Here at Benjamin Edwards we interview 100s of job seekers during a year and guide them through the interview process.
Recently, we had a very nervous candidate that had not had an interview for some time. A credit controller who had been with their last employer for many years, circumstances now meant they were in the job market.
This is how we helped.
- We gave them a detailed interview guide, talked through the role, company and job description in detail.
- We gave them some scenario questions that they could practice at home and some guidance on how to handle nerves.
- We gave them advice around their cv and what to highlight at interview and how to sell themselves.
- We spoke to them just before their interview to give them some moral support and a detailed briefing after the interview.
The interview went really well, and the candidate was offered and accepted the role. They are now very happy in their new role and looking forward to the next stage in their career.
Here are some more ways you can prepare for THAT interview
Research. Crawl the company website, look for news items on google and don’t forget to look at the company’s social pages. These are often updated more frequently than the corporate site. Look at their competitors and their customers. Who is going to be interviewing you? Look at their profile on LinkedIn, putting a face to a name will help to calm your nerves and may act as a conversation starter.
Prepare a set of questions to commonly asked questions. There are lots of resources on the internet that can act as a prompt. Take a look at these and consider how you would respond.
Think about your selling points and match those to features written in the job description and job role. If you don’t manage to brig these out during the course of the interview, make sure you bring them up at the end. You’ll leave the interviewer thinking positive thoughts about your competencies and how they will add value to the job role.
Ask a friend to conduct a mock interview with you. Yes, this may be a contrived and toe-curling role play but will help you to identify any stumbling blocks. Preparing and practicing your answers will mean you don’t fumble during the real-life interview.
Logistics. If you can, visit the office where the interview is taking place. Time the journey and work out where the parking is and make sure you have enough change! The last thing you want is to turn up late, flustered and a hot mess. Take some hard copes of your CV and any other visual aids you think will add value to the interview.
Remember, an interview is like any other conversation.
Find your next position
At Benjamin Edwards we do advertise some vacancies on mainstream job websites. However, we predominantly fill positions through direct networking, headhunting and our existing contacts.
Here at Benjamin Edwards we offer a consultative, personal and honest service to all our candidates. We are great listeners and really get to know you well. We will offer you consistent support along your recruitment journey, whether that be in Accountancy & Finance, Office or Management & Executive.
The Benjamin Edwards litmus test for recruiting into a company is “would we enjoy working there?”
Call us today on 01522 412066
