Got an interview/assessment day on Tues, any tips?

[David_VI]

I've never had an interview before, only auditions for courses so after some advice..

I applied for a job from National Express (East Anglia) working at Manningtree station.. I won't deny i'm a bit of a train buff/railway enthusiast and i've always wanted to get into the industry, with my aim to be a train driver eventually.. so when I saw this job on the site I went for it.

Received a letter back the day after I sent off the application form saying I have to attend an assessment day in Stratford on Tuesday where there will be some tests and possibly an interview if I get that far.

Never had a 'proper' job, i've been in education and i'm currently on a degree and i'm quite lacking confidence so i'm really nervous about the whole thing..

The job info said no experience required which is good as I don't really have any except for voluntary work and education.. I hope this doesn't give me a worse chance.

Does anyone have any tips on how I should conduct myself? What kind of questions I might be asked that I could prepare for ?

Thanks!
David

 

[semi-pro waster]

What have they told you will be included on the day? If you've got some information then it might be helpful for people to tailor the advice for you.

General advice would be to have a think about situations where you've demonstrated leadership/planning/dealing with difficult situations/ambitions etc as they're often amongst the questions asked so if you've got a few examples ready that helps you. Try to be confident without being cocky and look at the person who is asking you the questions but make sure to also make eye contact with the other interviewers. Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify their questions if necessary, maybe even ask for an example from them if you're struggling - this can also be to give you a little bit more time to formulate an answer. Other peoples opinions will doubtless vary on what to do so try to work out an approach that works for you.

It should go without saying but just in case - dress reasonably smartly. I'd wear a tie as it's generally better to be slightly overdressed than slightly underdressed and you can always remove it easily if you feel the need. Good luck.

 

[David_VI]

What have they told you will be included on the day? If you've got some information then it might be helpful for people to tailor the advice for you.

General advice would be to have a think about situations where you've demonstrated leadership/planning/dealing with difficult situations/ambitions etc as they're often amongst the questions asked so if you've got a few examples ready that helps you. Try to be confident without being cocky and look at the person who is asking you the questions but make sure to also make eye contact with the other interviewers. Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify their questions if necessary, maybe even ask for an example from them if you're struggling - this can also be to give you a little bit more time to formulate an answer. Other peoples opinions will doubtless vary on what to do so try to work out an approach that works for you.

It should go without saying but just in case - dress reasonably smartly. I'd wear a tie as it's generally better to be slightly overdressed than slightly underdressed and you can always remove it easily if you feel the need. Good luck.

Thanks.. extremely useful!

To be honest the letter says pretty much what I posted.. The only thing I can think i'm missing is the fact I have to bring my own lunch .

I've heard of questions like you say, but what if you don't have an example or a time you dealt with something difficult.. I'm sure I could think of one or two but sometimes I wonder if they are relevant.

I've got a suit I wore at a recent wedding, other than that I don't have much formal clothes, and a suits a suit right?

Thanks again
David

 

[semi-pro waster]

In terms of answers to the questions then more recent is usually better than in the distant past but if the best examples you have are from a number of years back then they're the ones to go for I reckon. I can't say for certain as I've only been the interviewee but having spoken to a few people who are/were interviewers it can be almost anything where you demonstrate the particular skill/trait/whatever that is requested e.g. for evidence of planning I used the example of when I got a working visa for Canada and went out there for a few months - I suppose it was evidence of preparation and planning although you could equally say it was something I didn't plan very well as beyond the basics of having the correct paperwork I just trusted that I'd sort things out adequately while I was there. The point I'm trying to make here is that it's about how you present things sometimes so try to judge your audience and think about what your particular example says to the interviewer - that's why it's good to think about it prior to going. If they give you any idea about what sort of questions they'll be asking then try to think about which examples you've got fit into which categories, it's almost like exam technique where you don't shoehorn your best answers into questions that don't quite fit when there's a better question coming up next.

If it's examples of difficult situations that you've had to deal with that you're struggling with then have you done any group projects at uni with people who weren't easy to deal with (although this may be more suitable for examples of when you've worked in a team)? How about bar work or part time work in a shop with difficult customers? It doesn't have to be completely novel but it's just to provide something for the interviewers to judge you on and give an idea of how you approach things. My problem with such questions is that I usually just deal with the situation and rarely think back to how difficult it was - it's done now and that was the desired outcome. Again this is why it is helpful to give it a little bit of thought first so you're not completely stuck, you can't guess every question but it ought to give you a few examples that you can adapt.

If the suit is dark(ish) in colour then I'm sure it will be fine and personally I'd go for quite a plain shirt e.g. solid white or blue but it does depend on what you've got. I'd also say skinny/kipper ties were a distinct no-no, however I know nothing about fashion so maybe someone else will be able to help you out here.

As I say good luck with it, you may wish to see if anyone else confirms my suggestions above as not being completely useless before taking them too far though.

 

[David_VI]

Thanks for the advice, it proved useful!

Day went well apart from a lot of waiting around. Passed all the tests and the interview went alright I think! Awaiting a phone call for another interview and possible job

 

[semi-pro waster]

Cheers for the update, I'd wondered how it went so I'm glad to hear it went well for you. I hoped that someone else might have had some wisdom to impart beforehand but maybe the thread just got missed.