qualifications?
• Why did you choose this Company?
• What attracted you to this type of work?
• What did you do to prepare for this interview?
TYPICAL COMPETENCY QUESTIONS
• Can you give me an example of a time when
you have demonstrated excellent
communication skills?
• Can you tell me about a time when you have
had to build a relationship with someone that
you have never met before?
• Can you give me an example of when you
have had to work as part of a team in order to
achieve a task? What was your role in this?
TYPICAL ‘STRENGTHS’ QUESTIONS
Based on positive psychology – tend to be short and
quick-fire. Can be quite random. Used by several large
companies (e.g. Ernst & Young, Aviva, Royal Mail, Unilever).
However, COMPETENCY ones are still the most common.
•
•
•
•
•
•
What are you good at?
What do you learn quickly?
What subjects do you most enjoy studying?
What things give you energy?
Describe a successful day you have had.
Imagine you have a wardrobe full of shirts. How
would you organise them?
HOW TO ANSWER COMPETENCY
QUESTIONS!
IT IS ALSO A GOOD WAY OF ANSWERING
QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE BEING
INTERVIEWED BY AN UNSKILLED/
UNTRAINED INTERVIEWER.
STARR – SKILLS EXAMPLES
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•
•
•
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Situation - Where were you?
Task - What did you have to do?
Actions - How did you do it?
Results - What were the results?
Reflect - What did you learn?
Would you do anything
differently next time?
INDIVIDUAL TASK
Pick 2 of the Interview Questions you drafted
in your group that are competency/skills.
Using the STARR handout sheet write down
your answers to the questions.
Alternatively, write out examples of when you
have demonstrated the following skills
– Effective Communication
– Team Working
– Problem Solving
GROUP ACTIVITY
In pairs (or trios with an Observer), take it in turns to
interview each other. InterviewEE – tell your
interviewer which questions you have
prepared.
Interviewers – listen carefully to the answer.
Then ask a follow-on, ‘probing’ question e.g.
• ‘Tell me more about …’
• ‘What exactly was your contribution ..?
• ‘With hindsight, what would you do differently ?’
THE DO’S
•
•
•
•
•
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Arrive on time
Be polite and well presented
Look interested and smile 
Listen carefully to the questions
Promote your skills
Give evidence using up to date, specific
STARR skills examples
• Be succinct and precise with your answers
• Use a wide range of experiences
• Leave a good impression
THE DON’TS
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•
•
•
•
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Be unprepared
Leave your mobile phone switched on
Never answer or take calls on you mobile
Forget the name of the Company
Use dated/old skills examples
Undersell your skills by just describing
situations and not talking about your personal
actions, achievements and results
• Waffle or repeat answers
• Lie !
DOS AND DON’TS - YOUR
OWN QUESTIONS
Do ask a question if given the opportunity
Examples ‘Do’
• What induction programme will I receive?
• What do you most enjoy about working here?
DO NOT
• Ask about salary, company perks, time off, until
you’ve got the job!
• Ask something they’ve already answered
• Ask something basic about the job that they’ll
expect you to know
DOS AND DON’TS
Anything different/ extra for telephone
interviews compared with face-to-face?
ABOVE ALL,
DO PREPARE
Yourself
 Re-read your CV/application form
 Match your skills/experience to employer’s criteria
 Prepare your STARR skills evidence
 Consider practicalities eg clothes, travel, contact
telephone number
The company/industry
 Research the organisation/company
 Research the sector
The Questions
 Predict questions and practise answers
 Prepare your own questions
RESOURCES
• http://www.prospects.ac.uk/interview_tips.htm
• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-andadvice/general-advice/interview-tips.aspx
• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-andadvice/general-advice/granular-interviewtechnique.aspx
• http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-andadvice/general-advice/curveball-interviewquestions.aspx
• The Graduate Jobs Formula by Paul Redmond
– ISBN 978-1-84455 211-5
FOR REFERENCE: COMMERCIAL
AWARENESS QUESTIONS
• What do you know about [organisation name]?
• What attracts you to [organisation name]?
• Choose a company that according to you could
improve their business? How could they
further develop their business?
• Name a company that you feel has grown in
the last few years? Describe 2 factors that are
important to its expansion? How are they
performing financially?
FOR REFERENCE: PROFESSIONAL
AWARENESS QUESTIONS
• How do you keep your knowledge up to
date?
• What are the current issues affecting the
[profession] at this present time?
• How do you think that the current economic
downturn will affect your profession in the
coming years?