Interviewing skills

Got that invitation to a job interview? Great, congratulations! This means that, based on your CV, the employer believes you could be the person they want for the job. You are now at an even level with the other candidates who are invited, no matter whether their academic results are better, equal to or less good than yours. Great news if you expect a 2:2 or less, sort of stinky if you laboured to get a first. But no matter how you look at it, fact is that all of you start from a blank sheet, and you need to rise above the competition to get the job. This section contains all the interview tips you need to deliver the kind of graduate interview that gets you hired.

Fundamental interviewing skills. If you have not interviewed before, you should start by learning the fundamentals of interviewing – without having these down to a T, you might as well not bother leaving the house. [pdf]

The 5 most common topics in graduate interviews. Next, become familiar with the 5 most common topics for graduate interviews. You can bet your granny’s nappies that you will be quizzed on these. [pdf]

Competency based interviews. OK, with the basics out of the way, it’s time for something a little more challenging. Most graduates will face so called competency based interviews, and you should become very intimate with the concept behind these! [pdf]

Advanced interviewing skills. If you really, REALLY want that hot job, learn how to rise above 90% of the competition and deliver a truly red hot interview. [pdf]

The structure of an interview and the STAR model. This is the stuff they tell your interviewers when they train them. Find out about how interviewers commonly structure interviews [pdf] and learn about the STAR model, a very common method for quizzing candidates [pdf]. Needless to say, knowing what they know puts you ahead of the game.

General interview questions and answers. Finally, read up on suggestions for how to construct the best answers to common interview questions. [pdf]