Red Sales Recruitment Ltd
Interviews can take may formats but would generally fall into the following categories:
• Telephone interview
• Competency based
• Normal question and answer
• Presentation.
Telephone interview
• Obviously this is done over the phone, however this often makes people feel at ease and switch off.
• Make sure you are alone and have no distractions.
• Make sure you are not driving.
• Most will be pre arranged at a set time but some will be more ad hoc, if it is not convenient take a number and call back at another time.
• Remember it is a real interview, if you do not come across in the right manor you will not be asked to a face to face meeting.
Competency Based
• These interviews are designed to test your experiences in a given situation.
• Some questions will appear to be irrelevant but they will have meaning so treat them the same as the other questions.
• The interviewer is looking for the most detail you can give, so try to think of dates, time, names, places etc.
• Try to base your answers on industry examples, but if you don’t have one use other examples. Many interviews are scored, if you don’t give an answer then you will get 0 for that question
• Answer the question given, not the one you can or want to answer.
• All answers should have a positive end, i.e you made the sale or the customer went away happy.
• Try to think what the question is designed to test and answer accordingly.
Question & Answer
• This is often the 1st stage of an interview.
• It is more relaxed and is a chance for you to get to know the company and them you.
• If you have evidence of achievement, take it with you.
• Make sure you do at least a basic check up on the company, (ie search the website/industry press)
• Think of some good questions to ask, write them down and take them with you then at least if they all get answered you can prove you did have some. Having no questions to ask can look as if you are not interested.
Presentation
• You will normally have ample time to prepare a presentation on a given subject, this may or may not be industry specific.
• The interviewers are looking for not only your ability to stand up and deliver in front of them but also your research skills.
• Try to use Power-point where possible.
• Always take a paper copy to leave as a handout for each interviewer, so they will have something to refer back to when you have gone. If you are the 1st of 6 interviews it may be hard for them to remember you.
• Look each person in the eye when you speak to them, do not look at the floor or ceiling.
• Have a positive and upright stance, face the audience as much as possible.
We are here to guide you through the interview process and will do our best to help you, we know how our clients interview and roughly what they are looking for and will give you as much insight as possible. (We don’t have the interview questions though unfortunately)