Interviews
Alison Clay,
Careers Adviser
www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers
17/07/2016
Be prepared!
Why do they interview?
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To assess your potential - evidence
Check out your skills / qualities / qualifications
Explore your motivation
Will you fit in with colleagues? Shared values?
Will you create the right impression with clients?
Do you have a realistic idea of the role? And of the
organisation?
• To give you chance to find out more about them –
informed decision
Basic preparation
What to expect: Process? Who? Where? When?
Prepare to promote yourself & demonstrate the ‘match’:
• What have you told them?
• What more can you tell them?
– Clarify what you have to offer and think about ‘evidence’ of
your skills, qualifications, experience, interests, etc
YOUR KEY SELLING POINTS
• Show your motivation and enthusiasm:
– Why that job /course / research? Know what it involves!
– Why that organisation? (Check your facts).
– Why that sector? (show commercial awareness)
Resources to aid preparation
About you:
• Your application
• SGDP materials
• Careers Service:
www.shef.ac.uk/careers/students
/worktypes/getstarted
– See the Bigger Picture
– Profiling for Success
– JobShopping
– Virtual Career Coach
– Talk to an Adviser
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www.prospects.ac.uk
Views of family and friends?
Talk to your tutor
KEY SELLING POINTS
About the job /study/ research:
• Job description and advert
• Annual report and website
• Prospectus, departmental
brochure etc
• Prospects website:
www.prospects.ac.uk
• Press articles (news sites,
professional bodies; etc –
current and recent archives)
• Personal contacts
• Careers Service
• Your Department
Anticipate questions
• Some will be competency-based – confirming what you
have achieved AND what you can offer (your potential)
• Some may test what you are good at and enjoy doing strengths-based questions
• Some will test what you know – about the subject / role,
organisation and sector
• Some will be hypothetical – testing how you think or react:
“What would you do if...”
• Expect to be asked to show your motivation and
enthusiasm (genuine interest)
• Expect to demonstrate ‘commercial awareness’
Common topics
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Career choice – Why this job / course? Why suited?
Why this company / further study? Alternatives?
University – course and extra-curricular
Work experience – and what you got from it
Technical skills (as applicable)
Personal skills and attributes
Work / study preferences
Other topics specific to the organisation
Competency based questions:
What you CAN do
“We will provide you with early responsibility. Within six
months you may find yourself in charge of a section
with ten people to manage. What are you like as a
leader?”
Situation – suitable and clear / concise?
Task – objective? your role?
Action – what did YOU do and how did it
Results – positive outcome? objective met?
Learning?
www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/interactive/star/engage.html
Strengths-based questions
What you really ENJOY doing
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Do you prefer to start a task or finish a task?
What do you do when you find a task boring?
How do you make sure you always do your best?
Would your friends describe you as organised?
How do you make others feel confident in your abilities?“
Do you enjoy working within a team?
If you were at work and got a surprise couple of hours off, what
would you do with the time?
More questions, faster pace, less time to think  more ‘natural’
response. More enjoyable interview experience?
Preparing for strengths-based questions
What do you enjoy doing? Spot similarities between your strengths
and the values & skills sought by the interviewer.
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What are you good at? What comes easily to you?
What do you learn quickly? What did you find easiest to learn at
University?
What subjects do you most enjoy studying?
What things give you energy?
Can you describe a successful day you have had? What did you do that
made it successful?
When did you achieve something you were really proud of? Why are you
proud of it?
What things are always left on your to-do list and not finished (these are
probably weaknesses: things you dislike doing!)
NB: body language and tone of voice
Scenarios
“What would you suggest our organisation
could do to improve its competitive
performance?” Show you have researched
and understood. Commercial awareness?
“What would you do if the experiment you
have been working on for 8 weeks suddenly
ran into difficulties and was about to fail?”
Do you show careful thought and logic? Skills?
Something a little different
• What is your greatest achievement to date?
• If you could change one thing about yourself,
what would it be?
• If I was an alien, just landed on earth, what do
you think are the three key issues I would need
to know?
• In a news story about your life, what would the
headline be?
• How do I rate as an interviewer?
General tips for answering questions
• Illustrate with examples, facts, details
• Be honest, enthusiastic and interested - show
how much this means to you
• Show potential
• If you don’t understand or need time to think,
say so!
Other things to remember at interview
• Make a good first impression – with everyone you
meet!
• Make a good last impression – don’t ask about pay
and benefits!
• NVC’s inc. voice and body posture
• What will you ask them?
• NB – interviewers vary but they usually make
allowance for nerves (including their own!)
Your questions (1)
1. What is the main function of the department that I will
be working in? X
2. I see on your website that your organisation works
with employees to develop individual training and
development plans. Could you tell me more about
what training and development I might expect as a
new graduate to help me progress in the company? √
Your questions (2)
3. What salary, pension and other benefits may I expect to
be offered by your organisation? X
4. I read in the newspaper last week that you are
expanding into Europe. Is the company expanding into
any other markets? What effect do you think this will
have on the organisation in the short term and long
term? How might this affect its employees? √ and X
5. Would you mind if I briefly tell you about another of my
achievements that I feel is relevant to the post, but which
I haven’t yet had chance to talk about? √
Sources of help – Careers Service
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Careers Service publication ‘Interviews and Assessment Centres’
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Careers Service website:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers/students/gettingajob
Online talks and DVDs:
www.shef.ac.uk/careers/students/gettingajob/appstalks
www.prospects.ac.uk  ‘Careers advice’
Interviewer – software for mock interviews
Reference books available from Careers Service
What’s on: www.shef.ac.uk/careers/students/events
Advice sessions at Careers Service
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Where to find
us…..
Careers Service - 388 Glossop Road (behind SU
building)
Open 9am - 5pm Mon to Fri (11am – 5pm Tues)
Student Jobshop – 285 Glossop Rd (temp. move)
Open 10am – 3pm Mon to Fri (11am – 3pm Tues)
www.shef.ac.uk/careers
www.sheffield.ac.uk/careers
17/07/2016