Can any1 suggest any useful job interview tips?

Brilliant thanks guys,I'll give CAR a try, at the end of the interview should I ask him about 4-5 questions relating to the job?? is that a good idea?
 
The guy interviewing me is a dude lol if u read my post earlier, can any1 answer my question above??

And would it be appropriate if I take my pre-written notes(Obviously asking if its possible first). e.g questions that I can ask him at the end?

thanks again.
 
Sure but any more than 5 questions for a job like this would be overkill I'd say, most likely you'd just be asking for the sake of it.

Personally I like to make at least one of my questions relate to something discussed earlier in the interview e.g. they mentioned that the company/dept does XYZ maybe ask a bit about that. Sometimes I get ahead of myself though and use up most of my questions during the interview itself!

As for taking in notes it's a tricky one, I've always thought it was a bad idea in terms of showing reliance on a crutch, BUT maybe some interviewers like the sense of organisation. I always bring a couple of copies of my CV in a simple document folder in case needed but not a list of questions.
 
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HangTime said:
Sure but any more than 5 questions for a job like this would be overkill I'd say, most likely you'd just be asking for the sake of it.

Personally I like to make at least one of my questions relate to something discussed earlier in the interview e.g. they mentioned that the company/dept does XYZ maybe ask a bit about that. Sometimes I get ahead of myself though and use up most of my questions during the interview itself!

As for taking in notes it's a tricky one, I've always thought it was a bad idea in terms of showing reliance on a crutch, BUT maybe some interviewers like the sense of organisation. I always bring a couple of copies of my CV in a simple document folder in case needed but not a list of questions.
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Great thanks, well my sis says best not to bring notes. let them come out of the head. So I'll try remembering them instead.
 
GTO656 said:
Brilliant thanks guys,I'll give CAR a try, at the end of the interview should I ask him about 4-5 questions relating to the job?? is that a good idea?
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I don't think 4-5 questions is necessary to be honest, unless you actually genuinely have 4-5 questions you want to ask them?

You're looking for part time work so maybe ask about the hours available, when they will expect you to start work, how many people work there etc. I was going to say ask what a typical working day is like... But for a job like Box Office Cashier, your answer is probably going to be limited to "serve customers, take payment, end of day reconcilliation of tills" etc :p
 
MisChief said:
I don't think 4-5 questions is necessary to be honest, unless you actually genuinely have 4-5 questions you want to ask them?

You're looking for part time work so maybe ask about the hours available, when they will expect you to start work, how many people work there etc. I was going to say ask what a typical working day is like... But for a job like Box Office Cashier, your answer is probably going to be limited to "serve customers, take payment, end of day reconcilliation of tills" etc :p
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Thanks for the help :), I guess I will leave the last one out and add one of the above to my list.

Again thanks to everyone who has given me tip/ideas on this thread which has been extremely useful.
 
I once had to wear a pair of my wife's trousers to a job interview. It wasn't long after we moved out here and I only bought one pair of smart trousers and a couple of pairs of jeans with me. I was rushing to get ready and discovered that the smart ones had a massive rip down the side. So it was either postpone, wear jeans and explain what happened.....or go for a pair of women's black dress trousers. They just about fit me, although I couldn't get them done-up properly (jacket hid that) and they were a little on the short side. I looked in the mirror and it basically worked - but you could tell something was slightly off (probably the fact they were a women's cut) but in a way you couldn't quite put your finger on. "huh" you would say, "those trousers are slightly odd". I hoped they would think it was a "European style" and went on my merry way. Didn't seem to get any funny looks (that I saw) and the interview went OK. Didn't get the job in the end, but I'm sure it wasn't down to the trousers!

The job I have now took 1 screening interview on the phone with the HR assistant, 1 phone interview with the HR manager, 1 in-person interview with the HR manager, then an interview with the President, VP, GM and SM all sat in the room. Could say I was bricking it a little :o
 
Based on the most recent feedback I've had it pays to emphasise what you've done, although you may have completed tasks as part of a team think about what you did and what you had responsibility for. Obviously don't claim things that you haven't done but the interview isn't about what your team has done, it's about what you have done and what experience you can bring to their company.

If it's a competency based interview then have a couple of examples ready, particularly if you've been given examples of the competencies they're basing the interview on.

Don't be afraid to pause to think about how to answer a question or ask them to repeat/rephrase if necessary - it's much worse to babble on or even talk yourself out of a job because you start answering the wrong question or say something you didn't mean. If however you're asking them to rephrase "what is your name?" then maybe it's time to accept it's just not your day and you should go home.

It's better if you can do the interview without relying on notes for your examples but if it makes you feel more confident or you think you may need an aide memoire then I'd suggest taking them in rather than risking having a complete mind blank.

More generally: try to appear relaxed and confident even if you're not feeling that way, be at least cordial with your interviewer(s) but try to avoid doing a Spud from Trainspotting type performance, don't ask lots of questions just for the sake of it. Remember it is a two way process so you're trying to get an impression about them and the company just as they're trying to get an impression about you. Good luck for the interview.
 
Some really good advice in here. Something I overlooked, which has been mentioned, was mimicking the behaviour of the interviewers. If they're being pretty relaxed and informal or very serious then you've gotta adapt to that.

