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OxfordGuideToCareers2017
OxfordGuideToCareers2017
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CONFIDENT INTERVIEWS<br />
If you’ve been invited to interview, you’ve convinced the employer that you<br />
<br />
this impression, and demonstrate that you are what the hiring manager is<br />
looking for.<br />
APPLICATION ESSENTIALS<br />
D<br />
HOW TO PREPARE<br />
Repeat the preparation detailed in this chapter, but in more<br />
<br />
and ensure you understand the job and the competencies<br />
required. And be clear about the points you absolutely want to<br />
make, and practise building them into different answers<br />
] As a starting point, prepare some answers to typical<br />
questions, and practise answering them out loud.<br />
Articulating your answers is harder than thinking them over<br />
in your head, and saying them out loud will help you to<br />
<br />
] Be clear on your motivations for why you want to work for<br />
the organisation.<br />
] Be ready to show commercial awareness (p.40):<br />
<br />
<br />
Consider how recent global events, current affairs and<br />
the economy may affect the organisation.<br />
Think about how the organisation competes in its<br />
market, and how it compares with its competitors<br />
COMPETENCY BASED RECRUITING<br />
Many companies use competency frameworks to identify<br />
and group related skills, knowledge, attitudes and abilities<br />
that are needed to be effective within their organization<br />
and the range of situations typical for a particular role.<br />
In interviews, competency based questions are common<br />
and tend to follow the structure:<br />
“Can you tell me about a time when…...................?”<br />
[insert competency here]<br />
Using a simple framework to provide structure to your<br />
answer helps you to:<br />
] Tell your story clearly and makes it easier for an<br />
interviewer to follow that story.<br />
] Include all the most relevant and important points.<br />
STRUCTURE YOUR RESPONSES WITH THESE MNEMONICS:<br />
<br />
Read a quality broadsheet and be ready to offer an<br />
informed opinion on business and current affairs.<br />
] Prepare some questions - note them down - to ask at the<br />
interview.<br />
SUPPORT AT THE CAREERS SERVICE<br />
] Sessions for improving your interview skills are held each<br />
term, and dates and times are advertised in the weekly<br />
newsletter and on CareerConnect (p.4).<br />
SITUATION<br />
TASK<br />
ACTION<br />
RESULT<br />
For example, use the STAR outline to:<br />
CONTEXT<br />
ACTION<br />
RESULT<br />
] Mock interviews, led by employers, are offered every<br />
term. The recruiter will give you feedback to improve your<br />
technique, and you can make a recording to review later.<br />
] You can also use a short discussion with a Careers Adviser<br />
to discuss interview technique or tackle some general<br />
interview questions.<br />
] The Careers Service’s Resource Centre holds a number of<br />
DVDs, books and handouts that can help you prepare for<br />
interviews.<br />
] The Interview Feedback Database on CareerConnect<br />
contains helpful tips from past students’ interview<br />
<br />
FIRST – Briefly describe the specific SITUATION you<br />
were in.<br />
SECOND – Describe the TASK you needed to accomplish.<br />
Give only enough detail for the recruiter to appreciate<br />
your contribution.<br />
THIRD – Describe the ACTION(s) you took. Keep the focus<br />
on what you did rather than the efforts of the team, even<br />
for a group project.<br />
LASTLY – Describe the RESULT. Based on relevant<br />
measures of success, outline what happened and what<br />
you accomplished.<br />
When appropriate, probably within an interview, you<br />
can extend this structure by including ‘E’ for EVALUATION<br />
(STARE/CARE):<br />
] Highlight what you learned from the experience, or<br />
what you would change if went through the process/<br />
experience again.<br />
] Explain how this experience might be relevant in the<br />
role applied for.<br />
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