Get the best out of the candidate
I was interested in the collaborative interview style you recommended last week. Could you give me some more details on how this might play out? How might I, as an interviewer, conduct this kind of interview? My business is a tourism one and I am about to interview for a marketing manager to lead a […]
Take the pressure off and find the right candidate
A recruiter recently asked me which type of interview should be conducted to get the best out of candidates. My answer was that I wouldn’t slavishly follow any one style, but that I believe all interviews would ideally include a strong collaborative dimension. There are a number of definitions of the collaborative interview, and, by […]
Cutting through the verbiage of wordy job specs
Inspired/deflated by one particularly wordy job specification I recently had to prise open with a crowbar for a client, I posted the following on LinkedIn: “Is it just me, or have job specs gone completely doolally lately? It seems like they are getting longer and longer and longer and longer by the minute, and the […]
How to get to the heart of job spec
Q: The job spec goes on for miles – 840 words and 22 bullet points. I don’t even know where to start. A lot of it is waffle in my opinion but I have read what you have written consistently about meeting the job spec with your CV. In this case they’re looking for a […]
Prepare, yes; learn off, no
Q: I’ve a big interview coming up and really want to put my best foot forward. I’ve started practicing already but I’m beginning to fear that I will sound too rehearsed. How do I avoid that? (DV, email). A: Avoid it by avoiding it: don’t be too rehearsed. Yes, practice, and practice lots, but avoid […]
Deep research pays dividends in job interviews
Q: This is sort of an ‘asking for a friend’ question, if you know what I mean. Of all the things people do poorly when preparing – or failing to prepare – for interviews, which, in your experience, is the most grievous? Is there one that you encounter repeatedly? (DF, email). A: I might give […]
Robotic approach can switch panel off
In any business contract, there are terms and conditions. Often overlooked or misunderstood are terms of endearment. Do they actually like doing business with you? The same applies in a job interview. While you needn’t bend and twist to suit their will, you should make every effort to present yourself as somebody they can get […]
Make them want to bite your hand off
A big challenge when preparing for job interviews is to first of all identify your real skills and strengths – and then to portray those properly on the day, writes Sean Browne, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. And the irony is that you may not fully recognise what you have to offer until you stop […]
Forbidding form the only option
Q: I’m about to get stuck into a huge application form for a job in a local authority. I feel like just sending in my CV instead and seeing how that goes. What do you think? Are they likely to be strict about using their standard application forms? I feel that my CV sells me better. (CD, email). A: In […]
Closing summary can make the right impact
Q: At the end of the interview, they asked me if I had anything I would like to add to what I had already said. It threw me, and mumbled ‘no’. At that stage, I had given a lot of myself and felt I had nothing left to say. Any suggestions? (IK, email). A: I […]