Tag Archives: Interview

Be Prepared

Posted on by
Stop and Take Note!

Stop and Take Note!

Be Prepared! The single most fatal error when going to an interview is lack of preparation.

When attending an interview you must always prepare for all eventualities. For example, if you are a Medical Sales Rep and going for a Medical Sales job interview and you are required to do a presentation, then please cover all options!

  • Do the presentation early, have it perfect so you have at least 4/5 days to practice delivering it, and practice the timing – 10 minutes with 5 minutes for questions
  • Handouts – bring a minimum of 3 handouts of the presentation. Your interviewers may not want a copy, but it is best you have it to hand for their future reference
  • Have it saved and ready to go on your laptop!
  • Save it to a memory stick and bring the memory stick with you! They may wish to view it on their own facilities.

Do not get caught out without duplicates of your work, the last thing you need is an IT error just as you are about to go “on stage” and you have no back up. It is unprofessional and shows a lack of preparation on your part.

Remember that doing a presentation in an interview informs your interviewer of your speaking, selling and presenting skills for their company and their products.

Imagine they are your clients and they have allocated you 15 minutes of their time to hear you speak about the products you are selling. Your own laptop crashes before you even open the presentation and you haven’t got it backed up on a memory stick?

Always be prepared!

Nail that Interview

Posted on by
Nail it!

Nail it!

When coming to the end of your interview, it is vital that you come out of there knowing exactly where you stand. Nail that interview!

  • See it as closing a sale
  • What happens now?
  • Where do I stand?
  • Will there be a second interview?
  • Will you call me or do I call you?
  • When will I hear feedback?

“Close the sale” to put it in Salesman terms!

There is nothing worse than walking out of an interview, getting into your car and thinking “what now?”. Instead of being unsure as to whether you impressed your interviewer, or whether you gave them all the information they needed to hear, simply ask them at the end of the interview.

Believe it or not, it is seen as assertive!

Nail that Interview!

Suits you Sir!

Posted on by

Suits you Sir! Just as we wear different clothes to suit an occasion, when looking for a job it is sometimes worth considering these CV tips to suit each prospective employer or position you are applying for and to present your best assets accordingly. Consider your skills, your experience and more importantly- you!

A bad CV can be as bad as no suit at Interview. Think of how you want to look.

A bad CV can be as bad as no suit at Interview. Think of how you want to look.

For instance if you are a specific engineer you would phrase your CV to emphasise your skills to suit the role required and also give relevent examples of where your technological skills, experience or software abilities will complement the specific job required.

If you issue a generic, one size fits all CV to every client you will naturally find your CV appears to have limited if any success as a result of your CV content being limited or only partially relevant.

Having a CV for a specific type of role, either Radiologist, Nurse, Manager, Engineer, Sales Rep, Trainer or Technician means that the CV content will exlusively reflect the required role. It also means, if you have several years experience you can offer your best and most comprehensive CV without running out of  CV space room without producing an overly long CV.

Similarly having several specific letters means you can choose specifically to present your technical, personal  or management skills exclusively depending on what the Job Description calls for. This is helping the employer or agency and they will be greatful for it.

Once more this allows you to make your best possible presentation and further increases your chances of being called for interview. This of course then means you only have the issue of  deciding what you will choose to wear to  interview. After all it suits you to look and feel at your best when you have presented your best assets.

Interview Preparation

Posted on by
Check Your Water

Check Your Water

When you have an interview organised, the first thing that should come to your mind will be the usual elements of preparation such as, researching the company, memorising who you are meeting and what their position is.

If you are super organised perhaps even a list of questions you may have to direct back to the interviewer!

One other vital consideration for every interview is also the most essential part of interview preparation - getting there? Aside from all the above preparations before an interview, the most essential point is the navigation!

  • Do you know where the company is based?
  • Do you have the building routed/ entered into your Sat Nav?
  • Have you timed the journey so you will be there early?

One final consideration – Is your car in working order?! Have you checked the oil,  water and the petrol?

Obvious as it sounds, these kind of blips can occur!

Read the requirements for a job before applying

Posted on by
Meet the criteria before applying for a job

Meet the criteria before applying for a job

It is always worth reading the essential requirements for a job before applying.

All too often, CV’s are being sent to us by people totally unsuitable for the jobs they are applying for.

There are a number of reasons for this -

  1. Careless
  2. Rushed
  3. Poor attention to detail
  4. Desperate

This creates a bad impression from the outset which is not what you want to give the Recruiter who will be helping you to find your next job.

It also wastes alot of valuable time when a Recruiter gets hit with 20 unsuitable and careless CV submissions before he/she can get to the ones that are suitable.

