Fuse Group

An interview is your chance to sell yourself and convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job. The key to a successful interview is preparation, the following guide covers some of the main topics to consider.

Preparing for your interview

As soon as your interview has been confirmed, Fuse will email you a set of interview details (hard copies can be posted or faxed on request). Take plenty of time to read all of the documentation; interview letter, map, details on interview format, job description, link to company website. Ensure that you know:

The date of your interview
The time you need to arrive
Where you are going
Who you are seeing / who you need to ask for on arrival.

Assume that you should dress smartly for your interview unless you have been told otherwise. Take time to plan your journey. Aim to arrive 10-15 minutes early and be prepared to wait until the interview time. If you are travelling by car ask your Fuse consultant whether they can reserve a parking space or advise you where to park. If you are travelling by train check timetables and allow for delays and make sure that you know how you are going to get from the station to the interview venue.

Useful websites to help you with directions or train timetables include:
www.multimap.co.uk - www.streetmap.co.uk - www.theaa.com - www.nationalrail.co.uk

On the day of your interview, take the Fuse office number (0844 846 0680) and your consultant’s mobile number with you. If you are delayed please inform your consultant who will communicate this to the client, allowing you to complete your journey without worrying.

The Position / Client

To prepare for an interview make sure that you are fully aware of the position for which you are being interviewed (this may sound obvious but it is likely that you will have applied for similar roles with different companies or multiple roles with the same company).

Ask your Fuse consultant for the company website and as much information on the company as they can supply, this could include answers to the following questions:

How big is the company?
How long have they been operating?
What are their key income streams and core areas of business?
What locations do they have offices in?
Who are their major competitors?
What is the company culture like?

Someone who goes to the effort to find all this out is likely to put the same effort into their job and will be well received. At a professional level this sort of preparation is expected.

Interview Format

Your consultant will let you know the likely format of the interview:

Competency Based Interviews

The most common type of interview is competency based. During this you will be asked to talk about your experience and to demonstrate that you have the required skills and competencies for the position. This may include questions about the role; e.g – Talk me through a major project you have managed using the Prince 2 methodology? There may be scenario questions; e.g – A user can not log on to the internet – what steps would you take to diagnose and fix the problem?

There may also be questions about the competencies / behaviours required for the position; e.g– Can you give me an example of a time when you have worked effectively in a team to deliver a project. What exactly did you do? Or – How do you plan your day? What factors do you consider when prioritising work?

The best way to prepare for this type of interview is to read the job description thoroughly:

Analyse the required qualifications, skills, experience and competencies
Think of practical examples to demonstrate your suitability.

The interview is likely to involve questions on your personality traits as well. Write down a few points about your strengths and weaknesses so that you have a clear idea on what to say in the interview. Common competency questions will be based on traits such as:

Leadership by example
Self-confidence
Commitment and determination
Enthusiasm and stamina
Good judgement and confident decision making
Willingness to take responsibility
Initiative and creativity
Organisational ability (including Planning and Time Management
Sensitivity to people

Written Tests

You may be informed that there will be an element of formal testing as part of your interview, this could include the following:

Technical Tests
Most commonly used for technical positions. You may be required to complete a written or online test on packages, databases or programming languages that are relevant to the position. To prepare for this it would be an idea to scan through any textbooks or training notes that you may have to refresh your memory of the common functionality of the products.

Aptitude Tests
These can cover: Verbal and Numerical Ability; Problem Solving or Syntax Checking. On occasion you will be sent examples or practice tests, ensure that you prepare for them as you would any exam. On other occasions you will just be given the information on the day. In both situations ensure that you read all of the instructions in detail before you begin.

Personality Profiling / Psychometric Testing
There are many different types of Psychometric Tests including DISC, Kolbe and Myers Briggs. The important thing to remember is that it is impossible to fail a psychometric test, there are no right or wrong answers.The best policy is always to be honest and avoid the temptation to guess what sort of answers the company is looking for. It is often the combination of different parts of your personality that matter rather than one single trait.

Presentations

You may be required to give a presentation as part of your interview, you will usually be judged on two things:

Your ability to understand the topic and put together a coherent presentation.
Your general presentation skills.

When preparing for a presentation, make sure that you:

Fully understand the topic
Find out how long the presentation needs to be
Find out what format the presentation needs be
Find out what equipment is available to you
Allow plenty of time for preparation
Rehearse your presentation – the more times you rehearse the better your presentation is likely to be.

Time yourself and try to find someone who you can rehearse in front of

Have a beginning, a middle and an end of your presentation. Begin by introducing what you will cover, then move into the content and finish by summarising the salient points
Leave time at the end for any questions
Leave handouts for your audience.

If you are planning a Powerpoint presentation, take a hard copy with you in case the technology fails.

The Interview

During the interview:

Relax; you would not be invited for an interview if you were not capable of doing the job
Greet your interviewer with a smile and a handshake, thank them for seeing you
Listen carefully to each question and think before you answer. If you don’t understand the question then ask them to repeat or clarify themselves
When you feel you have answered the question stop talking, try to keep your answers to the point
Be enthusiastic and positive in your answers
Speak with clarity and confidence
Try to be honest and open.

Remember that an interview is a two way conversation; it is an ideal opportunity for you to ask questions and gauge whether this is the right role for you.

Example questions to ask during an interview include:

What responsibilities come with the position?
What are the biggest challenges in this role?
What support, guidance or training is available?
How often is performance reviewed?
What prospects are there for career progression with the position?
What would you say is the best thing about working for your company?

Example interview questions

It is impossible to know exactly what questions will be covered in an interview. Listed below are a number of common interview questions. Have a brief read through them and think about how you would respond:

What motivates you?
Give me an example of a time when you handled a major crisis or problem?
Do you work better alone or as part of a team?
What do you think makes a good team?
Can you give an example of when you have been set a challenging goal and explain how you achieved it?
Have you ever had to work to an extremely tight deadline?
What do you enjoy most about your current job?
What do you enjoy least about your current job?
When have you delivered an excellent level of customer service – what did you do?
What do you know about us (ie our company)?
What do you understand this position to entail?
Why are you looking for work?
Why is this position of interest to you?
How would your colleagues describe you?
What has been your biggest achievement in the last 12 months?