UNDERSTANDING THE SECRETS OF INTERVIEW SUCCESS

It goes without saying that interviewers want to hire good candidates. But what exactly are they looking for? The answer lies in the ‘three Cs’ of interview characteristics.

 competence – interviewers want to hire candidates who have the knowledge, skills, and qualities to make a difference to their organisations. They are not looking for just any old person to fill the position, but somebody who can learn quickly, go the extra mile, and help the team to achieve its goals. Successful candidates show interviewers that they have a track record of achieving goals on behalf of
their employers.

 commitment – interviewers want to hire people who will stay in the job for a while. They don’t want to hire and train someone only for that person to leave after a few months and for them to have to recruit, interview, and train another person all over again. Successful candidates demonstrate their commitment to each different job they interview for.

chemistry – interviewers don’t want to hire robots. They want to hire candidates whom they feel they get on with, candidates they feel they could share a joke with, have a drink with after work, and so on. Successful candidates focus as much on building rapport with the interviewers as on answering the questions themselves.

Doing your homework for Interviews

Anyone can improve their performance at interview. No matter how much you hate interviews, no matter how long it has been since you had an interview, no matter how nervous you might feel, I can guarantee that
doing your homework will boost your confidence and improve your chances of securing a job. Being invited to an interview is a significant step. Many employers see hundreds of CVs or application forms and shortlist only a handful of candidates to invite to interview. You should pat yourself on the back for getting this far. So don’t mess it up now. There are some people who are naturally extrovert and able to excel during interviews. But for most people it doesn’t come naturally. And that’s whysuccess at interviews usually comes down to good preparation and practice.Long before they get in front of any interviewers, the best candidates have spent many hours researching the organisation and the nature of the role, working out answers to likely interview questions, and then rehearsing to make sure they can present themselves as confident, enthusiastic people In fact, I’d say that as much as 90 per cent of what determines success at interview comes down to good preparation and rehearsal.

Candidates who experience interview nerves get the most out of preparation. Many candidates feel nervous during interviews because they are worried what an interviewer might ask them. But if you have done your preparation, you will be ready to answer any question that an interviewer could ask you. Well-prepared candidates usually find that a large chunk of their anxiety about interviews simply melts away when they feel confident in their preparation. The more you prepare, the greater your chances will be of coming across as
a confident candidate who deserves the job. This chapter covers exactly what you need to research and prepare before you face any interviewer.