Interviews

Manager's will see your behaviour at interview as the 'tip of the iceberg', whatever they see they expect to expand should they employ you, whether these behaviours are positive or negative are entirely up to you!

Here are some of obvious things to consider, some of them they may sound patronising but they are all things we have seen good people slip up with.

Appearance.

First impressions can have a huge impact. If it's negative, you may find you are battling against the tide for the whole interview. A few gusts of wind, a torrential downpour in the car park, or even a tie know that's slipped a couple of inches in the car can all leave you looking rather sloppy. A manager will subconsciously link this to your work.

The cures are simple. Always take and umbrella, a brush/coomb and arrive early enough to take one last look in the mirror.

Dry clean your best business wear. You might only have one nice shirt or skirt but now is the time to wear it. If you don't feel you have good business wear, a new purchase may the best investment you make, your career is a life long possession and one worth investing in. To a manager, the care you take over your self appearance will likely reflect the care you will take over your work.

Punctuality

Remember the 'tip of the iceberg'. Interviews can be life changing events of great importance. A manager will assume that if your punctuality is poor for such an important event, it's likely to be poor, or even poorer at work.

Work out the maximum possible time it will take you to get to your venue….then add a bit on. It's far better to be an hour early than two minutes late.

Brag files

These should contain all of the evidence necessary to back up claims made in your CV which you have made to demonstrate success in previous or present roles.

In addition you should structure your file to enable you to demonstrate examples of competencies on the managers recruiting criteria. If unclear, your consultant will be able to help here.

Many candidates include a contents page listing the competencies demonstrated within the file, this not only ensures quick navigation of it at interview but demonstrates an organised individual who has thought about the process in advance.
Avoid a brag file which creates a 'paper avalanche' when picked up by the manager, remember, 'tips of icebergs', this is a clear indicator of a lack of planning and preparation for the interview, traits likely to transfer to a future role. Ensure all documents are secured in their own leaves in an orderly fashion.

Preparation

Managers will be interested to learn how you have prepared for an interview, this will give a clear indication of an individuals work ethic and approach to tasks generally. Everyone looks up a company on the internet. Look to go that extra mile, who else can you talk to learn more about the role and the company. Speak to your consultant for advice.

Questions

Most managers at some point will ask you if you have any questions. Perhaps the biggest turn off in answer to this is 'no, I think you've answered them all'. Even if this is true, it can appear disinterested.

Prepare a hand full of intelligent questions you would like answered, they may refer to training or perhaps how you will earn bonus. Type them out on a sheet of paper and leave space where you can record answers to consider them later. Once again a manager will be looking for behaviours that will expand if they employ you. This type of professional approach will stand you in good stead, but also ensure you do think in advance of matters which are important to your decision.