Tool Box
Issue No. 8 - December/ 2002/january
Surviving Interviews
How to prepare for a successful job interview
No matter what level of position one is interviewed for, the principles are the same. But how often do people not succeed through ignorance?
Interviews are the make or break of the job search. No matter how good your career record is to date, the job interview remains one of the most important steps towards achieving your career goals.
Preparation for the job interview is, therefore, crucial. Know your résumé, ideal next career move and your potential employer. Employers now expect people they employ to want to work for their company, not because they want a job. Researching all aspects of an organisation is paramount. The internet is invaluable to research the organisation, industry trends and major competitors.
In preparing for an interview, knowledge of your résumé is the most important thing. The interview provides you with an opportunity to set down situations where you have demonstrated how you added value to an organisation. If you are familiar with your résumé and have a firm grasp of your ideal next job, you will be prepared for any interview.
The person, or panel, interviewing you generally knows little about you except for what is in your résumé. They will generally use the résumé as a prompt to find out more about your career and your abilities.
You should be sufficiently prepared so you are able to tell a story about every point you make in your résumé. Try using the following model to help frame the stories you prepare. The model we recommend is called SOAR. It is relevant in your preparations for and/or during behavioural and competency-based interviews. These and other styles of interviews will be covered in more detail later in the program.
S stands for Scenario. You should begin your story with a brief description of the scenario you were in. This requires brevity and clarity so the listener has a context for your story rather than all the detail.
For example, take this question framed fr...
