Category: Job Interview

Have you an interview scheduled? Congratulations! – Now it’s time to prepare, and we’ve got you covered. Our team of experienced recruiters gave their top tips to help you impress your interviewer and get the position you want.

Remote Interviewing

In the current climate remote interviewing is far more common than in person, before you sit down to begin your interview here are some tips to ensure you make the best possible impression. Make sure you test the link you’ve been provided with and ensure your laptop is compatible with any software they might need for it as well as familiarising yourself with that software rather than in real time, especially if you are doing any interactive coding or whiteboarding. When something like that goes wrong, people often get flustered and make mistakes.

It’s also important not to dwell on anything you got wrong or didn’t know. It can play on your mind for the rest of the interview, instead just accept it’s happened and do your best for the rest of the interview as it may not be as costly as you think.

If you’re interviewing in person, make sure you have left enough time in your journey to get there in-case something goes wrong. First impressions count, so try your best to arrive on time.

Star Method

Using the Star Method throughout your interview is valuable, for those unfamiliar with this term it stands for;

S = Situation (What was the situation?)

T = Task (What goal were you working toward?)

A = Action (What action did you take?)

R = Result (What was the result of your action?)

In preparation for an interview, take time to develop responses to anticipated interview questions. STAR is a structured approach to answering interview questions, responding to interview questions with STAR examples can help illustrate your fit with the opportunity. With just a little preparation, and practicing this method you’ll soon view this style of answering as a great opportunity to emphasise your qualifications and skills.

Research the company

Before your interview, find out as much as you can about your interviewer(s) – anything that might help build rapport, this is one of the best ways to become a stand-out candidate during the hiring process.
Always remember to research the company values, you should know what the company looks for in a qualified candidate, this enables you to position yourself as the best candidate for the position.  They’ll be marking your answers according to how you’ve demonstrated those same values. Don’t forget the first impressions are huge, 90% of people make up their mind about a person within the first 90 secs of meeting them so make that first min and a half is a good one.

Back up your points

When talking about your experience try and talk about it in terms of deliverables or outcomes instead of just spewing out buzz words. In order to stand out in a competitive job market you have to describe your skills more specifically and explain to the employer how this is useful to the business. Try using an actual scenario that happened with data to support your points, as this will make you speak more fluid with confidence as it was a real event.

Ask questions at the end

Always have some questions to ask at the end of the interview. By asking the interviewer questions, you’ll able to walk away from the interview with a better idea of whether or not the job is a good fit for you, while also showing the employer that you’re engaged in the process and that you care about the position.

Finally, finish the interview by summarising what you like about the company and the opportunity and feel free to ask if the interviewers have any reservations.

Technical Pairing Exercise

If you have a technical pairing exercise here is a list of our top tips in preparation for it;

1. Make sure you fully understand the problem you’re trying to understand – ask as many questions as you need and don’t make assumptions.

2. Talk through your thought process – that will help them to understand your logic and they can steer you in the right direction.

3. Pair programming is supposed to be collaborative. Interviewers will chip in with help and ideas, so let them. Don’t interrupt and actively listen to their advice.

For more interview advice or to discuss your hiring needs, contact one of our team of experienced recruiters today to see what we can do for you, and good luck! 

Recruiters see hundreds of CV’s a day, and have a trained eye when it comes to evaluating a CV and deciding whether or not it’s worthy of a call back for an interview. Making sure your CV is formatted correctly and reads well is vital, our expert consultants gave their top tips on how to make your CV stand out from the crowd.
 

Formatting

-Keep your CV to two, max three pages.
Keep it short and sweet, with the revelent skills needed and information needed for the parricular role you are applying for.

-Format your CV as follows:

Profile: 3-5 lines in summary of the candidate and what they’re looking for.

Skills: Make sure to keep these to the core skills used on a regular basis.

Career history: Starting with the most recent position. Any roles more than 6 or 7 years ago needn’t be on the CV.
You can put a line to say that further roles are available upon request if need be.

Education/ Certifications: Again, keep this relevent to the role you’re applying for.

Interests/ Hobbies: To finish off the CV.

In general try to keep things as concise as possible, keeping the CV as clean as possible– nothing worse than a busy CV without flow.

If you have an outdated CV, and are not sure where to start reach out to our team today to see what we can do for you.

Or, if you already have landed an interview and aren’t sure of your next step read our blog with our Interview top tips to make sure you land that dream job. 

With the rise of remote work, virtual job interviews have become the norm for many companies. 

While the virtual format offers flexibility and convenience, it can also present new challenges for job seekers. In this article, we’ll provide tips and tricks for successfully navigating the virtual job interview and making a great impression on hiring managers.

1. Familiarise yourself with the platform.
   Before the interview, make sure you’re familiar with the video conferencing platform that will be used. Do a test run to ensure that your camera, microphone, and internet connection are all working properly.
    
2. Dress appropriately.
   Just because the interview is virtual doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress professionally. Dress as you would for an in-person interview, even if only your top half will be visible on camera. 
    
3. Set up a professional background.
   Choose a background that is clearn and professional, and avoid any distractions. If possible, sit in front of a neutral wall or use a virtual background. 
    
4. Practice your body language. 
   Body language is just as important in a virtual interview as it is in person. Make eye contact with the camera, sit up straight, and avoid fidgeting. 
    
5. Be mindful of distractactions.
   Minimize distractions in your environment and turn off any notifications on your computer or phone. Let family members or roomate know that you’re in an important meeting. 
    
6. Be on time.
   Just like an in-person interview, it’s important to be on time for a virtual interview Log in to the video conferencing platfrom a few minutes early to ensure that you’re ready to go when the interview starts. 
    
7. Research the company and the role.
   As with any interview, it’s important to be well-prepared. Research the company and the role, and be ready to ask thoughtful questions. 
    
8. Follow up after the interview. 
   Just like an in-person interview, be sure to send a thank-you note after the virtual interview. This will show your interest in the role and can keep you top-of-mind with the hiring manager.
    

In conclusion, while virtual job interviews can present some new challenges. they can also be a great opportunity to make a strong impression on hiring managers. By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to acing your virtual job interview and landing your dream job!