Three essential tips for any interviewee - and what to avoid...

Think of an interview as an end-of-school exam. You’ve spent the past two years diligently assimilating as much information as your brain will allow and you now have 120 grade-defining minutes to prove it has sunk in.

Interviews are much of the same – boxing your sometimes 20/30 year career into a 20/30 minute interview slot, can seem like an impossible task. Following these three key rules, however, will help elevate you above the competition:

1)     Do not overlook the basics

Throughout my career I’ve arranged, witnessed or conducted interviews with thousands of candidates, varying from fresh High School graduates to C-level Executives. One consistent factor throughout is that you CANNOT overlook the basics. Below is a simple checklist that every interviewee should observe:

• Dress code – business smart should always be observed, regardless of how casual the environment may be. No one has ever been rejected for being overdressed to an interview…
• Timing – Research the location and find out the travel time in traffic. Leave 30 minutes earlier than you need to. Worst case scenario: you arrive 30 mins early and get a coffee prior to the interview. Do not “check in” for the interview any earlier than 10 minutes before it’s due to start.
• Come prepared – you should always bring a notebook, pen and copy of your resume
• Be mindful of body language – a smile, firm hand shake and eye contact can often be as essential as any technical question you’ll be asked
• Ask questions – despite how many people you interview with, asking questions is essential. It builds up your knowledge of the opportunity through a variety of perspectives and displays attentiveness and engagement. Writing down your questions ahead of time can also be a good idea.
• Thank you emails – sending personalized thank you emails to each and every person you meet is key in standing out from the crowd and leaving a lasting impression.

2)     Research, Research, Research

In the modern age we have a plethora of research tools at our disposal and it’s my recommendation you use all of them when preparing for your interview. This needn’t be a hugely time-consuming exercise but it’s an important one for many reasons. Firstly, it will allow you to determine if this really is an opportunity you’re excited by and a company you want to join. Secondly, it will help you come across as prepared and engaged. Consider researching the following:

The company – Google, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, new articles, blogs, website etc – when did they start? How big are they? What other locations do they have? What are their company values?

The people – who are you interviewing with? What are their backgrounds like? Do you have any mutual contacts on LinkedIn?

The job specification – what is the essential criteria? What is the desirable criteria? What are the cultural requirements? If I’m asked: “talk to me about your experience in X” what am I going to say?

Putting aside 30 minutes of prep time for each company you’re interviewing with will be time well spent.

3)     Structure your answers

Over / under talking and not focusing on what YOU specifically do are three key reasons candidates are rejected from interviews. This is often not because of lack of experience or proficiency, but lack of structure to your answer. When answering questions, consider the STAR acronym:

Situation

Task

Action

Result

By sticking to this simple structure, you’ll ensure you provide the relevant information in a concise and structured fashion. For example:

Interviewer: “Talk to me about a time you have needed to diffuse conflict”

Interviewee:

Situation: In my previous position I was given the responsibility of managing a small team of people that had recently been underperforming. Upon speaking to the team individually, it became apparent there was rift between two of the senior team members of the group. This disagreement was having an adverse effect to the wider team, causing tension and conflict and alienating one the members.

Task: It was obvious to me that in order to make the team fully functional and as productive as it could be, I needed to mend the rift between these two people. Only then could we begin turning the team around and make the necessary changes to achieve the results outlined by the business.

Action: It was my belief the issue stemmed from lack of open communication, so I held a meeting with myself and the two team members to openly discuss their issues. Each took a few moments to outline their frustrations and they worked together to build a set of guidelines each would adhere to when working with the other.

Result: The set of rules they put in place enabled them to better understand each other and work more effectively together. Because the tension between with the two of them was diffused, the rest of the team also enjoyed a more harmonious working environment and their production rocketed.

What to avoid:

Things to avoid are often just as useful as tips on how to conduct yourselves. At Engtal we’ve compiled a list of the most common “non-experience-related” reasons candidates are rejected from interviews – obverse & avoid:

• Bad mouthing current or previous employer
• Over / under talking
• Sighting compensation as a motivation for leaving
• Not showing excitement and passion for the role (not asking questions)
• Not giving specific details and talking in generalities
• Not knowing anything about the company / role

Skills are important; your resume is important; but being adequately prepared for an interview is an easy way to elevate yourself above fellow candidates and greatly increase your chance of success.

Christopher Atiyah - CEO, Engtal