Interview Techniques

MATRIX Computer Recruitment have prepared an interview guide for potential candidates, which we hope you will find useful before attending and interview.

It is always a good thing to spend some time thinking about all aspects on the interview, so may we present our top tips.

• Research the company  

Not only will you have a better idea of what you are potentially letting yourself in for, but it provides you with ammunition to drop into either your answers or questions at the end of the interview. Have look at the company's website, if they have one and familiarise yourself with their products and services.

For example:

"I understand that last year your company merged with company X, How do you see this affecting department Y and what are the opportunities for advancement."

• Prepare yourself

It is now common practice for interviewers to focus on key competencies - skills or attitudes that are required for the role in question. Most interviews will follow a structure that is designed to bring out those qualities. The questions should be answered by giving specific examples from your background, that highlight the relevant competencies. Therefore it is important to have ready-made examples which you can use on cue.

Go over your C.V and recall your greatest achievements. What were the skills and attitudes you that you used to bring about those achievements? how did you use them? What did you learn from the experience? What would you do differently if faced with the same situation again?

• Personal Appearance

Within the first two minutes of an interview, the interviewer will have formed a judgement of you and your suitability for the role. Make sure it is a positive one.

• Body Language

Research has shown that 50% of communication relies on body language or signals which we unconsciously express without even realizing that we are doing so. This is known to Psychologists as NLP or Neural Linguistic Programming. Try to avoid negative signals.

Walk slowly, deliberately and tall as you enter the room.

 Smile - Show the interviewer that you are open, friendly and confident.

Maintain good eye contact.

The main point is to ensure that you are relaxed and confident and the best way to ensure this is through thorough preparation.

 

Reasons for hiring

By looking at the interview from the other side of the desk it is much easier to understand what the interviewer is looking for and therefore to tailor your answers to what is needed.

The interviewer will have three main considerations

• Ability & suitability:

There are plenty of people with the right qualifications and skills to do the job in hand. On paper the interviewer may have little to help them differentiate between candidates. Look at the roles you are applying for and list all the technical skills and personal traits that are vital to do the job. Now pick out specific examples from your past that highlight these qualities. Make life easy for the interviewer by painting vivid pictures from you past. Specifics will always win over generalisations as they prove to the interviewer that you have what it takes to do the job well.

• Willingness:

You may have the right credentials to do the job but the interviewer needs to know if you are the sort of person who will go that extra mile in order for the team to succeed. Have examples ready of when you went beyond the call of duty in order to ensure the success of a project or task.

• Problem Solving:

Anyone who is hired is hired for the same reason: the employer has a problem of some kind that needs solving. Look at the job description and decide what problems will need to be solved by the individual who gets the job. Again go to your past and prepare examples of when you overcame similar examples. Pay particular attention to your approach to the problem and thought process in tackling it, how you went about solving it and the outcome of your actions.

• Conclusion:

Remember to show enthusiasm for the role and be positive. We hope you have find this guide useful and Matrix Computer Recruitment would like to wish you every success at your interview.