This may also be the reason why job seekers can feel they are being ignored or not responded to as even the most fantastic Recruiter in the world – all of whom work for JBM!, will eventually lose patience with what are commonly knows as the ‘time wasters’

Applying for a job is a process which requires care, attention and time – never fall in to the trap of just sending your CV out to a multitude of jobs and sites as this will be spotted very quickly as it starts turning up at the same place more than once and will instantly give a bad impression of you

Please always ensure you meet the criteria on the job advert before applying and if you dont – dont apply

What motivates a Company to choose a Recruitment Agency?

Posted on by
An imperative to work together can be a decider of sucess

An imperative to work together can be a decider of sucess

What motivates a company to choose a Recruitment Agency?

Some might consider cost should be the single prime decider. However, this is a questionable basis for making an important decision; ask yourself, how safe would you feel if you chose cheap tyres for your family car!

Therefore client companies tend to consider more than the simple cost of provision of recruitment services. Again it may be alright as long as everything works out- but when rathet than if it doesnt work out; using the wrong provider can be a very costly lesson to learn and to correct.

Once queried on his professional service costs by a client, Red Adair, the famous Oilwell Firefighter simply replied;

 ”If you think its expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur ”

So what do client companies want from recruitment agencies?

  • Client Companies want  Recruitment Agencies that can show they understand their business and are committed to them.
  • They want an alternative opinion to their own, a business partner who works with them and not ambivalence when there is the possibility of another independent perspective being offered which may help and improve the overall recruitment process.
  • They want to see delivery on promises made and not just empty promises.
  • They want to hear sorry when a mistake is made and not blame shifting which is both unconstructive and shows an inability to learn from mistakes.
  • They want a Recruitment firm that involves themselves with the candidates, by taking an interest in the candidates motives and reason for coming on board with their client.
  • They want to see Recruitment firms that can demonstrate a long term rather than short term view of the client business relationship.

Hitting all of the above heavily influences the decision of a company to use a Recruitment Agency and is obviously a key decider of  the long term business future of a Recruitment Agency and can be the difference between a Recruitment Agency surviving or going under in a recession.

Therefore real commitment to the above factors for sucess are also an imperative for both quality and survival.

Fail to Prepare-Prepare to Fail

Posted on by
Prepare to win the interview and thejob

Prepare to win the interview and the job

A maxim oft quoted in management texts and tutorials which is as succinct as it is true to life.  It is a consideration that all those attending an interview must keep at the forefront of their mind whether they are applying for a technician or senior manager’s role. The applicant must at all times be aware that the purpose of the interview is not an opportunity for a chat- it’s to get the job!

Preparation then involves at the very least consideration of your appearance followed swiftly by transport, communication and research; – all of which will boost your confidence and improve your state of mind when the big day comes.

Ensure you are dressed for the interview; another maxim well known and often forgotten is dress to impress. Today as time is short and applicants are plenty, always be aware that you will have one chance to make a good impression and you must appear to be at least as professional as your appearance.

Dressing casually will signal to the interviewer you are neither serious about the role on offer, or the interviewer who has decided to give you valuable time out of their day to meet and interview you.  A poor first impression immediately drops you down the competition ladder. Take time over your appearance and if possible have a dry run the night before, check shoes are polished, shirts, blouses and suits are clean and pressed, ready for immediate use in the morning. You’ll be grateful you did when you see the opposition sitting across from you in reception in a crumpled suit or at worse, a T- Shirt.

Getting to the interview is as important as the interview and its worth checking your car is fuelled and at reduced risk of failing on the motorway twenty minutes from your interviewer.

Phone numbers are vital; always make sure you have your recruiter and interviewer’s telephone contact numbers- main switch and mobile. In deference to the interviewee, your interviewer may have their phone switched off and may not know you are frantically trying to tell them you cant reach them.

Research should similarly not be underestimated or undervalued as part of your preparation. Read the company website, call for extra information, flyers, and magazines, and ask to speak to the press officer if they have one. The better informed you are, the keener you will appear and the more informed your questions will be. Employers want keen employees- lack of knowledge in the age of the internet can only be interpreted as lack of interest.

For further information, please visit our advice center.

The Importance of Time keeping…

Posted on by
The importance of Time Keeping

The importance of Time Keeping

Time and good  time keeping is crucial! In todays employment market where being on time and meeting people who have even less time than you is a trait not to be underestimated or undervalued. Your next prospective employer  may decide on meeting you again at second interview purely on the basis of your ability to meet at the agreed interview time. If you can’t do that what else can you not do?

Stephen Hawking wrote a Brief  History of  Time; if you get your time keeping wrong in todays employment climate your career prospects could be even briefer.

Why not visit our interview tips page.