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INTERVIEW ADVICE

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Preparation

Preparation is all important in an Interview as this is the real first impression that a client gets.  The old adage that "it is the your CV/experience that secures the interview and the interview that gets the job" has never been more true in a market where that are more relevant candidates than roles.
 
It is always prudent to read the job specification and do as much research on the company/role as possible, your consultant should be the initial point of contact for information on the company, interviewer, role, process and format of the interview stage . Try and generate some questions but be aware not to ask questions that you should know the answer to or might be in the public domain. Make sure your shoes are clean and if you don’t know the dress-code either speak to your consultant beforehand or wear a suit, shirt and tie, if not dress as smartly as you can.
 

Documents

 
Make sure that you have a copy of your up to date CV and that it contains the same information to the version that the client has, most reputable agencies will not change your CV just format it so the relevant information is highlighted and easily accessible to the client. You may be required to confirm your identity and your eligibility to work in the UK so always check what documentation will be required as a passport isn’t always sufficient.  If you are applying for a role that requires you to drive, ensure you have a copy of your license as a copy may be required for the clients records. For those applying to sales roles a “brag file” or details of your achievement to targets, P60’s, certificates, sales league tables may also be useful.
 

Getting to The interview

 
If you don't know the client site/area where your interview is being held, make sure you have a map/directions and don't always rely on your Sat Nav, print off a copy of the directions from the website or call the client for a map.  First impressions count, so make sure you leave enough time for traffic jams and try to enter the client's offices 15 minutes before your interview.  Be pleasant and engaging whilst sat in reception or waiting for the interviewer and use the time to make sure that your phones and electronic devices are switched off.
 

The Interview

 
Whilst the styles of interview may differ depending on what role you are applying for, with which company and whether the Manager or Human Resources are conducting the interview there are some common questions that always seem to arise. It is very important that you are comfortable with answering these questions and it is always a good idea to prepare credible and relevant answers.
 
 

Try to:
  • Enter the room confidently
  • Speak clearly
  • Shake hands firmly with a positive introduction
  • Be polite and friendly, look the interviewer directly in the eyes and continue to make regular eye contact throughout.
  • Look interested have an open nature and ask questions
  • Engage with all parties in the room if more than one interviewer
  • Answer all the questions fully and truthfully avoiding yes and no answers
  • If you do not understand a question then ask for it to be explained
  • Provide tangible results for your achievements
  • Be prepared, some questions are designed as a curve ball to throw you
  • Ask your prepared questions
  • Close the interviewer for a decision, find out if they have any reservations and overcome them whilst still in the interview
  • If you are not given a decision then find out when it is likely to come or what the next stages are and the time-scales involved
Try not to:
  • Sit until invited
  • Fidget, cross your arms or slouch
  • Over use your arms
  • Swear
  • Play with your hair/bite your nails 
  • Chew gum
  • Interrupt the interviewer or talk over them
  • Criticise former employers or blame other people
  • Draw attention to any weaknesses that you may have without explaining your development plans

 

Common Questions

 
The Most Common Interview Questions
Sales and Business Development
Sales Management
Planning and Prioritising
Presentation and Pitching
Decision Making, Risk and Judgment?
Teamwork
Personal qualities - Confidence
Personal qualities –Interpersonal
Personal qualities – Values
 
 
The Most Common Interview Questions 
 
  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What do you know about our company?
  • What interests you about this job?
  • Why do you consider yourself ideal for this role?
  • Give me five reasons why you want to join our company?
  • What are your strengths?
  • Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
  • What are your development areas (weaknesses?)
  • What motivates you?
  • What are you going to achieve in the next 3 years/5 years/10 years?
  • What do you like about your current job?
  • What do you dislike about your current job?
  • Why are you looking to leave your current role?
 
Sales and Business Development
 
  • What is the worst objection that you’ve ever had to handle?  Talk us through how you tried to handle this objection?
  • What is your preferred technique to handle objections?
  • How do you ensure that your sales targets are exceeded each month?
  • What is your favourite closing technique?
  • How do you pick yourself up after losing a potentially large order?
  • How do you create a sense of urgency to speed up the sales process?
  • What is the largest account that you have ever won and talk me through the stages from start to close?
  • What is the largest account that you have lost and talk me through the stages?
  • What is the most difficult piece of business that you have ever won?
  • Have you ever walked away from a sale and why?
  • What do you consider to be the single most important sales skill?
 
