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This book is dedicated to my very first interviewer and first boss, Arthur Parr, without whose coaching and mentoring I would never have progressed to where I am today.
Overcome your fear of interviews
After 25 years working in recruitment, training and development, I’ve seen how people dread interviews, many to the point where they start to suffer symptoms of stress at the very thought. Believe me, it doesn’t have to be like this.
If the very thought of an interview strikes fear into you to the point of mental blankness, or whether you just want to perfect your techniques and understanding of what interviewers are looking for then this is the book for you.
I have trained many people on a group and one-to-one basis on how to handle interview planning and performance. The key is in the preparation. You can choose to treat the book as a training course and work through each section and prepare at the same time, or you may want to flick through it and then come back when you need to. Either way, I am sure you will find what you are looking for.
People go from being terrified and inaudible to being confident and persuasive. I have no doubt that if you follow the 50 secrets in this book, you will be able to do the same. The secrets are spread over seven themed chapters:
Applying for the job. Have a clear idea of what you are looking for in a job and what’s important to you.
Writing your CV. The key to finding yourself on the shortlist for the job is all in the writing of your CV, so let’s have a look at what makes a good one.
Preparing for the interview. Now that you’re on the shortlist there are things that you can do to prepare for the big day and help you improve your presentation and your confidence.
Types of interview. There are many types of interviews. We will take a look at the whole range, from unstructured to very structured, so that you are ready for everything.
Assessment Centres. Many businesses now use whole-day – or sometimes longer – Assessment Centres to choose the right people. Assessment Centres involve a whole range of activities, so if you are invited to one this will help you prepare.
The day of the interview. Let’s look at how to remain confident and calm, and deliver your very best performance.
After the interview. Well the interview is over but what did you learn about yourself? This is an excellent opportunity to review your performance, get feedback and plan for the future.
If you currently lack confidence (or even if you are over-confident), if you use this book as a workbook and do the exercises all the way through then you will be well on your way to getting the job of your dreams.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. This applies just as much to job interviews as to the world of work.
You’ve seen an advert in the paper or heard about a job from a friend. So what’s the first thing you do – put the CV in the post and keep your fingers crossed? Well, let’s just take a few steps back and consider what’s really important to you, so you don’t apply for the wrong job. What sector or type of company would suit you best? You spend a long time at work so let’s choose wisely. Then we’ll move on to making the application and getting onto the shortlist.
It is easy to get carried away by a job title and a good salary, but at the end of the day what is really important to you about the job? You will be spending a large percentage of your day working in the job, so taking some time out at the beginning will help you focus on what you really want.
Let’s take a look at some of the areas that you may want to consider before you decide whether you really want to apply for any job.
A two-way process. As human beings we are driven by our internal beliefs, values and goals although we are not often consciously aware of them. Finding the right job is a two-way process – the company will be looking to see if you are right for them; you need to see if they are right for you. Make sure that you have your list of what’s important to you clear in your mind before you apply.
What are your values and beliefs? Make a list of what the important factors to you are in any job and how the job fits with the other parts of your life – time for hobbies, family etc. Do this by asking yourself the question “what’s important to me in a job” and ask this at least seven times and write down your answers. You’ll be surprised when you get to the seventh time what’s really important to you.
one minute wonder Don’t waste your time and effort applying for jobs and going for interviews if they don’t meet your own personal values, beliefs or goals. If you accept a job for the wrong reasons you will soon become unsettled and have to start the search all over again.
Do you want a job or a career? Some readers may only be interested in just having a job, whilst others may be at the start of a career. There is nothing wrong with either, but just know which is right for you. If this is part of a career plan then make sure that the jobs you apply for fit in with your longer term plans and help you to get to your eventual goal. Don’t get side-tracked. If it’s “just a job” then go back to asking yourself what’s really important to you. We spend a long time at work so you want to get the best fit that will make you happy.
Make up your own ‘decision matrix’. Write a list of what’s important to you down the left hand side of a piece of paper, with everything that you are looking for, including salary and benefits that you want. Then across the top you can put columns for each of the jobs that you are applying for. Do your homework and see how many ticks you can put in the box. This is known as a ‘decision matrix’. Later on if you have to make a decision between one or more job offers this may prove very useful. In putting this together you now have a start point.
Whether you just want a job or you’re thinking about a career, taking time out to really think through what you want helps focus you in your search.
Having looked at your values and beliefs in the last section you may have come to the conclusion that certain sectors of the job market place are ruled out for you, or you have some big question marks hanging over areas you don’t know