02392 985 782

Boost Recruitment

Three things you should know before you go to an interview

There are many aspects to going to an interview that you should be aware of before you start your journey to meet a potential new employer. Unfortunately many candidates are completely unaware of this and turn up to interviews unprepared and often because of this cannot demonstrate why they would be a great fit for a new company.

Here are three things you should bear in mind before you head off to an interview:

1) What role are you interviewing for?
This is more than just a vague description that it is an XYZ Service Engineer position.

If you are actively looking around for a new role, it is easy to forget exactly which roles you have applied for or discussed with different agencies.

Recruitment is becoming far more transparent as time goes on so it is easy to just pick up the phone and ask the consultant who spoke to you to re-clarify the role and a good consultant will be more than happy to do so. At the end of the day, we want you to do well and perform to the best of your ability so don’t hesitate in calling us back to go over the company and the role again!

Try and keep a list of what companies you have been in contact with and what positions they are considering you for.

This will immediately make you feel more in control of the situation and more prepared.

2) Information about the company
Again, this is more than knowing their address and what industry they work in.

Nobody expects you to go to an interview knowing everything about the company, after all that is one of the crucial things you find out when you meet them.

But,
this is a key tip that many people still forget. Knowing a little bit about the company, their history, ethos and having visited their website is all it takes. Again, if you have found the company via an agency ask them- they should know!

Additionally asking for a bit of background information on the person you will be meeting is also useful and shows that you are genuinely interested. Most managers today are on Linkedin and all it takes is a quick search to often put a face to the name and know a little bit more about who will be interviewing you.

3) How to prove that you are a good fit for them
If you haven’t followed the first two pieces of advice- this may be difficult…

If you combine the information about the role and what would be expected of you with a bit of background about the company- you can easily work out how and why you would fit in.

Whether it be that you have done the role before, have transferrable skills or that this is an environment where you can demonstrate being able to thrive, you can work out whether the position is for you and why you want it.

(Role Description + Company Information = your position and how you fit in)

So the next time you say yes to popping down to meet somebody bare these things in mind so you can present the best version of yourself. Also, bear in mind that these meetings are all networking opportunities and you want to continue a successful career- you can never have too many contacts!

Good luck and smash it!
If you have any other questions or would like any other advice on what to find out, please feel free to give me a call.

Boost Recruitment.
02392 985 782

Unsuccessful Candidates are Important Too!

Unsuccessful Candidates are Important Too!

Being unsuccessful following an interview is an inevitable part of all job searches. While it isn’t the best feeling in the world, most people will graciously accept the fact that they aren’t going to be the best fit for every role they apply for.

When looking into candidate interview experience, research has shown that all candidates are really looking for is to feel valued, and to get honest feedback on the reasons behind them being unsuccessful.
This seems reasonable, but unfortunately it’s all too common for candidates to receive no useful feedback, or sometimes no feedback at all!

It is really important as recruiters that we receive valuable feedback from our clients, so that we can feed this back to our candidates in a constructive manner and continue to help them with their job search. Here’s how you, as a client, can help us with this following interview:

Top Tips for Giving Quality Feedback:

-Give feedback as quickly as possible after a decision has been made – it’s unfair to keep a candidate hanging

-Start by praising the candidate on what went well or what you liked about them

-Move on to explain why an offer won’t be made, avoiding being too negative or personal

-Be prepared for further questions – if a candidate needs anything clarifying it could really help them as they continue their job search

-And the most important thing of all —- Leave it amicably – they might be perfect for another role in the future or be able to refer friends or colleagues who are!

 

post by Hannah @ Boost Recruitment

T: 02392 985 782

Six ways to EFFORTLESSLY sell yourself at interview

How to secure the next step in your career…
(3 Minute Read)

The truth is that most people aren’t used to talking about themselves and their achievements in everyday life let alone selling themselves. In a world where children learn that everybody is a winner because they took part, how do you stand out from the crowd and secure the opportunity that you’ve been wishing for?

This post will tell you exactly how and leave you with the knowledge to go forward and smash your next job interview!

Firstly
1) Bear in mind your audience

What role are you interviewing for? Is the interviewer looking to take you on in a higher position? Are you swapping careers or are you moving to a similar role where you can highlight your existing duties?

-Look at the job description closely and practice how to show the interviewer that you are a great match.

-Which of the requirements do you hit? Emphasising these will show you are well informed and confident in your ability.

Secondly
2) Practice before hand

Get a second opinion.
Allow yourself to be criticised as this will mean you can improve!
Accept the good and the bad.
Negatives are things to learn from and positives boost your confidence

Also make sure that you
3) Enter the right mind set

Research shows that nerves are one of the biggest issues with people progressing in the career ladder.
If you know you get stressed out by situations, practice calming methods prior to the interview.

-Breathing techniques and listening to motivational quotes prior to an interview can often help.
-Feeling prepared also means that you will feel more at ease.

If you know you can do it, then do it!

Another important thing to do is
4) Have questions prepared

Yes, it is a common piece of advice when it comes to interviews.

You can almost hear your parents feeding you this tip before you went to your very first interview.
But why is it so common? Because it’s important!

-You are also interviewing the company to find out if they are right for you.
-If the company are asking all the questions it’s a pretty one sided conversation which is boring.

Make yourself interesting and find out more at the same time.

You also should
5) Show your personality

When I say this, I don’t mean wear your quirkiest outfit or go in cracking jokes.

But, showing your personality means that you give the interviewers an insight into who they might employ.

-Be friendly and confident, if you find similarities to the interviewers talk about them.

After all, when it comes down to it, they are people too and people are more likely to feel positively about somebody that they can relate to and made them feel good.

Finally
6) Be Honest

The most important thing to take away from this is my final point.

Be honest with the company!
Research shows that 92% of people misrepresent themselves at interviews.
Companies know this…

If you are honest and show your true self you will come across refreshing and stand out!

Good Luck in your future interviews and remember to be yourself!

Shawnie at Boost Recruitment.
02392 985 782