Category Archives: Interviews

Careers Advice, Interviews, Project Management Interview Questions, Project Management Interviews

Questions you should ask the interviewer

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Interviews can be stressful for some and even enjoyable to others – it just depends on your perception of what you hope to achieve from them. Clearly you are hoping to be offered a job but that is not always the case; the interview should be a two way setting and often the candidate loses sight of this. I have been in interviews where I have known quite quickly that it is not the role for me, and walked away from interviews wondering if I actually would welcome an offer – therefore it is important to make sure you know if this is the one for you.

Notes

Most formal interviews will consist of an introduction from the interviewer followed by a series of questions presented to the candidate to understand how you work and react in situations, towards the end of the interview you will be presented with the opportunity to ask questions back. This is where some good planning comes into play; you need to think outside the box as the interviewer should answer a lot of questions in their introduction. A trap, a lot of candidates fall into is to respond with “I think you have answered everything I was going to ask” – this can come across as a lack of real interest in the business / role and can put interviewers off you.

Here are a few questions you may find useful to note down for future interviews:

  • What does the actual day to day work involve? (bearing in mind Project Management makes for constant change, there will still be core duties required of you)
  • What do you enjoy most about working here?
  • What are the main challenges the team / projects face at the moment?
  • Have you identified any weaknesses in the team; are these something you would like me to address from the start?
  • What do you think it might take to be really successful in this role?
  • Could you talk me through the management style here?
  • Do you have any specific projects in mind that the successful candidate will be working on?
  • Is it likely I will be working as part of a team and are the staff involved in different projects at any one time?
  • Does the business encourage employees to study and gain professional qualifications? What kind of support is in place?
  • What kind of backgrounds personally and professionally do the existing team have?

And to round up:

  • When can I expect to hear from you with a decision and do you usually call or write to let candidates know the outcome?
  • Would it be possible to gain some feedback from you regardless of the outcome?
  • Have I answered everything thoroughly enough for you or is there anything else you would like to ask me?

I recommend writing a list of questions to ask – always write down more than you need in case some are already covered by the interviewer (some interviewers are more thorough than others). Avoid any questions about pay, holidays, benefits, sick leave, hours of work etc as this can give a bad impression – these questions will be answered at the offer stage (if you get that far). Once you have a list of questions, place them in a folder and when you are asked for questions do remember your manners and ask if it is OK to refer to the list you prepared prior to the interview.

guest blogger, Interviews, Planning

5 Tips to Help You Stand Out In An Interview

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After all the hard work you put into making your CV stand out and impressing an employer with your application form, it’s the best feeling in the world when they want to meet you in person for an interview. But now is not the time to relax, this is where the hard work really starts. Now it’s time to really sell yourself and stand out from the other 10 or 15 people they may be interviewing! Here are a few tips to help you do that:

  • First impressions count – It takes between 5 and 30 seconds for a person to make their judgement about you, and once they’ve made their assumptions it’s very hard to change their mind! So it’s really important to create the right first impression in an interview. Obviously the way you dress will be one of the first things they notice about you so keep it smart and well-groomed, and avoid too much jewellery or excessive perfume/aftershave. If you’re not used to wearing smart clothes wear them in the house a couple of times to get used to them and ensure you feel confident and comfortable. Carry yourself confidently, head up, shoulders back and offer a firm, confident hand-shake!
  • Speak slowly and clearly – It’s perfectly natural to be nervous in an interview but there are ways you can ease your nerves and appear more confident. Speak slowly and clearly, there may be one interviewer asking the questions and another one recording your answers so think before you speak and don’t talk too fast! If English isn’t your first language you may want to consider taking a course to improve your conversational skills. Most cities in the UK have a language school. Taking English Courses in Manchester, London, and Birmingham etc is useful as larger cities provide more opportunities to practice your conversational skills.
  • Being preparedResearch the company – Every company worth working for will have a website, so use it! Look for key information such as the roots of the company, any future visions they have, their ethics and morals etc. If there’s not enough on the website then it’s a good idea to give them a call or visit their premises to ask a few questions. It’s good practice to structure your research as a SWOT report: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Look at what the company does well already, areas they could potentially improve on, what’s happening in the industry that could provide good opportunities, and any external threats from competitors or the economy.
  • Preparation is key – There are certain interview questions that always get asked, such as “Why do you feel you’re right for the position?” and “Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?” So prepare some answers to several commonly asked questions and you’ll feel more confident when these questions arise. Try to think of several situational stories/anecdotes that demonstrate your skills, for example if you’re asked about a time when you gave great customer service, be specific, talk about specific situations and customers. Make sure you know what the job description and person specification are for the role and answer questions accordingly to demonstrate how you meet the employer’s needs.
  • Ending on a good note – Make sure you’ve prepared 2 or 3 questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview. Try asking them things like “What does your training plan offer?” or “How much scope is there for personal development?” Questions like this show that you’re interested in the company and a long-term future with them. It’s also good practice to thank the interviewer for their time, perhaps followed up by an email the following day. Little touches like this may make you stand out more than other candidates.
guest blogger, Interviews, Project Management Interviews

How to Assemble an Effective Interview

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There’s no “one size fits all” mold for conducting job interviews. Every industry and every job within those industries has its own qualifications and requirements. Still, there are a few ways to ensure your interview process contains the elements needed to separate strong and weak candidates.