Sales Management
 
  • What does effective Sales Management mean to you?
  • What personal qualities should a Sales Manager possess?
  • What are the personal qualities that you possess to make you a successful Sales Manager?
  • What is more important ‘managing’ or ‘leading’?
  • Talk me through the most difficult employee that you have ever had to ‘lead’?
  • What is the biggest learning curve that you have worked through in your path to becoming a successful Sales Manager?
  • What is your Management style?  Do you think this style is the most effective?
  • Who is the best Manager that you have ever worked for?  What qualities did they possess that you have modelled to improve your ability to lead sales teams.
  • How important is it that sales professionals are effectively managed?
  • How do you manage egos within your sales team?
  • What is the best example that you can give me that describes your management style?
  • What have you personally done to develop your management skills?
  • How do you handle responsibility?
  • How do you keep a distance between yourself and your reports?
 
Planning and Prioritising
 
  • How do you plan each day?
  • What are your objectives each day?
  • How do you measure yourself against your objectives?
  • What importance do you place upon planning each day/week/month/quarter/year?
  • Think of a sentence that would describe your mission each day – your personal daily mission statement?
  • How do you prioritise your accounts?
  • How do you ensure that you are the most effective that you can possibly be?
  • Why would you prioritise one account over another?  What criteria would you use to prioritise accounts?
 
Presentation and Pitching
 
  • What experience do you have in making presentations?
  • What is the largest audience that you have ever made a presentation to?
  • Talk me through an example of a piece of tender led business that you have won?
  • What makes your presentations a success?
  • What techniques do you use to handle difficult clients during a pitch?
  • What is the typical structure of your business presentations?
  • How would you describe your PowerPoint skills – non existent, Basic, intermediate or advanced
  • Talk me through the most difficult pitch that you have made?
 
Decision Making, Risk and Judgment?
 
  • What is the greatest risk that you have taken in your business career?  What was the result?
  • What would you identify as the biggest failure of your business career?
  • For every decision that you get right how many do you get wrong?
  • How do you make a decision that potentially carries enormous risk?  What steps do you go through?  What minimum information do you require?
  • What experience do you have in working in pressure situations?
  • How do you make decisions in these pressurised situations?
  • How would one of your reports describe your decision making ability?
  • What is the worst decision that you have ever had to make in your business career?  What happened?
  • What is the best decision that you’ve ever made in your business career?
 
Teamwork
 
  • Are you more effective on your own or as part of a team?
  • What is the best team that you have ever worked in and why?  What part did you play in the team and what contribution did you make to the success of the team?
  • What are the characteristics of a great team?
  • How important do you feel the ‘leader’ is in creating a successful team?
  • What types of characters do you work best with?
  • What kind of people do you find difficult to work with?
 
Personal qualities - Confidence
 
  • On a scale of one to ten how confident would you describe yourself?  Why?
  • How would your existing team describe your confidence?
  • Talk me through a situation that demonstrates the level of confidence that you have in yourself?
 
Personal qualities – Interpersonal
 
  • How would your best friend describe you?  5 adjectives
  • How would your closest work colleague describe you?  5 further adjectives
  • Describe the relationship with your current/previous line manager?
  • How would your current/previous line manager describe you?  5 further adjectives
  • What is the single biggest issue that your current/previous line manager has with you?
  • Describe a confrontation that you have had with your current/previous line manager when they were in the wrong?  What happened?
  • When was the last time that you lost your temper at work?  What happened?  What did you learn from this?
  • What kind of people do you find difficult to work with?
  • How do you handle criticism?
  • Who is your worst enemy?  What happened?  How would they describe you?
  • What is the most unpopular decision you’ve ever taken?  What happened?
 
Personal qualities – Values
 
  • What are your values?
  • How would you like to be remembered?
  • What is an ethical line that you will not cross?
  • Have you ever lied to win a sale? What happened?
  • Would you ever lie in the interests of your company?
  • Have you ever gone over your current/previous line manager’s head to get a decision?
  • On a scale of one to ten how would the term ‘maverick’ describe you?
  • What habits or behaviours that you possess would you like to change/improve?
  • Who have you worked with that you have the most respect for?  Why?  What did you learn from them
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