Decide to cut to the chase
In a job interview, you need to do some each-way betting – but not too much, writes Patricia Maloney, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. Sometimes it’s best not to fully hang your hat on an example – if they ask you what is the best thing they do in their company, it is probably wise […]
You did it – now claim it
Q: I realise from reading your column and various other sources that in a job interview I must tell stories that paint me in a positive light. And I also know that those stories should be meaty, easily understood and convincing. But I just find it hard to bring my stories to life. In work, […]
Shrink the distance to exercise remote control
Q: I am moving from a ‘bricks and mortar’ working life to a remote one – well, that’s the plan, anyway. I have my first remote job interview next week with a US-based company. I’ve done dozens of job interviews over the years but not only is this the first time I will go for […]
Break the ice, not their will to live
The question “can you talk us through your career to date?” is often used as an icebreaker. However, many candidates seem to hear it as “can you please tell us every little twist and turn you ever took in your career and, in the process, bore us all to death?” writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, […]
Time your run in recorded interviews
Recorded video interviews are becoming more popular, and, in fact, publicjobs.ie has recently started using this method for some screening interviews, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. In a recent engineering recruitment campaign they ran, candidates who survived the post-application form cull had to answer three recorded video questions. They gave you the […]
‘How did you prepare for this interview’
Q: In a recent job interview, I was asked a very unusual question: ‘how did you prepare for this interview?’ I didn’t know what to say and muttered something about reading their website. In fact, I had put in a huge amount of preparation, including speaking to somebody who works there and doing two sessions […]
Speak for yourself
In an interview, there’s a subtle dance between being sure of your skills and coming across as arrogant, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. In my experience, the fear of appearing arrogant causes many candidates to downplay their skills far too much. This is unfortunate because, in reality, I have rarely come across […]
Hand talkers, plough on
The greatest moment in an interview training session is when the client starts to talk with their hands, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. Until then, you generally haven’t noticed how much they’ve been suppressing their hand movements. But once those hands start going, you know the client is beginning to talk naturally […]
Why ‘why’ is crucial in an interview
The unspoken question in a job interview is “why?”. The story you’re telling, the example you’re illustrating, should not just be a run through what you did – ideally, it should explain why you did it, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. So that new technology system you implemented in your company is […]
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 […]