Interviews : pre and post

Interviewers face a heavy burden of responsibility in trying 'to get things right first time', and this is likely to be shown not only in how they design the interview but also how they approach prospective candidates such as yourself. While selection becomes more stringent, high calibre candidates will be able to negotiate more rewarding positions as the pool of scarce skills diminishes.

Greater care in processing your application and devising a more structured interview based on your past experience or future potential will be much more in evidence. This will be of distinct benefit to those who prepare fully and are not judged predominantly on first impressions and likeability.

Different Interview Types

There are basically four kinds of interviews that you are likely to encounter in your job hunting: situational, behaviour description, unstructured and panel interviews.

Situational interviews

These are designed around a number of questions which focus on situations which might happen in a job. You, the applicant, are then asked what you would do in such a situation. In essence you are presented with a series of hypothetical questions which are very future oriented and which tend to test your powers of imagination. The attention of the interviewer is far less on your actual job experience.

Behaviour description interviews

These are concerned with your past performance and behaviour and how you coped in different situations in your previous role or activity. The emphasis is very much on your previous job experience and how it relates to the opening for which you are being considered. Attention will focus on how much additional training or development you may need and if, having done the job already, you can now do it all over again in a new context.

Keep these important issues in mind when preparing for your interview, since more and more organisations are moving towards this form of interview for candidates with relevant work experience.

Unstructured interviews

These interviews are loosely organised and with no predetermined rules. Discussion is often wide-ranging, with the focus shifting on those issues which may hold the interest of the interviewer, or on those which may give some indication of future job performance. Despite not being the most satisfactory format for evaluating candidates, this type of interview is very common and, more importantly, is highly unreliable.

However, you can enhance your chances of success if you carefully prepare in advance a number of key features (say five or six) of your application which you want to focus on. Keep your responses short and very much to the point.

Look for signs of interest as well as indifference through eye contact and body language. While you may not control the structure of the interview, you can influence its content. In this type of interview more weight is likely to be given to two things: how you say things rather than what is said (tone, emphasis, accent, pitch, volume, fluency) and the impression you make through your non-verbal behaviour, often in the first few minutes.

Panel interviews

Panel interviews tend to consist of between three and five members, often drawn from different parts of an organisation and may include an independent assessor. In some cases panels have been known to comprise over 50 members, particularly when a very senior appointment is being made.

Panels are often designed to make quite rapid decisions (frequently on the day of the interview), as well as giving a number of people a stake in the decision making.

Be aware that they also have some serious shortcomings and an appreciation of these will help you to prepare more effectively for this type of interview.

• Facing a panel, especially if you have had experience of one-to-one interviews only, can be like being asked 'when did you last see your father?' - a form of interrogation or even judgement. The very formality of facing a panel may make it difficult for you to relax and establish an early rapport with all members.

• Rather than being a conversation with a purpose, which is the basis of most interviews, panels may be inflexible and somewhat rigid in approach; questions are fired at you, often with little relationship to each other, since they reflect the particular interests of members.

What can you do to improve your chances here?

• Endeavour to make an impression on all members through the judicious use of head movements and eye contact with each questioner, then scanning the others to reinforce your message. Be aware of the body language of panel members, from nods and glances, smiles and posture shifts.

• Pay very special attention to answering technical or strategic questions from experts on the panel. Also focus on what might be simple or naïve questions from other members and answer these with the same assurance and focus.

Preparation before the interview

Before you go to the interview, consider the kind of interaction which is likely to take place between you and the interviewer. For example:

• are you persuading or negotiating?

• are you discussing or imparting information?

• are you receiving information or selling yourself?

Each type of interaction demands a different strategy on your part. Separate each of these and, for the purposes of your own self-presentation, plan how you would undertake each approach.

Always present yourself in a positive way, avoiding any phrases which indicate that you are not used to problem solving or that show you are somewhat self-deprecating. For example, rather than saying 'the problem with that was ...', or `of course that was always a difficult task ...', talk instead about the challenge of devising solutions, the excitement of tackling a thorny issue and coming up with a creative plan of action. Passivity is of little value when trying to portray yourself as an effective problem solver and creative thinker.

Post-interview tips

After each employment or networking interview, obtain as much feedback as possible about your performance. Ask about the key issues which determined how decisions were made; where you may have gone wrong; how you can improve next time; what impressions you gave and how you can manage these more effectively in the future. Open a file detailing these, then take action to remedy any faults. 

• Seek the opinions of close colleagues, relatives and friends whose views you value and trust in terms of how they see you and how you could improve the image you wish to project. Listen carefully to their comments and criticisms, but endeavour to see these as constructive and helpful rather than hurtful and damaging to your ego and self-confidence.

• Build a check list of the qualities by which you would wish to be seen, such as decisive or determined. Then ask how others see you - dogmatic, cynical, superior! If there is considerable variation, ask others how they would wish you to alter your behaviour.

• Establish a list of key phrases, words and abbreviations that form the 'tech-speak' within your particular field or profession. Understand precisely what they mean, keep up to date with new examples (very important in the IT world) and use them sparingly but appropriately when meeting selectors or establishing contacts.

• Collect from colleagues and friends a set of difficult questions. Then construct answers to each one, ensuring these are concise and accurate. Use this to display your competence and to demonstrate your technical and communication skills. This is your chance to show what you know (expertise) and what you can deliver (performance).