The Interview ……Three People, a table and a series of questions…

Updated: Apr 17, 2023

Interviewing and being an interviewee/ applicant are naturally two separate things.

To interview you need:-

Person Specification…what you actually require
A set of questions….. that explore how they fit the role, what experience they have, how they may fit in the organisation
Enough Time….allocated slots with thought to preparing the room, settling down the candidates, time for 2 way dialogue, and a review of them before the next person comes in.

As an interviewee you need to:-

Be on time, preferably early to gather your own thoughts and not have the stress or anxiety of feeling rushed…well relevant in my case anyway
Check the employer out….where do they work, with who do they work with, how many employees, what are their corporate values...You need to know about them to see if you fit with their values and to be “informed” when they ask you to tell them something about what they do and why you applied.
Digital Persona. We all have one, basic rules apply such as don’t post , join or create something you are not willing to standby, use as a reference or be questioned about
Screen the Employer Digitally too….What does their work places look like, what’s the dress code for work, how does it look and feel is it a bit “ Google” or is it a bit “Formal”. Check them out on their socials, see how they follow, locate other employees via LinkedIn and then see if they have any Instagram etc. What they post may tell you something about the company too that is useful to know. For example https://fuzzyduck.co.uk/ have twitter, Linked In and Instagram, their Directors and Creatives are also on the same platforms separately.

Dress Code. You can’t turn up like Dave the Gym Bunny and you can’t turn up like you are on you are on your way to your next Death Metal Concert either unless its for the actual Band :-) . This is a hard one, invariably most interviews will be formal clothing such as a suit, shirt and tie etc. unless they specify otherwise. You can ask the employer what they expectations are if you are not sure…but remember 1st impressions last, so if in doubt go with a suit!
Prep the answers and take time answering the questions,….you know the role you are going for so what type of questions should you prep for. Have some “when did you change something and why”, “ When did you make a mistake, how would you do it differently ”, “when did you have tight deadlines, how did you meet them” type answers. Try to have them relevant to the industry – role you are applying for.
It’s me not them….. they are asking for your answers, not what you did as a group, be clear on what part you played and how it's relative to the questions.
This is one space I will need practice and coaching on as naturally I feel uncomfortable when formally questioned or have to give presentations. I’ll improve with time but I also recognise I need to improve being comfortable doing it too.

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