I recommend that you don't take notes. Answers can often feel quite rehearsed even without them so that isn't going to help.
 
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semi-pro waster said:
Don't be afraid to pause to think about how to answer a question or ask them to repeat/rephrase if necessary - it's much worse to babble on or even talk yourself out of a job because you start answering the wrong question or say something you didn't mean. If however you're asking them to rephrase "what is your name?" then maybe it's time to accept it's just not your day and you should go home.
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Apologies for the <snip> but this point is particularly valid for those who aren't used to interviews. It's also perfectly acceptable to ask if you can come back to the question later, once you've had time to consider it more thoroughly although you absolutely must come back to it or it will look like a cop out.

Another bugbear of mine is interviewees who begin by saying, "This doesn't answer your question but ..." Do not do this, ever. Always answer the question you were asked, not the one you've prepared earlier.
 
[FnG]magnolia;22633852 said:
Apologies for the <snip> but this point is particularly valid for those who aren't used to interviews. It's also perfectly acceptable to ask if you can come back to the question later, once you've had time to consider it more thoroughly although you absolutely must come back to it or it will look like a cop out.

Another bugbear of mine is interviewees who begin by saying, "This doesn't answer your question but ..." Do not do this, ever. Always answer the question you were asked, not the one you've prepared earlier.
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Having spent the last week interviewing people, absolutely this.

Structure your answers (STAR as already mentioned is a good format to use. It paints a picture that the interviewer can understand. Think of it as a storyboard template)

Make sure your answer actually answers the question!

Don't think you can always fool the interviewer by making up for your lack of solid answers by just being a great guy and turning it into a more informal chat. Most interviewers will be well aware of halo effect, and see through your ploy when they compare your answers back to the competencies they were looking to tick off.
It might work every now and then, but it's a real gamble.

Don't be afraid to use the same example twice, but equally don't be surprised if the interviewer then asks for another example to support this.

If you realise you are going down the wrong road with your answer or have actually completely forgotten the question, stop. Don't just babble. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question. I would not score down anybody for doing this unless the overall caliber of the applicants was phenomenal and I was really having to split hairs to differentiate.

Don't be afraid to use an example where the outcome was negative - as long as you can explain why that happened and what you would do to address the failing in the future. Although I would try to avoid using negative examples for every answer as it doesn't give a great impression.
Think about the question when you do this too.
  • "Tell me about a major project you were involved in" may well involve a project that ended with negative aspects that you have been able to reflect on and could rectify in the future.
  • "Describe how you have created an amazing customer experience" is probably not the time to wheel out an example where the customer didn't go away happy at the end of it all.

Good luck :)
 
Hey guys I am back, everything went great lol didnt have the interview till 10:20 cos no one opened the door until late, I also saw another applicant which was a young lady(hope shes not applied for the same pos as me otherwise there will be competition hehe) . Told the guy working there and waited for 10 minutes then went in fill out the form which took another 10 minutes.

@Lopez thanks, I have actually used some of my experience in takeaway at the counter and kinda linked it to the job role I'm applying. There were a couple of thing I forgot to say a few things. when I rehearsed for hours last nyt lol. Everything very smoothly and I kept the flow going(didnt think I made any mistakes). I was feeling very positive(had time to eat breakfast at McD and chill for a bit too :0).

It was my first job interview. and was pleased with the question as there wasn't too difficult. Have learnt what to improve next time. they say I will get a email/call by next week or longer, Keeping my fingers crossed.
Again thank you guys for guiding me! :P

O PS, it was actually a women who was interviewing me hehe
 
When they ask you have you got any questions you'd like to ask say Yes & ask them How much overtime is available ?
 
4T5 said:
When they ask you have you got any questions you'd like to ask say Yes & ask them How much overtime is available ?
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That would have been good 2 add, I ask these four questions in the end.
1. how many staff are working here?
2. what are the hours avaliable in the part-time role?
3. In this position, who do I report to?
4. What can I expect from you?

Is that decent enough lol?
 
GTO656 said:
That would have been good 2 add, I ask these four questions in the end.
1. how many staff are working here?
2. what are the hours avaliable in the part-time role?
3. In this position, who do I report to?
4. What can I expect from you?

Is that decent enough lol?
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I think the questions are ok but I'm not totally sure what each one would be revealing with the answers.

1. Does it matter?
2. Didn't the job advert inform you of this or their introductory part of the interview? If not perfectly relevant to ask.
3. Fair enough.
4. What do you mean? Expect in terms of training/remuneration/holidays/something else?

I don't think there's any particular problem with the questions you asked but my thoughts/comments would be as above.
 
semi-pro waster said:
I think the questions are ok but I'm not totally sure what each one would be revealing with the answers.

1. Does it matter?
2. Didn't the job advert inform you of this or their introductory part of the interview? If not perfectly relevant to ask.
3. Fair enough.
4. What do you mean? Expect in terms of training/remuneration/holidays/something else?

I don't think there's any particular problem with the questions you asked but my thoughts/comments would be as above.
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1. I think it shows your interest in the job
2. not at all, not one mention whether it was part/full time/hours to
3.She gave quite a detailed explaning about that.
4.As in a response by contacting whether I am sucessfully or not.

Keeping my hopes high :) as I feel I got a chance, if not I will keep on going as I know I will do even better next time round..
 
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