Going for a job interview (First Job)

An interview is a two-way discussion between you and the employer. It lets the employer meet you, and the other applicants, so that they can decide who the best person for the job is.

The interview also lets you find out more about the company and its employees, products and services. It helps you to decide if you want to work for them.

Here are some guidelines to help you to make the most of interviews.

Before the interview

If you want to succeed, you must prepare for the interview.

Step 1                                     

Tell the firm you will be coming.  Phone, write or email. The employer might tell you the best way to get in touch.

Step 2

Find out as much as you can about the company before the interview. What does it do? How many branches does it have and where are they? How many people work there?

Nowadays, most companies have a website. So, try searching for them on the internet.  This way you can see if it really is the type of company you want to work for. It also looks good to the employer that you are keen enough to have read up about the company.

If the company doesn’t have a website, take a look at the article 'Where to look for work' which has a section called ‘Finding out about companies and employers’  for other ideas of where to look.

However, it may be very difficult to find information on smaller local companies.

Step 3

Look over the job advertisement, job description or any other information the employer has sent you. From this you can build up a picture of the kind of person the employer is looking for. How well do you match up with the picture? As mentioned in the section on ‘Knowing your skills’ this is why knowing your skills and personal qualities, and how they relate to the job, is very important. Almost certainly the employer will ask you about them.

Step 4

What types of questions is the interviewer likely to ask? See the examples of interview questions employers might ask. Think about how you would answer them.

1.  Can you tell us something about yourself?
2.  Why have you applied for this job?
3.  What did you most enjoy at school/college?
4.  What skills/qualities/experience could you bring to this job?
5.  What do you know about the job?
6.  Why do you want to work for this company?
7.  What are your greatest strengths?
8.  What are your main weaknesses?
9.  Have you ever done this type of work before?
10.  Do you have any questions?

Step 5

Towards the end of your interview you will usually get the chance to ask questions. Try to think of two or three questions to ask. You could ask:

• What sort of training would I get
• Where would I be based? (if there is more than one site)
• How many people would I be working with?
• What are the chances for promotion in the company?

Finally, round off with:

• When will you let me know your decision?

Don’t ask about pay or holidays unless the advert states that these are open to negotiation.  You could ask if you could phone the employer for interview feedback, if you’re not offered the job.

Step 6

Find out exactly where to go for the interview and plan out how you will get there. Plan what to wear and put out all the clothes you need the night before. First impressions do count. Clothes do not need to be new, but they should be clean, ironed and smart.

Also look out anything you might need to take with you to the interview, such as your exam results or your CV. If you’ll need loose change for bus fares get it now.

Step 7

Check that you have everything you need to take with you. Leave plenty of time to get to the interview. Aim to arrive a little bit early. This should help you to stay calm.

When you get there

• Give your name to the receptionist. Tell them you have come for an interview, the name of the person you have to see, and your interview time.
• If you have to wait, try to relax. You could try some deep breathing, read your CV or application form again, ask for some water or just think about the questions they might ask and what your answers would be.

When you are called in for interview

• Smile at the interviewer, say hello and shake their hand
• Don’t sit down until you are asked
• Don’t fidget, slouch or bite your nails
• Don’t smoke or chew gum
• Don’t leave your mobile phone on!
• Speak clearly
• Make eye-contact, don’t stare at your shoes or look around the room
• Be polite, friendly and show that you are interested
• Be alert, focus on what you are being asked
• If you don’t understand a question, or you didn’t hear it properly, ask the interviewer to say it again
• Don’t give one-word “Yes” or “No” answers
• If your throat goes completely dry ask for a drink of water.

Questions you might be asked

1     Can you tell us something about yourself?
2     Why have you applied for this job?
3     What did you most enjoy at school/college?
4     What skills/qualities/experience could you bring to this job?
5     What do you know about the job?
6     Why do you want to work for this company?
7     What are your greatest strengths?
8     What are your main weaknesses?
9     Have you ever done this type of work before?
10   Do you have any questions?

Possible answers

1 Can you tell us something about yourself?

Focus on the skills, qualities and achievements that are relevant to the job you are applying for. You may want to give a very brief life history or talk about interests and hobbies. Your answers should give the interviewer a better picture of you as a person. Be positive.

