• Preparation
  
  Find out about the company/organization. History, products, services, the industry, competitors (Internet, company reports, trade journals, company employees, company directories such as Kompass)
• Recall your experiences and achievements (academic, work related, hobbies, sport). Consider the qualities demonstrated, the challenges you faced and how you resolved problems
• Ensure you have thought through and identified your skills and experiences especially those relevant to the vacancy (analyse the job and person profile in the advertisement).Have concrete examples to support what you say.
• Consider how you would answer some of the typical questions listed below.
• Plan your travel arrangements thoroughly and arrive with plenty of time.
• If you have been asked to prepare a presentation ensure you have a clear brief about the topic, when it will take place and duration of the presentation. The last point is particularly important because it will have a great bearing on the amount of detail or otherwise. Practice before hand and time yourself.

Typical interview questions

• Why have you applied to us?
• What do you know about our company and business?
• What skills and qualities do you have which make you suitable for the post?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
• What other jobs are you applying for currently?
• I see you have worked for company X, what did you learn /achieve there.
• When you worked for company X, tell me about your duties /responsibilities
• Tell me about how you prioritized a heavy daily work load?
• Please tell me about a time when you were under great pressure? How did you cope? What was the outcome?
• Some interviewers like posing questions based on theoretical situations. There no right or wrong answers. More a test of, can you think on your feet and use your common sense? e.g. How you would approach a situation? How and what information would you gather so you can make a decision on a course of action?
• A person in your team is disrupting production/or failing to meet targets. How would you approach the problem/person?
• A client complains to you that a colleague has failed to resolve a software problem within agreed service levels. How would you respond?
• What to do when answering interviewing questions
  
  Speak clearly and not too fast
• Keep eye contact with the interviewers
• Don’t try to answer a question that you have not understood, ask for clarification.
• If asked a question which has two or three parts concentrate on the first part. When you have answered , ask the interviewer to repeat part two and three if necessary so your answers are focused.
• Talk openly and with enthusiasm about your achievements, but don’t overstate them.
• Keep your answers relevant to the question.
• Don’t pretend to know something that you don’t.
• Try not to fidget and avoid mannerisms
• Try to be yourself. Avoid being flippant or the comedian in an attempt to over compensate for your nervousness.
• Show sincerity and enthusiasm for the company and the vacancy.
• Avoid being too serious.

Your questions

This is your opportunity to find out more about the company in terms of career progression, training. Any aspects of the post that you are unsure about .The questions you will ask will depend on the interview and will vary according to circumstances. Some possibilities are:

• What training will I receive? How will this be delivered and Where?
• What would be a typical career pattern for someone entering your company on this grade/or doing this job?
• What are the things that you enjoy about working for company X?
• What was the level of staff turnover during the last 12 months?
• Are there opportunities to work in other locations/overseas? Are employees expected to routinely work in different departments and locations?
• What is the company’s policy regarding internal promotion?
• When can I expect to hear the outcome of this interview?