Application and Interview Tips By: Admin on Sep 02 APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW TIPS What does the application form ask for? How can I do myself justice at interviews? What do assessment centres involve? Found the programme that’s right for you? Here are some application and interview tips for you. Read them carefully – and there are also some handy tips to help you to do as well as you possibly can. Stage 1: Application You may be asked to complete our online application form. The form will ask for some information about you, such as your contact details, education/qualifications and your work history. You’ll be asked why you want to join the company and what appeals to you about the programme you have selected. There will also be some behavioural-based questions to complete. Top Tips: Do your research. The recruiter wants to hear about what you have done to find out more about their company and why you have selected a particular career route. Manage the word count to provide details on your most relevant work experience to date. Do not underestimate the value of your extra-curricular activities. Provide as full an answer as possible. Stage 2: First round interview First round interviews will often be a telephone interview, but they may also be face to face. It gives the recruiting company an opportunity to talk to you in more depth about your motivation for the role. If you have applied for a technical position, be prepared to answer some technical questions relevant to your chosen discipline. Top Tips: Stay focused on YOU – say what YOU actually did not what “John” or “we” did. Try to use a varied range of examples. Stage 3: Final stage The company you are applying to may have identified leadership behaviours that are important during their student and graduate development programmes. The assessment centre will give you an opportunity to demonstrate those behaviours through various exercises. You’ll also be able to find out more about their work and culture, and discuss with them their graduate programmes in more depth. Exercises vary between programmes. However, they are likely to include an ability test, group exercise, role play, individual written exercise, presentation, technical exercises and a behavioural interview. Ability test – there is not much preparation you can do in advance. Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand what is required. Group exercise – allows the company to understand how you interact with others and whether you work effectively in a team. You’ll need to contribute for them to assess your capability. Role play – a one-to-one meeting where you’ll be asked to manage a situation that may arise as part of the job you are applying for. You’ll be given some background information and key objectives to achieve. They will likely then assess your approach, the solutions you deliver and your communication style. Individual written exercise – this simulates a real work situation where you have lots of memos to respond to. The recruiters will be interested in how you respond, how you prioritise your workload and the decisions you make within a set timeframe. Presentation – you may be asked to prepare a presentation in advance or you may be given a brief on the day itself. They will assess the quality of the presentation content, your communication skills and your presenting style. Technical exercises – when applying for a technical role you may be asked to prepare a case study presentation on a particular topic or take part in a technical interview. Behavioural interview – the behavioural interview will follow the same format as all the interviews that you have taken part in before the assessment centre, so prepare in the same way. Top Tips: Relax and be yourself. Remember this is also your opportunity to ask lots of questions and find out whether the organization is right for you. The assessment centre will give you a number of chances to show your strengths – so don’t worry if one exercise doesn’t go too well!
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 06:19:17 +0000
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