Interview Tips

Here are a few more do's and don'ts for being at your best during an interview

Interview Behaviour and Style

MAKING A STRONG POSITIVE IMPRESSION

Succeeding at interview is more than just giving great answers. Your potential employer will be evaluating your total presentation and performance – not just your verbal responses – before making a decision. Interview behaviour is an important element in landing a job.

Your style and the way you dress can make a strong (or bad) impression on an employer. Even if you know a company has a casual dress code, it is best to dress up anyways. This shows professionalism and respect to the potential employer.

Make sure your mobile is switched to silent before you enter the interview room. When you first meet the interviewer(s) always be polite and offer a smile and introduce yourself with a firm handshake. Stand and sit with good posture, this will show you are attentive. Avoid eating, drinking, and chewing gum during an interview. Howerever, if the interviewer offers a coffee or other beverage it is ok to accept.

The right interview behaviour is likely to leave a strong positive impression:

• an interested, balanced approach
• the ability to express thoughts clearly
• confidence
• clear thought about your career planning and objectives
• open, informative replies
• tact, maturity and courtesy
• maintaining eye contact
• a firm handshake
• intelligent questions about the job
• preparation and knowledge of the company and industry
• enthusiasm for the role and the organisation
• a positive 'can-do' attitude.

Interview Preparation Guide

Set yourself apart with strong interview skills

• know your CV
• know your potential employer
• understand commonly used interview styles

• Ensure your consultant has provided you with a detailed understanding of the position description, the team environment and the organisation.
• Conduct additional research on the organisation by reading annual reports and researching on the internet. Understand the organisation's products and services, size, locations, financial situation and growth potential.
• Make sure you know exactly where you're going and always be on time.
• Dress conservatively and pay attention to all aspects of your dress and grooming.
• Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer's full name and the correct pronunciation of their title.
• Spend time reviewing your resume and experience and its relevance to the position. Identify the specific examples in your background that are directly relevant to the position description and demonstrate your ability to do the job.
• Refresh your memory on the details of present and past employers and your work history for each. You will be expected to know a lot about a company for which you have previously worked. Pay particular attention to how you will describe your most important achievements.
• Be prepared to communicate why this role appeals to you, why you should be considered for this role and what sets you apart from other candidates.
• Prepare the questions you will ask during the interview. Remember that an interview is a two-way street. The employer will try to determine if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must decide whether the company will give you the opportunity for the growth and development you seek.

Interview Structure & Questions

COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEWS

Competency based interviews are the most prevalent style of interviewing, also known as behavioural interviews. They require you to draw on past experience and describe specific examples demonstrating your competence in a particular area. The most effective way of answering these questions is to use the 'STAR' technique:

SITUATION - briefly describe the background to the situation
TASK - specifically describe your responsibility
ACTION - describe what you did
RESULT - describe the outcome of your actions

Here is an excellent answer to a competency based question that is testing teamwork as a competence:

Question: "Teamwork is very important in our organisation. Can you provide me with a specific example that demonstrates that you are a good team player?"
Answer: "I have a number of examples I could share with you. In one instance, when I was working as a financial analyst at ABC company, the sales team were putting together a bid for a large piece of work and the analyst that normally helps them was on leave. I offered to assist and worked late every night for two weeks to ensure they had all the information they needed. They took on my suggestions about pricing and also some creative ideas I had on formatting the proposal. We won the bid and I was promoted as a result."

You may be required to provide between one and three real life examples to validate one particular competence.

• What are your career aspirations?
• Why do you want to work for our company?
• What interests you about our product or service?
• Of your previous jobs, which did you enjoy most and why?
• How have you managed conflict in the past?
• Describe what you have done in your career that shows your initiative
• What are your weaknesses? Your strengths?
• What style of management gets the best from you?
• What have been your major achievements to date?

After the Interview

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW

If you are interested in the position, make sure you tell the interviewer.
Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration of you. You have done all you can if you have answered; Why you are interested in the job and the company? What you can offer? And why can you do the job?

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Resume Writing Tips

Chronological resume

• Recommended for candidates with solid working experience and a progressive job history in a specific field or history, and who would want to continue along this similar career path.
• Most employers prefer this style as it is based on facts, and easily digestible.
• Very conventional, emphasizing on itemized employment history.
• Important to present career milestones in reverse chronological order, starting with current position and moving backwards. Each position contains a description of relevant responsibilities and accomplishments.

• Suitable for fresh graduates and job hoppers hoping for a career change.
• Helps to cover seemingly disconnected experiences by displaying transferable skills and related achievements.
• Organize work history into sections that highlight skills and accomplishments deemed most appropriate for the position applied for. Always include the company name in bulleted description of your accomplishments. Do not miss out at least a brief chronological listing of your work experience.

• This format tries to merge the best features of the chronological and functional type resumes by incorporating both a chronological work history and a skills and achievements section. Top focus is on skills and accomplishments, followed by work experience.
• Though some employers will find this format long, repetitious and confusing, this type of resume can be good to someone with good editing skills.

• Your CV should be as up to date as possible.
• Use headings like ‘Education’ and ‘Career History’ to highlight the different sections.
• Don't just make general statements about your qualities – support them with evidence.
• Try to link your skills and experience to the requirements of the job you’re applying for.
• Focus on achievements – not duties and responsibilities
• Examples of achievements you can focus
  • Ways you increased bottom line revenue
  • How you reduced costs or maximized business efficiency
  • New ideas, innovations or changes you implemented that resulted in positive outcomes
  • Special awards, honors or accolades (extra-curricular training or certifications)
  • Training or mentoring staff
• Use Quantitative Examples
  • include exact numbers to present a complete picture to the hiring manager: “increased sales by 25% over a 6 month period’
• Include strategic keywords
  • A killer resume will attract the reader’s attention within the first 10 seconds of opening your resume. The very best resumes will create a great first impression that will keep the person reading your resume for longer. Creating a qualifications profile or an executive summary at the very beginning of your resume is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the reader and immediately portray your skills and qualifications directly to the reader.
• Remove unnecessary information

Job Videos

Recruitment News

• http://www.mohr.gov.my/index.php/en/?option=com_content&view=category&id=124
• http://www.skillsmalaysia.gov.my
• http://www.mef.org.my/public/mediacentre_mefnews.aspx
• http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/news/
• http://www.myworklife.my/category/malaysia-job-boards/careers-in-malaysia/