Page 170 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

Before the interview tRouBLeShooting

Being late

We’ve all seen the comedy programmes or heard the excuses of people being
late for an interview, and whilst it doesn’t make a good first impression, it’s life,
and sometimes people are unavoidably delayed.

You should ensure that you leave plenty of time to travel to the interview venue,
so allow time for train delays or traffic jams. Better to spend 40 minutes in a
café near the company’s office than to arrive late.

Do ensure that you have a contact name and number before you set off, so
that if the worst comes to the worst and you are unavoidably delayed you can
call to let them know. At least this way you are showing that you are aware of
the problem and dealing with it proactively.

Ultimately, the organisation may cancel the interview. If this happens, you
should try to rearrange – in most instances they are willing to accommodate
this, so long as you have been open about your reasons for being late.

how many examples should i prepare?

There are no clear answers to this, as in part it depends on the length of the
interview and seniority of the role you are going for. In a 60-minute interview it
is usually only possible to cover about four to five areas, with one example for
each.

For a more senior level role, it is likely that several examples will be sought, as
these will demonstrate a breadth of experience that is needed for the role. A
good rule of thumb, therefore, is not to overuse an example from one question
to the next. While it may be appropriate and show experience across different
competencies, it may also indicate a lack of breadth of experience – which
may count against you.

The best thing to do is to follow the guidance of the interviewer. They will
structure the interview to ensure that they get the information that is necessary

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