ASA Recruitment

Be prepared

At ASA we believe that you should always be prepared, especially when it involves your career. So we've put together some helpful advice to get your CV finalised and your interview polished. And if you need some help, you can always call us.

It's all a question of being prepared!

The time leading up to an interview can be as stressful as the meeting itself. So, the question is, how do you make sure you're fully prepared? Your recruitment consultant will be able to give you lots of advice, in the meantime the following tips should help you…

Prior to the Interview

• Find out all you can about the company and the job that you are applying for. Find out about the company's competitors too. Check websites or phone for brochures / reports.
• Make sure you know where your interview is and how you're going to get there. Check a map and all your transport links to get there, and leave in plenty of time. Have a back-up plan should anything go wrong. It's impressive if you are too early - but if you're too late, then the interview could be wasted.
• Take contact details of your consultant and the company you are meeting along with a spare CV, pen and notepad.
• Make sure you know the name of the person interviewing you, or at least the person you have to ask for when you arrive.
• Know yourself and be able to relate your skills to the role. Study the job specification and match it to your CV so that you can provide evidence that you meet the job requirements.
• Look your best, wear something smart and comfortable.

First Impressions

• Make a good first impression - introduce yourself with a firm handshake and a friendly greeting.
• Try to remember the interviewer(s) name(s) and address them by their name(s).
• Have a positive attitude. Don't expect your qualifications and experience alone to get you the job.
• Keep an open mind - you may have pre-conceived ideas about the company, the job and the people but don't let that get in the way of having a good interview.
• Never say negative things about previous employers.
• Your body language can tell the interviewers a lot about what you are feeling. Remember to make direct eye contact with the person you are speaking to, and don't stare at the floor!
• Remember - you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Answering Questions

• Listen and think carefully about good examples before responding to questions.
• There are some common questions that it's worth considering suitable answers for, but make sure you don't sound too "rehearsed"…
• Why do you want to move jobs?
• What do you know about the company?
• What are the responsibilities in your current job?
• Why should we employ you?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your limitations?
• What has been your greatest achievement to date?
• What do you think are the skills required to be effective in this role?
• What are your short / long term career aims?
• Take every opportunity to emphasise what you can do for the company, don't restrict it to what you want out of the job.

Asking Questions

• Make a list of questions you want to ask. It's OK to refer to a list you have prepared rather than trying to memorise them, and risk forgetting some.
• This is your opportunity to impress, show you are interested, and to stand out from other candidates.
• You might want to ask a few questions yourself:
• Can you describe the company's structure, internal reporting and future plans?
• How would you describe the culture in the department?
• How do other roles in the department impact on mine?
• What training or induction is provided?
• What would my daily / weekly / monthly responsibilities be?
• How would my effectiveness be measured?
• What interaction would I have with other departments of the company, or with clients or suppliers?
• Where are the opportunities to progress within the company?
• Ask about salary and benefits if these have not been outlined to you.
• Ask what the next steps are in the selection process and when a decision on the outcome is likely to be made.
• When the interview is over thank the interviewer for their time, smile and give a firm handshake. Remember, last impressions are just as important as first!

After your interview

• Contact your recruitment consultant to let them know how you got on.
• If there are any points which you are unsure of, or you don't think you put over clearly, let your consultant know - they may have the opportunity to clarify this with the employer on your behalf.