Connecting People to Enhance the Experience of Work
Interview Preparation
Interview Preparation
Here at Profusion, we’ve helped individuals prepare for interviews in the financial services sector for over twenty years. Whilst we recruit across the various specialist functions within financial services, we’ve developed this guide based on over twenty years of insights which will help anyone regardless of the role they are interviewing for. Read on to prepare for your next job interview.
Part One: Understand the company and the role
Research the company
Investigate the company and the role you are considering in detail. Sources of this information include the company website, their annual reports, market notices (for listed businesses) and speaking to staff from the organisation prior to the interview. Learn what you can about the company’s major products and the services they provide. Know the company values and purpose and be able to reference them if you need to. Try to get any information you can on how the department fits within the organisation and its function.
Preparing for questions that may be directed to you
Spend some time developing a list of questions you think you’ll be asked about in your interview. Review details of your past performance so the information is fresh in your mind and use this to develop your answers to your list of questions. Then practice, practice, practice. Some great suggestions include rehearsing in front of a mirror, responding to them out loud to a trusted person for feedback and finally recording yourself and playing it back. Make sure you are very familiar with your skills and strengths as well as your interests and goals and review them before the interview as part of your preparation.
Preparing a list of questions for the company
It’s important to remember that this is an opportunity for you to interview the company. Develop a list of questions related to the company, the role, the culture, leadership styles and anything else you feel important for you. Write these down and take them with you to show you are prepared.
Part Two: Preparing for on the day logistics
Prepare for the logistics one week out
About a week out from the interview start planning the day. Think about what you will wear, how you will get there and confirm who you will meet. Make sure you have two transport modes in case of unforeseen circumstances. Expect to arrive 15 minutes early just in case you do encounter any delays.
Arrival
On the day of the interview, make sure you arrive early and let your contact person know you are there. Whilst you are waiting start putting yourself into a strong mindset, which is our next step.
Mindset
Take advantage of the minutes before you go into the interview to develop the right mindset. Think positively, run over any preparation questions again and go in with the attitude that you are going to get the job.
Demeanour
Always be polite to every staff member you meet, even if they are just opening the door for you at reception. Don’t underestimate that anyone you come across won’t share any negative feedback on their impression of you with the interviewer.
Part Three: Conducting the interview
Panel interviews
If there are a number of interviewers, it is important to maintain eye contact and move your focus evenly during the interview – you may not know who the decision-maker will ultimately be and it is often not the person asking the questions.
Authenticity
Taking on your positive mindset, just be yourself and answer your questions honestly. Don’t try to give the answer you think they want to hear. You don’t have to be perfect, and you certainly don’t have to be able to demonstrate you are capable to deliver against every aspect of the role.
Respond concisely
When answering questions, be concise in your responses and be mindful to answer the question that was asked, avoiding going off on tangents with unrelated information. If you are unsure of the question, it’s okay to ask for clarification. It’s also perfectly okay to check after responding if you answered to what they were looking for. If there is additional information that you believe is relevant check in first and ask if they would like you to expand.
Asking your questions
When appropriate during the interview (usually at the end) refer to your list of prepared questions that you brought with you. Even if all your questions were addressed during the interview, by referring to your question list, it shows that you did your preparation. It is also okay to ask questions throughout the interview, as long as they come up in the natural flow of the conversation. Be mindful however, of interrupting, taking over or taking the conversation in a completely different and unrelated direction.
Part Four: Follow up
Debrief
Call your Profusion consultant right after the interview to run through your initial thoughts whilst they are still fresh in your mind. Take them through what you enjoyed about the interview and where you felt comfortable and capable. Its also completely fine to let them know where you felt you could improve. After all, your consultant is your coach – there to help you improve your game. Coaching and feedback is all part of the process and at Profusion it’s what our team love to do.
Follow up
Obtain the contact information of the people in the interview panel and contact them to let them know you appreciated their time. If you don’t have the direct information of the people, just send a note to your contact person to pass onto the relevant parties.
So after more than twenty years of coaching people for interviews these are our tops tips from our team of consultants. If you would like to learn more about how we coach individuals during the interview process, head to our contact page and connect with the relevant consultant in your area of expertise.
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