Huddys interview Guide

Vanquish-Storm said:
So recently been made redundant so going to be preparing for interviews, thanks for this thread Huddy.

Haven't had a proper interview in over 12 years so actually dreading it!

Hopefully I find a job quickly but I have a holiday booked for May, would you bring this up in the interview at any point?
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Nope, only bring it up if they ask.
 
I've had quite a few telephone interviews over the last 2 weeks and now have 3 face to face/final stage interviews next week. This has been useful as I haven't done this for quite a few years now. I'm usually pretty good with interviews but this was great refresher to get me thinking about answers to questions i could be hearing!
 
XeNoN89 said:
I've had quite a few telephone interviews over the last 2 weeks and now have 3 face to face/final stage interviews next week. This has been useful as I haven't done this for quite a few years now. I'm usually pretty good with interviews but this was great refresher to get me thinking about answers to questions i could be hearing!
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Good luck, it's amazing how much better you get with practice. When i got this job i'd had quite a few interviews to find the right thing and so had really perfected my answers, making sure examples were different (even between 1st and 2nd interviews where the same questions can be repeated by new interviewers so that the original interviewer wasn't listening to the same thing again).

However i went for an interview last November and came out of it feeling i'd been useless, just worded things badly and got a bit flustered. Luckily got invited back for a second interview and was much more composed.
 
I've been watching a lot of higher level interview techniques for more senior roles recently. I found this guy exceptionally good and worth having watch regardless:



What's good is he got a modern way of coming across in the interviews vs some more people that have older approaches and a sales style sell yourself.
 
malachi said:
Thanks, I will check these out as Im back looking for a new job. Had plenty of interviews but not getting very far.
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Maybe you should get some interview training, it might be helpful to have an experienced colleague or friend do a mock interview with you. Get some feedback.
 
Here's an example of ChatGPT giving a critique of my CV. I simply asked:
Please critique this CV and show it's ATS scoring
<cut & paste CV minus personal information>
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It generated the following:

CV Critique:​

Strengths:​

  1. Extensive Experience:
    • Highlights a robust 27-year career across various industries like consultancy, banking, and cybersecurity. This breadth demonstrates adaptability and deep expertise.
    • Strong focus on leadership and technical strategy, with high-value outcomes (e.g., accelerating transformations by 4200%, achieving zero-findings audits).
  2. Quantifiable Achievements:
    • Metrics like financial value delivered, acceleration percentages, and compliance outcomes enhance credibility and impact.
  3. Strategic Focus:
    • Senior roles (e.g., ,,,, strategy, ... product portfolio) demonstrate ability to influence at the C-suite level and align IT initiatives with business goals.
  4. Mentorship and Leadership:
    • Emphasizing mentorship adds depth and shows contribution to organizational development beyond technical achievements.
  5. Technical and Strategic Breadth:
    • Experience spans product management, cloud transformation, quantum computing, and cybersecurity, which positions the candidate as a forward-thinking leader.

Weaknesses:​

  1. Format and Structure:
    • The CV lacks clear visual hierarchy. Key sections, such as "Career Highlights" and "Professional Experience," could benefit from better formatting and spacing.
    • The document is dense and could overwhelm ATS systems with excessive text.
  2. Keywords for ATS:
    • While industry-specific terminology (e.g., "AWS," "DevOps," "NIST compliance") is present, the CV could include more job-specific keywords tailored to a target role (e.g., "agile methodology," "OKRs," "strategic alignment").
    • Specific tools and platforms mentioned could be expanded for ATS optimization (e.g., explicitly linking Apptio, CrowdStrike, and Splunk to measurable outcomes).
  3. Education and Certifications:
    • The education and certifications section is underemphasized. Including technical certifications (e.g., cloud or AI-related) would add value given the technical nature of the roles.
  4. Professional Summary:
    • The opening profile is strong but could be more concise. A more specific focus on key competencies, like leadership in product management and enterprise transformation, could better align with ATS and recruiter expectations.
  5. Chronology in Early Career:
    • The "Early Career" section is inconsistent in style compared to recent roles. Grouping it under a concise summary or key accomplishments would enhance readability.

Suggested ATS Optimization:​

Keywords to Add:​

  • General: Agile, SAFe, program management, OKRs, ROI, stakeholder management, roadmap development, digital transformation.
  • Technical: Kubernetes, microservices, CI/CD, AI/ML, cybersecurity frameworks, IT governance.
  • Compliance: ISO 27001, GDPR, SOC 2, ITIL, DevSecOps.

Format Tips:​

  • Use bullet points consistently.
  • Include section headers (e.g., "Key Achievements," "Technical Skills") to increase ATS readability.
  • Avoid overloading each role with excessive detail; instead, focus on the most impactful results.

Additional Recommendations:​

  1. Skills Section:Add a dedicated section highlighting technical and soft skills. For example:
    • Technical Skills: AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, DevOps, CI/CD, NIST compliance.
    • Soft Skills: Strategic leadership, stakeholder communication, mentorship, problem-solving.
  2. Keywords in Profile Section: Update the summary to include ATS-friendly phrases like "strategic product management," "digital transformation leader," or "risk management expertise."
  3. Tailor to Job Postings: Ensure the CV uses language directly from target job descriptions to enhance keyword matching.

ATS Scoring Analysis:​

Using typical ATS ranking algorithms (weighted toward keywords, structure, and clarity), this CV scores 75/100.Here's the breakdown:
  1. Keyword Match: 20/30
    • Strong technical and leadership language but missing some role-specific terms.
  2. Formatting and Structure: 15/20
    • Organized but overly detailed and dense in places.
  3. Clarity and Readability: 20/20
    • Well-written with quantifiable metrics but verbose in some sections.
  4. Relevance to Senior Roles: 20/20
    • Highlights high-level strategic experience effectively.
Recommendations to Improve Score:
  • Integrate more industry-specific keywords.
  • Simplify dense sections and emphasize critical points.
  • Add a clear "Skills" section for easy keyword parsing.
With these improvements, the CV could achieve a score of 90+/100 and improve both ATS and recruiter appeal.



Now that's a pretty good way to kick up new ideas - and to have some constructive feedback if you don't know anyone that can review something quickly.
It picked up my second page switch to non-bullet points, although I suspect I would say it's scoring to its knowledge at this point. However it really likes to cut and cut detail..
 
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