Education

Getting through the interview process

Interviews can be gruelling for even the most extroverted people

How can you, of all the people who applied for this job, get through the process and get that job? File photograph: Getty Images

Peter McGuire
Fri Sep 23 2022 - 00:56

So you’ve sent out your CV to dozens of companies. It’s on the desk of the hiring manager, along with dozens of CVs from other applicants.

It’s now the job of the hiring manager to bin most of these CVs, so you need yours to stand out. But even if it does, you’ve got the whole interview process ahead of you, and interviews can be gruelling for even the most extroverted people.

How can you, of all the people who applied for this job, get through the process and get that job?

Brendan Baker, head of the career development centre at Maynooth University, says that an excellent CV is the key starting point.

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“It has the core information that a recruiter is looking for, and it needs to be concise. I always look for a personal statement that tells me about the applicant, makes me want to meet you and uses authentic language.”

Because the hiring manager is ruthlessly looking to cull CVs, it’s really important to avoid any spelling or grammar mistakes so, ideally, get someone to proofread your CV. Beyond this, a good CV should be tailored to the position for which you’re applying.

For graduates — who may not have a huge amount of work experience — it helps to show companies that you have the key skills and competencies they need and to give examples of how you have demonstrated these skills. These can be from work experience, internships, involvement in clubs and societies at college, volunteering or caring work (including in your own home) or — if these opportunities were curtailed by the pandemic — what you did during lockdown.

A focus on achievements in any of these roles also helps lift your CV above one that contains a long list of duties you had.

Career and wellbeing coach Pauline Harley says that, when it comes to CVs and interviews, it’s all about research.

“Research is the foundation of making progress. We need to consider what we can bring and where we will fit into an organisation before we even think about submitting our CV. When we do our research, we can learn to formulate more deliberate, informed responses.”

Companies want to hire people who want to work for them and who understand what they are about, so this will always play well in an interview situation.

“Research the company and current leadership team and employees on LinkedIn,” says Harley. “How are they progressing, how long are they there, where did they come from, what are they interacting with on professional networks, and what words and tonality are used in their profiles? What courses are they doing? Is the organisation investing in them? Are there any radio interviews or podcasts featuring the leadership team or on the work the organisation is doing?”

Baker says that the first question in an interview is likely to be why you want to work at this company, so you need to be prepared.

“Know what the company does. I have even heard of people being asked what the share price is today, or who the ceo [chief executive] is. They want to see who has done their homework.”

Many job interviews have moved from in-person to online or over the phone, with more than 70 per cent of employers using them, partially because it works out cheaper for the company and takes up less time. But students may be required to do a presentation or attend an assessment centre.

Baker says that he would ask applicants for graduate jobs what they did during the pandemic. Companies are conscious that the usual routes for personal development — particularly getting involved in college life — were closed off during Covid, but it’s worth mentioning any project you got involved in, or how you keep productive and busy.

“It may be running or sea swimming, or re-engaging with the things you took for granted: maybe you learned more about the birds in your garden. But it is true a lot was missed when all learning was online,” Baker says.

Being aware of our social media presence is important: too little and you seem to barely exist; too much and you risk your prospective employer writing you off as a drunken lush.

“Use the privacy buttons so not everyone can see all your posts,” Baker advises. “Remember the granny rule: don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t be happy for your granny to see.”

In the interview, it’s all about positioning yourself to creatively tell the story of your CV.

“It depends on the context, but we should avoid a rehearsed, scripted and generic spiel similar to what we can see online on some professional networking sites,” says Harley.

“Unless it is a metric, technical or data-driven question, avoid scripting because interviewers are becoming bored with hearing the same generic scripts. It lacks creative thinking and projects a rigid thought process. Say it differently; it’s more meaningful and memorable.”

Asking questions is important, says Baker, because it shows curiosity and a willingness to learn.

“You should ask what opportunities you will have for personal and professional development, will you be on a product line, will you be involved in the design and innovation phase. Places want business acumen and they want you to be able to spot an opportunity and lead a team. In many places, by the time staff reach mid-management they have lost some of that curiosity and energy and are playing internal politics, so the challenge for any organisation is to keep it fresh, and that’s why they are hiring graduates.”

Practice makes perfect and if you don’t get the job, it’s worth reflecting on why so you can perform better in the next interview.

It’s no harm to ask for feedback if you don’t get the job, as it can help you find out where you went wrong — or whether you simply weren’t a good match for the company.

“Be self-compassionate; most people flunk their first interviews and learn from them,” says Harley. “Do your best until you can do better. It helps to fill in the gaps by considering a reflective process. What worked well? What didn’t? What did you learn? What one thing will you do differently next time? How are you doing on your development? How will you get meaningful feedback? And what do you need to keep growing?”

Pauline Harley: the five most common mistakes during interviews

• Lack of research.

• Not enough data to back up claims made in the CV from college experiences, lived experience or part-time roles as a student.

• Scripted, rigid and over-rehearsed responses. You can rehearse too much, which can cause a lack of flow in an interview process. Dance in the moment with the interviewer to show adaptability.

• Not asking creative research-informed questions.

• Not asking for what we need before or during an interview process for fear of judgment or coming across as inattentive or difficult. This is very important for neurodivergent candidates to be met at the same level. It is okay for us all to ask for as much information beforehand and a needs-based approach within reason in our interviews.

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