Job interviews success rate

alexthecheese said:
Echo the crass comments here. Down on your luck people with no luck might be turned off a little to hear how successful others can be. Not intended in that manner I'm sure, but it's still not particularly thoughtful.
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The thread is specifically asking about success rates.. Perhaps we can look at what people who are failing to convert are doing and compare it to the ones who are converting.

On that note..

I dont know exactly why I have been lucky with interviews, but I can tell you how I prepare:

Dress smartly, but not over the top (no bling!)
Be polite
Be confident (open posture, eye contact, speak clearly)
Be prepared - (but don't just recite remembered paragraphs!)
Dont waffle - Be concise with responses
Research the company (recent press releases, techincal innovations,etc)
Ask relevant questions at the appropriate time, in particular about career development opportunities
Show interest in the field/company

I aim to arrive an hour early, park around the corner, then go through my preparation notes. After half an hour or so, stop, then spend the last 10 minutes relaxing with some music with the air con on max.

I will then arrive on site 10-15 mins before the start time, unflusterd, prepared and ready to get the job.
 
36 yo and I'm 6 out of 6 so far... last one was out of 65 applicants too. I daren't apply for another job now :p
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
Dress smartly, but not over the top (no bling!)
Be polite
Be confident (open posture, eye contact, speak clearly)
Be prepared - (but don't just recite remembered paragraphs!)
Dont waffle - Be concise with responses
Research the company (recent press releases, techincal innovations,etc)
Ask relevant questions at the appropriate time, in particular about career development opportunities
Show interest in the field/company

I aim to arrive an hour early, park around the corner, then go through my preparation notes. After half an hour or so, stop, then spend the last 10 minutes relaxing with some music with the air con on max.

I will then arrive on site 10-15 mins before the start time, unflusterd, prepared and ready to get the job.
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This man speaks truth and great advice. I do almost the exact same thing and got me the job I was after. Before then, I never did 'enough' research on the job role or company - especially when it comes to company's ethos and direct / potential competitors. Since focusing on that along with more work experience my success rate was better.

Currently 27;
Applied to 9 degree relavent jobs, 0 replies when I was a fresh grad.

Whilst working 6 months at a local factory, got recommended to apply for a Technologist role, got it 4 weeks after my contract ended.

1 Year work experience, applied to 3 major retailers, 2 replied - 1 phone interview failed and 1 2nd stage interview fail.

1.5 Years work experience, applied to 2 companies, both interviewed, both offered job. Had to choose 1 and naturally went with the one with the biggest name and highest for future potential.

Been with them for the last 16 months and still enjoying it :)
 
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Energize said:
I think anyone who has a high interview success rate either hasn't had many interviews or is over the age of 30. People applying for jobs in todays market do not have a high success rate.
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remember, a high interview success rate doesn't indicate anything about application rate. Typically someone will apply for dozens of places and get straight rejections, get 4 interviews and might get offers for 3 jobs for example.

The high success rate report by many of us here is at least a product of successful filtering of CVs before the interview stage.

Then there are other factors, many people on OCUK are highly skilled, well educated and intelligent *AND* work in areas where there is a general shortage of labour. Large sectors of engineer and IT are having massive difficulties hiring suitable candidates.

Good computer scientists looking for a job are as rare as hens teeth these days. Our company is really struggling to expand the workforce despite having many open positions. Good candidate are turning up to interview with us who already have several job offers and the interview often turns more into a bargaining exercise to try to convince them to work for us and not Google etc. Of course we do get plenty of mediocre applications, most of which we filter out before giving a face-to-face interview.
 
Two interviews - Two jobs.

Had another interview a couple of weeks back, and should hear from them by next week! Here's hoping I get three for three :p
 
gothic_hobbit said:
I concur.

In today's world you would be lucky to even get an interview.
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A slightly blanket statement and it varies widely depending on the industry, job and the persons experience. You can't tar everyone with the same brush saying they "would be lucky to even get an interview", that's not true.
 
Saytan said:
Actually getting the interview is the hard part. They'll see many CV's but only meet a small number of candidates.
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Where I work there is a "system" which means if you fulfill certain criteria they have to offer you an interview. It's good in that it eliminates discrimination and lazy CV reviewers but bad for external employees who don't know what the 'system' is. All the internal employees do, so get guaranteed interviews (within reason) every time.
 
The last two jobs I've had have been the first ones I've applied for and got, although I've tended to aim for roles I think are suited and have a chance of getting. It is a bit different if you are younger and just spamming retail jobs or whatever though, took a few tries to get one of those.

teaboy5 said:
I think the OP is missing another question!

How many times have we all been sacked?

ME - 0 what about the rest of you? OP?
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None :)
 
I'm 25, been applying for jobs since I was 16.

Job applied for: 8
Jobs accepted for: 7
Jobs rejected for: 1 (my very first interview)
Sacked: 0
Made redundant: 1

I get desperately nervous in interviews, even the interview I had recently for an internal promotion where I'd been pretty much guaranteed the job and one of the interviewers was a friend and colleague. :(
 
alx said:
A slightly blanket statement and it varies widely depending on the industry, job and the persons experience. You can't tar everyone with the same brush saying they "would be lucky to even get an interview", that's not true.
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Sorry but I disagree.

Unemployment has been the highest ever since the early 90's.

Also, some areas of the UK are really job deprived.

Unless you expect people to move, which isn't always easy depending on a person's circumstances.
 
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33, 6 interviews, 6 jobs. Happy with that. I'm sure there will come a time when I'm not successful :)
 
I agree with Teaboy. It doesn't matter how many interviews you've sat through, and whether you get the job.

It's all about if you end up hanging onto that Job!

Any blithering idiot can get the job then turn out to be incompetant etc
 
So far i have had 3 interviews and had offers from all 3. Accepted the best.

One of them had a main requirement to know C++,C and java as they were the main languages used on a day to day basis. I knew none of them yet they still offered me the job and were happy to train me in them.
 
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There's more to the picture, I feel,

I've found that interview technique improves with experience. I've had some periods of unemployment and each time, whilst I've not given bad interviews, I've not stormed them either... until I've had a few and got back into to swing.

I think (certainly in my case) it's a confidence thing, after a few interviews in a short space of time you come across much more relaxed and confident.
 
In my youth, 10 applications, three interviews, two jobs (I took one, quit it a few weeks later, and took the other).

In my current middle age (I'm over 50) and the current climate, I applied for just over 200 posts in seven months, got only about ten interviews, and only one offer - which I took.
 
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