Trust the interviewer

One often overlooked aspect of an interview is whether or not the person conducting it is qualified. This isn’t to say that you need to start interviewing you interviewers. Rather, assembling a panel of workers who offer diverse perspectives can lead to a broader understanding of whether or not a candidate is right for the opening.

For example, a wholesale makeup distributor is looking for a new warehouse manager because the old manager is transferring. The problem is the person in charge of hiring decisions deals much more with the product and customer side of the business than the behind-the-scenes dirty work. Therefore, this person might ask the previous warehouse manager as well as someone in HR to sit in on the interview and perhaps participate.

Each person on the panel can then judge each interviewee based on their own knowledge and experience with the company, making for a more informed decision. The HR manager may love a candidate’s people skills, but the previous warehouse manager thinks a lack of forklift experience could lead to problems. Second and even third opinions can offer insight that might not be apparent with a one-on-one interview.

Throw out some curveballs

If nailing the interview is the most important part of landing a job, then you shouldn’t make it too easy for candidates to supply formulaic and often rehearsed answers. That’s why it’s important to include a few questions aimed at taking the interviewee out of his or her comfort zone. Asking an out of place question allows the interviewer to see how a candidate is able to improvise, which is often an important part of any job.

If you’d prefer not to ask a random question to keep candidates on their toes, putting through a creative test or exercise might help you reach the candid response you are looking for. For instance, the makeup company looking for someone to work in sales might put candidates through an improvisation selling exercise. But because job seekers will be prepared to talk about the key product, in this case makeup, it would be wise to choose something out of the ordinary.

Give your interviewee a child’s toy or a bag of trail mix and then ask for their pitch. These kinds of tests, which have no “right” answers, put candidates on the spot and display the candidate’s problem solving skills.

Offer interview training

Just as there are strategies to impressing your interviewer, there are also ways to improve the way you interview. You might find it advantageous to require those making hiring decisions to read interview books in preparation or attend training sessions led by HR professionals or consultants.

Careers Advice, guest blogger, Interviews

How Body Language Makes or Breaks an Interview

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We may think that what we say in an interview is most important, but how we say it is what really counts. A famous study, known as the 7-38-55 rule, states that 7% of a message is conveyed through words, 38% is through tone of voice, and a whopping 55% is conveyed by body language (Wisebread.com). How you move your hands or hold your posture can therefore be deciding factors in whether you get the job. Here are three pointers to keep in mind during your next interview.

Handshake

Our first impressions really do count. According to Wisebread.com, studies show that many employers can spot the right candidate in the first 30 seconds! The way you introduce yourself is, therefore, pivotal. Everyone knows to make eye contact and not to shake hands limply, but research shows that the most important factor is, in fact, making palm-to-palm contact, not necessarily firmness. According to Patti Wood, author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, people who shake with only their fingers (not the full palm), are perceived as trying to hide something (Money.USNews.com).

Shake hands

Mind your Head

Although agreeing with what your interviewer has to say is recommended, excessive nodding is not. Studies show that over-enthusiastic head bobbing comes across as too eager to please, and even weak. What’s more, if you’re just blindly nodding the whole time, your interviewer could catch you off-guard by asking you to explain why you agree with a particular point. If you haven’t been listening, you’ll look like a moron. According to Forbes, you should only nod once or twice in agreement, while adding a smile. Remain centred and focused on what’s being said at all times.

Mirror on the Wall

According to Wood, an easy way to subliminally convince your interviewer that you’re The One is to mirror what they do. The key is not to imitate everything (that would be weird), but to just subtly copy them. For example, lean slightly in the same direction or smile when they do. Wood also suggests that you start mirroring right at the beginning of the interview, as this will put your interviewer at ease and make them feel comfortable with you. They should get to like you, right off the bat (Money.USNews.com).

When preparing for an interview, not only is it vital to think about what you’re going to say, but it’s also important to practice how you’ll come across. Sometimes it’s hard to be aware of our body language, as most of it is unconscious. So, it’s advisable to look at your actions in front of a mirror, or do a practice round with a friend. Most importantly, try to remain calm, and, hopefully, put your best foot forward.

Written by Ang Lloyd on behalf of Dynamics Careers, a niche job board that specialises in Microsoft Dynamics jobs.