Recently graduated? Looking to get your first step on the career ladder? As there is always high interest in the best companies, graduates need to sharpen up their interview skills to give themselves the best possible chance of beating off the competition and securing a job offer.
Group interviews are a popular way for employers to assess a large number of applicants in a cost effective and timely manner. They’re often used so to determine qualities such as communication/ influencing / leadership skills and are a good way to test how well job applicants will behave in a stressful environment.
Whilst promotional interviews share many of the same features as traditional interviews, you need to be aware of their subtle differences to ensure you avoid any potential pitfalls and that you maximise your performance.
In our previous article we discussed the main reasons why people fail to secure a job offer and suggested focusing on three main areas to heighten chances of success.
In this article we will concentrate on guiding you through the second interview process. As with the first interview, preparation is the key to success. There are some subtle differences, however, between the first and second interview and it is worth highlighting these to help you in your preparation.
Many multinational companies use telephone interviews as an initial screening tool when hiring candidates. From their point of view it’s a quick, cheap way of assessing candidate suitability and finding out if they’ll fit the company culture.
There are some crucial differences between telephone and face to face interviews and understanding these will help you get through to the next stage.
How to Interpret Interview Styles
Employers use a variety of interview methods in the course of a recruitment process. Understanding how each interview type differs and knowing how to adapt your style accordingly, can improve your performance and give you that critical edge over other applicants.
Interviews fall into five main categories:
