Section 4: The Interview

Purpose of the Interview

An interview is a two-way process. It provides an opportunity for:

the selection panel to find out more about you and assess your suitability for the position.

you to find out more about the position, the department or section, and the people you will be working with, and to assess whether or not you want the job.

The Selection Panel

The selection panel usually consists of 2 - 3 people (sometimes more for senior positions) and includes:

one person with a detailed working knowledge of the requirements of the position, usually the supervisor

at least one member of general staff at the same salary level as the advertised position or higher; sometimes there will be one person from outside the work area

one person trained in selection techniques.

There should be at least one female and one male member of the panel. One of the panel members will chair the interview.

Format of the Interview

Most interviews follow a similar format, although they will vary depending on the selection panel.

The interview usually lasts somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes.

The panel will have prepared questions to ask you which are based on the selection criteria for the position. They are required to ask similar questions of each applicant they interview to ensure that all applicants have a similar opportunity to present themselves.

Panel members will usually take it in turns to ask questions.

Generally the panel will ask you questions first and then give you an opportunity to ask questions at the end.

Usually the panel members will take notes to help them recall details about you when making their decision.

In addition to the interview, you may be required to take other kinds of tests.

Interview Questions

Questions the selection panel may ask you

Below are examples of the different types of questions you may be asked at an interview. Selection panels are likely to ask at least one question of each type, and they are particularly encouraged to ask behaviourally based questions (i.e., which ask you to provide examples of what you've done in the past). The questions will be based on the selection criteria for the position.

Open, General Questions

Examples of open general questions include:

Why are you interested in this job?
Why did you leave your last job?
Tell us a little about yourself.
What special skills can you bring to this job?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What is important to you in a job?
What do you think makes you the best person for this job?

The selection panel will often start off an interview with these kinds of questions. They usually ask such questions to encourage you to open up and talk.

You need to be careful that you don't end up talking too generally or for too long. The selection panel is looking for relevant information.

To help focus your answers, try to relate them to the selection criteria and the duty statement. For example, if asked what your strengths are, talk about them in terms of the selection criteria by mentioning your 'excellent communication skills', 'organisational ability', etc. Be brief and concise.

Behaviourally-Based Questions

Examples of behaviourally-based questions include:

How did you ensure that you met deadlines in your last job?
Describe a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult client on the phone.
Could you give us an example of when you have had to work as part of a team on a particular project?
In your previous jobs, how have you gone about organising your workload?

Selection panels ask these types of question to try and find out what you've done in the past that might indicate how well you'll perform in a future job.

They will expect you to talk about relevant details of a particular situation: your role, what you did, and what the outcomes were. Try to give the panel a picture of how you operated in the job, focussing on relevant details so that your answer is not too long.

Behaviourally based questions give you the chance to provide specific, factual information about your experience, and to focus on situations that you handled particularly well.

Hypothetical Questions

Examples of hypothetical questions include:

What would you do if you had an urgent deadline to meet, the telephone kept ringing, and you were suddenly asked to arrange a series of important meetings for your supervisor?
If you were the departmental safety officer and an electrical fire started in your work area, what would you do?

Hypothetical questions are similar to behaviourally based ones in that the selection panel is trying to get an idea of how you would function in particular situations.

Often you can make up an answer to a hypothetical question without having had experience of the situation you've been asked about. Try to avoid giving text book answers (e.g. 'I'd establish priorities and remain calm'). Endeavour to give the panel a picture of how you operate under similar circumstances, if possible giving an actual example of how you dealt with a similar situation.

However, some hypothetical questions are tied to specific situations or procedures which you must know about in order to answer the question properly, .e.g. 'If these two chemicals were mixed together, what would happen?'.

Philosophical Questions

Examples of philosophical questions include:

What are your feelings about students today?
What do you think the role of the Faculty should be?
What is your opinion of the present education system?

Here the panel is trying to find out your views on issues and to assess how you might fit in with the culture of the department or section. This type of question is asked less frequently than other types of questions. People tend to give the kind of answer they think the panel wants to hear.

Philosophical questions are often easier to answer if you've done your 'homework' in finding out a bit about the department. As with open, general questions, try to relate your answers to the selection criteria and the duty statement.

Specific, Closed Questions

Examples of specific, closed questions include:

Can you operate a Macintosh computer?
Will you be able to work overtime occasionally?
Are you familiar with the University's accounting system?
Do you have experience in using spreadsheets?

Here the selection panel is trying to assess your specific task-related skills.

Although such questions tend to elicit a 'yes'/'no' answer, it is much better if you can expand a little by saying how much/what level of experience you have, and give examples.

Further examples of interview questions related to specific selection criteria can be found in the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual, copies of which are available in every department.

Questions you may want to ask

Ideally, you will have found out as much about the job as possible before you decide to apply. However, if you get to the interview stage, you will probably still have questions you want to ask the selection panel.

As a general rule, don't ask too many questions and make sure that they impart your positive attitude towards the job.

Below are some examples of the types of questions you might want to ask.

Questions specific to the job or the department

'Why has the position become vacant?'
'How many people would I be working with?'
Who would be my supervisor?'

Terms and Conditions

'What would my hours of work be?'
'Is there a flexitime system?'

Training and Development Matters

'Would I receive training on the job?'
'Would I be required to do further study?'

Be careful how you ask questions about salary, promotion, career development, etc. Asking these types of question may give the impression that you are only interested in how the job will benefit you, rather than what you can offer. If possible, phrase your questions so that you stress the benefits to the section rather than to yourself.

Preparation for the Interview

There are a number of things you can do to prepare yourself for the interview.

Know yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, skills, goals, preferences, personal qualities, etc. and be prepared to talk about them. The more you know about yourself, the more confident you are likely to appear at the interview.

Look at the duty statement and selection criteria and think about what knowledge, skills and experience you have that you could talk about at the interview.

Think of specific things you've done and specific situations you've experienced that you could discuss (refer back to the exercises you did in Section 2).

Think about the kinds of questions you might be asked and give some thought to how you might answer them.

Think about any questions you might want to ask the selection panel.

Write down a few ideas if you think this will help you to remember.

Practise answering some of the questions, especially the ones you find difficult. You could try talking to yourself or taping yourself. Better still, practise with someone you know, e.g. a friend, colleague or partner, and get them to ask you both prepared questions that you particularly want to practise, and 'surprise' questions.

Do some further research on the department and the job. Find out as much as you can about them either by talking with someone in the area or with those who have close contact with them, or with someone working in a similar position in another department.

The more you know about the job and the department, the more positively you'll be able to answer questions and show that you have an understanding of the needs of the position and the department. If possible, find out details about the department such as its size, main areas of responsiblity, directions, policies, who they deal with, etc.

If possible, try to arrange a visit to the department or section beforehand to find out more about it. See where you would be working if you got the job and try to meet some of the people with whom you'd be working.

If you're feeling particularly nervous or underconfident about the interview, consider the following techniques:

Try to imagine that you are at the interview, that you're feeling relaxed and confident, and that everything's going well (positive visualisation)

Talk to yourself positively about the interview. Say things like 'The interview will go well', 'I know I can do this job', etc. (affirmation). The more positive you are about the interview, the better you will come across.

What to Take With You

There are several items you might like to take with you to the interview. Some of these will be useful for you to refer to; others are for the selection panel to look at.

A copy of your written application, in case the panel ask you for clarification on things you've stated in the application.

A copy of the duty statement and selection criteria for the position.

Any notes of questions you want to ask the panel and are afraid you might forget.

Originals of any qualifications/certificates achieved since joining the University.

One of two examples of things you've done which are relevant to the position, e.g. a short report you've written, a brochure or pamphlet you've produced, a sample of a spreadsheet you've set up, etc. Make sure you don't give them anything too long, and be prepared to leave the sample with the panel if they are interested in it. The selection panel may not have time or may not wish to look at such documents, but bringing them along shows that you are well prepared.

How to Create a Good Impression at the Interview

First impressions

First impressions are very important. How you come across in the first few minutes of the interview will have a big impact on the panel's decision. Even though the panel assesses you against each of the selection criteria, its judgement may be influenced by what you said and did early on in the interview.

Arrive at the interview a few minutes early. This gives you a chance to get your thoughts together before the interview starts, and also to get a feel for the place where you may be working. Arriving late is not only bad manners, but may give the panel the impression that you are unable to organise yourself well. If for some unavoidable reason you are going to be late, contact the panel to let them know.

Dress appropriately. There are various ideas on what this means and on how formally you should dress for an interview. It depends a bit on the kind of job you'll be doing and where you'll be working, The best idea is to try to find out what others in the department normally wear and dress accordingly. Make sure you choose something you feel comfortable in. If in doubt, it's probably best to dress fairly conservatively.

When called in for the interview, greet each panel member in turn, using their names if possible. Smile. If you are comfortable doing so, shake hands with each person - this helps to establish contact and build rapport.

Be yourself/behave naturally. 'Put your best foot forward', without pretending to be something or someone you're not.

Body language

Use positive eye contact: look at the selection panel. When one panel member asks you a question, don't respond to that person exclusively; glance occasionally at the others on the panel as well rather than focussing only on one person.

Be aware that your body language is also important:

use positive facial gestures, e.g. smiling, nodding, etc.
sit comfortably, but reasonably upright, rather than slouching
lean forward a little.
use open gestures, e.g. arms by sides rather than folded across you.
avoid fidgeting, tapping fingers, etc. as these can be distracting to the panel.

Check the body language of those on the selection panel to make sure they're not looking confused, frustrated, overwhelmed by details, etc.

Answering questions

Listen carefully to the questions, and allow yourself time (but not too long) to think rather than rushing in with your answer.

Answer questions clearly and concisely. Don't 'waffle on' for too long, and make sure you can be heard and understood.

Avoid talking too generally about your experiences. Focus on what you have done rather than what you would do and use 'I' statements rather than 'we'. The panel wants to know what your role was.

Wherever possible, try to talk about how successful things were, e.g. something you initiated that is still being used; a difficult interaction that you handled well and where the client went away happy, etc.

Volunteer useful information when opportunities arise, don't just wait to be asked.

When answering questions, it's a good idea to give a brief overall picture before getting down to a specific example. This lets the panel know that you have a wide range of experience rather than a limited amount. For example, if you're asked about when you've had to use your organisational skills, very briefly list the range of things you've had to organise and then focus on one situation that is a particularly good example of it.

For instance, you could say something like:

'I'm responsible for organising several events each year, including .... . Probably the one that bests demonstrates my organisational skills is ....'.

Don't respond by saying 'That's in my résumé or selection criteria statement'! It may well be the case, but the panel cannot remember isolated details from the number of applications it reads. Think of it as an opportunity to further expand and elaborate on your abilities.

Don't criticise former employers or current colleagues during the interview. This will give the impression that you are disloyal or have a tendency to blame others.

Handling difficult or inappropriate questions

You may be asked questions that you consider to be inappropriate, e.g. about your personal life, etc. How you handle these is important.

Try to avoid a confrontational approach such as saying 'I'm not prepared to answer that'. Ask for clarification on why the panel needs that information by relating it back to the position. For example, you could say something like 'I'm not clear about how this relates to the job.'.

Alternatively, try to see what's behind the question. 'What does your husband/wife think of your working overtime?' could be answered in the same way as 'Would you be available to work overtime?', e.g.'Overtime would generally not be a problem for me'.

You may, of course, decide that you don't want to work for someone who asks inappropriate questions!

Asking questions

If you're unclear what the panel means by a particular question, don't be afraid to ask for clarification. It's better to say something like 'I'm not sure I understand the question.', or 'Would you mind repeating that?', or 'Do you mean ....?' than to assume you know what they mean and not answer the question appropriately.

If you think the panel may be confused by something you've said, check that you're giving them the information they want by saying something like 'Does that answer your question?', or 'Have I given you enough information or would you like some more examples?'.

If asked to give examples of things that haven't gone well, e.g. the way you've handled people in past, etc., talk about what you've learned from your mistakes and how you do things differently now.

Positive attitude

Show enthusiasm for the job in your tone of voice, the things you say, and your body language.

Focus on the positive things. Just as with your written application, avoid negative words and phrases like 'limited' 'only', 'very little', 'I don't have ....', 'All I did was .....' etc.

Focus on what you can do instead. You need to be honest with the panel, but instead of saying something like 'No, I haven't used Microsoft Excel', talk about relevant things you have done, e.g. 'I haven't used Microsoft Excel, but I have used a number of other spreadsheet packages, including ....'.

If you have things to say about yourself that you think are particularly relevant to the job and you haven't been asked them, you can raise these at the end of the interview.

It could be about issues which haven't been discussed but which you think are particularly important to the job, e.g. initiative, working well in a team, etc. Alternatively, you may want to mention personal strengths which you think are important to the job, e.g. conscientiousness, loyalty, adaptability, etc.

Last impressions

Just as first impressions are very important, so are last impressions. Finish by thanking the panel for taking the time to see you and by confirming your interest and enthusiasm for the position.

Other Ways of Assessing Your Suitability for the Job

In addition to the interview you may be asked to do other tests to demonstrate your ability to do the job. Whether or not you are required to do so will depend on the nature of the position and the preferences of the selection panel.

Usually you will be informed when the panel contact you to arrange an interview. However, if you're in doubt, check with the selection panel.

Types of tests will vary greatly depending on the job, but may include:

typing or word processing tests, including speed/accuracy tests, ability to use particular word processing packages, etc.
written tests - to demonstrate your ability to draft correspondence, reports, etc.
tests in the use of particular equipment
personality or psychological tests
comprehension tests - to assess your knowledge of specific areas, e.g. technical, accounting procedures, word comprehension.

If you are asked to do a test, try to find out as much as you can about it beforehand and prepare in any way you can. For example, if you are going to given a typing speed test, practice at getting your speeds up beforehand.

After the Interview

After your interview spend some time thinking about how it went and analyse the things you think you did well and things you could have improved on. That way, if you don't get the job, you will be prepared to come across better next time.