2 Why have you applied for this job?

Talk about the main areas of the job that interest you. You could describe how your skills and goals tie in with the job. If you are interested in the company itself because of what you know about it, for example that it offers good training or promotion opportunities, mention this. Don’t mention pay, hours or holidays.

3 What did you most enjoy at school/college?

Talk about the subjects you liked best and why. Also mention any out-of-class activities you liked. If your subjects or activities are relevant to the job say why you think they could be useful.

4 What skills/qualities/experience could you bring to this job?

These questions let you tell the employer about your:

• skills - especially those related to the job you are applying for
• personal qualities, such as punctuality, reliability, enthusiasm which would be helpful in any job
• experience gained through school work experience, any part time jobs, voluntary work or your leisure interests. Stress anything that relates to the job you are applying for.

The worksheets in ‘Knowing your skills’ will help you to identify your skills and back this up with examples.

5. What do you know about the job?

Use the information from the job advert and description, as well as anything else you’ve found out from the company. You could also use information from a relevant job profile on the PlanIT Plus database at www.planitplus.net

6 Why do you want to work for this company?

This is where you can let the employer know that you have done some research about them. You could mention aspects of the company and its products or services which particularly interest you.

7 What are your greatest strengths?

Try to focus on skills or personal qualities that are particularly relevant to the job or company. Personal qualities such as reliability, enthusiasm, good timekeeping and pride in doing a job properly are all important.

8 What are your main weaknesses?

Mentioning one weakness is usually enough. Try to think of an example that could also be strength, such as saying that because you like to do a job properly you sometimes spend too much time on details. But also make it clear that you have a solution, you make sure you stick to any deadlines so that you don’t get ‘bogged down’.

9 Have you ever done this type of work before?

Answer truthfully - if the answer is ‘yes’, fine! If you have not done similar work, say so, but stress that you enjoy the challenge of learning new things and you learn quickly.

10 Do you have any questions?

Try to have at least one question ready. For example:

• would any training be provided by the company?
• would the training be in college or within the company?
• where is the job based?
• if it’s a temporary job, what are the chances of it becoming full time?
• what are the chances for promotion in the company?
• when will you let me know the result of the interview?

It’s usually not a good idea to ask about pay or holidays at the interview. You don’t want the employer to think that this is all you are interested in! However, if you are really not clear about either of these things you could ask.

Worksheet 1: Practice makes perfect

Have a look at the four sample job adverts. 

Choose at least one (or use a real job advert) and write down what you would say in answer to the following questions.

You might like to look at the interview from an employer’s point of view.  Look at The Interview Game on PlanIT Plus and try your hand at selecting someone for a job at your company.  You’ll find the game in the Moving On section of Career Planning in the Career Zone.

After the interview

You will probably want to put it all out of your mind. But before you do this, jot down your thoughts on how it went and what you might have done differently. This could be useful in the new job if you get it, or at a future interview if not.  

You may find the following headings useful:

If you are offered the job, congratulations! But it can still be useful to know what you did right, and what you could have done better. Next time you might be going for promotion!

If you don’t get the job, you could contact the employer and ask how you could improve your interview skills for your next interview.

What do employers say about people attending interviews?      

Some employers’ comments are listed below - they might help you to do well!

“I would advise applicants, the night before an interview, to practice how they would answer questions like

Tell me about yourself.

What do you have to offer my company in the area of skills and experience?

Why have you applied for the job?

What do you know about the job?

These or some very similar questions are likely to come up.”

• “We are pleased to interview applicants who have brought their Progress File with them as long as they are knowledgeable about its contents and are prepared to provide further detail when aspects of it are discussed at the interview.”
• “We expect applicants to have a smart appearance when they turn up for interview. We are generally satisfied if it is clear that they have made an effort with their appearance.”
• “We look for enthusiasm, a genuine interest in the company, qualifications which suggest they will cope with training both in college and on the job, and an understanding of what is expected of them.”
• “We expect applicants to have thought about the interview and be prepared for it, so that their personality can emerge naturally.”
• “We take the school reference very seriously. If they have had a record of poor attendance and time keeping we would begin to have doubts about recruiting an applicant.”

If you would like to test your interview skills and knowledge some more, try the online quizzes on the PlanIT Plus database at http://www.planitplus.net/.  Look for Handling Job Interviews, The Interview Game, Getting Ready for Interview and Job Interview.