Looking to the future after recent setback
Q: I have recently had a bad experience with an employer and felt I had no option but to resign. I felt I would not progress so I made the decision to leave. How can I explain this in an interview without looking like a quitter? (BT, email). A: Almost everybody has career reverses or […]
Shaking off interview nerves
Q: I tend to twitch a lot with my hands in an interview. Any tips for preventing this from happening? (GF, email). A: It is inevitable that you will experience nerves before and during an interview. You are stepping outside your comfort zone. Even the most skilled communicators can experience nerves – in fact, many […]
Dress code has me flummoxed
Q: I have an interview for a well-known IT social media giant, but I’m not sure how to dress for the interview? I know the office environment is casual. What’s appropriate? (DR, email). A: This is a very interesting question. As we know, many people working in the IT/social media sectors don’t go with the […]
Bluffing is not the way to go
Q: If I get asked a difficult question, and I can’t think of the answer on the spot, or if I never knew it in the first place, how should I approach answering it? (DC, email). A: The initial temptation might be to bluff your answer. And many candidates have bravely gone down this route […]
Multiple interviewers – who do I address?
Q: I will be interviewed by multiple interviewers at once. Who should I look at when answering questions? (EC, email). A: A big interview panel throwing questions at you can feel like having four prosecutors on your case – no wonder people get nervous and uptight, writes Patricia Maloney, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. Address […]
In the heel of the hunt, convince them
Q: I have been headhunted for a position. It came completely out of the blue. I wasn’t that keen on it when they first approached me and was even a bit resentful that they managed to destabilise me in my current position. That said, it’s a very good job and it’s beginning to grow on […]
They’re your moves – claim them
Q: In my last interview, the interviewer rattled me by asking in a very unimpressed tone if I was a job hopper. He pointed to an eight-year period in my 20s when I had four different jobs. However, I look on that that as a very productive time in my career when I learned loads […]
Panel’s one-dimensional view hampered my chances
Q: I went for a job interview last week and felt the interview panel were unable or unwilling to see more in me than people management. The job required knowledge and experience of branding, public relations, project management and engagement with local authorities, government agencies and other public bodies. I’ve done all of that to […]
Knowing what they would like you to know
Q: I’m going for an interview next week. A friend who went for one there before said they asked her lots of questions about the company to check if she was fully familiar with what they do. It’s a marketing job in the hospitality sector and I’m just wondering what kind of questions they might […]
Play the game to advance your career
Q: I play sport at a high level for a high-profile team. It requires huge commitment and, if I’m being honest, an odd evening when I need to leave work early to get to training or matches. I’m about to graduate with a masters and I am afraid my sports will go against me as […]