Preparation maketh the presentation
Q: I recently applied for a promotion. I was surprised when I found out the interview process would include delivering a presentation at the start. We have been given the title of the presentation and we can use visual aids. The presentation must not exceed eight minutes. This really worries me because I am not […]
Dealing with competency-based probe
In competency-based interviews, you tell stories about things you have done. The purpose is to demonstrate a particular competency – e.g. leading a major change within an organisation. After you tell your stories, the panel may probe you for further information. By simply asking questions that revolve around the story you’ve just told, they aim […]
Bad form as closing date passes by
Q: The closing date was today. Last night, after much procrastination, I finally opened the application form and started to fill it out. And I failed. Between competencies, experience, and exact number of months worked in jobs I held 20 years ago, and lots more besides, I just couldn’t get my head around it at […]
The greatest moment in an interview training session is when…
…the client starts to talk with their hands. Until then, you generally haven’t noticed how much they have been suppressing their hand movements. But once those hands start going, you know the client is beginning to talk naturally and without inhibition. Hand talkers of the world, please don’t change in an interview. Set those hands […]
A strong aversion to the weakness question
Q: “I haven’t done an interview in years. How do they even work these days? The last time I did an interview, I was asked to describe my greatest weakness. I hadn’t a clue what to say – and it’s not that I’m short of weaknesses to choose from. It just struck me as a […]
Don’t let questions throw you off the trail
In a job interview, it is important not to get rattled by the questions. The questions are only a means to an end. They are invitations to talk about something you know about. Yes, you must answer all questions, but you can do much more than that. Think of the question as the by-road you […]
Two jobs, same company – should I have a go?
Q: There’s a company I’d really like to work for – two jobs that interest me have recently been advertised there. They even have the same closing date. Should I go for one or would it be a good idea to apply for both? (EC, email). A: Like buses, you wait all morning for one […]
Panel wanted me to bad-mouth my current employers
Q: I work in a small, tightly-knit sector where everybody knows everybody else. Companies are very jealous of each other’s successes. I recently went for a job interview with one of our main rivals and was amazed the panel spent so long trying to get me to talk down my current employers. For obvious reasons […]
Valuing ‘deep work’ in a world of shallow intrusions
Whether or not it has impacted upon you yet, there is no doubting the fact that a workplace revolution is currently underway. The phrase ‘the future of work’ has become mainstream and enlightened organisations are focusing on how they can cope with the challenges of the new order, while workers, too, are trying to figure […]
Note-taker doth protest too much
Q: I’d like to take some notes during the interview – just to be sure I get a fair crack of the whip. Some dodgy appointments have been made in our place before and I need to be on my guard. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be able to pull them up on it. Would […]