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Interview Preparation - Here's How to Wow!

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Preparation will give you confidence and clarity about the position you are interviewing for, not only increasing your changes of getting offered the position, but also giving you the opportunity to better judge if the role is right for you too. But you do just need to do the preparation, you need to demonstrate to the employer that you've done it too. And here's how...

Organise What To Take With You

  • Photo ID

  • A portfolio of your qualification/certificates if you have one

  • A pad of paper with your interview questions 

  • Printed Job Description and Website pages with notes/highlighted section

Know The Role

Are you confident that you know the service users you will be supporting (e.g. children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, adults with learning disabilities etc.) the location or locations of the role and the working shift pattern? If not, do ask your Recruitment Specialist – you will need to know these aspects and be happy with them prior to your interview.

Questions To Ask

Remember an interview is a two way process and an opportunity for your to find out more about the role and organisation.

We recommend you prepare six questions for the interview that you can use if these are not covered within the interview itself. If they interviewees really have covered everything, be honest and explain the questions you would have asked and find out a little bit more about the interview process and any day to day aspects of the role.

Prepare For The Day

Do you need to plan childcare or to arrange time off work? Will you have plenty of time to get to the interview location and find a parking space on time? Have you decided what to wear and is it clean and ready? Plan this as much in advance as possible. There is nothing more stressful than rushing around to make last minute plans or leaving yourself too little time to get to your interview.

Know Your Own CV

Why did you leave your last 3 employers? Why are you looking for a new role now? What were you doing during any gaps in employment? If you have had bad experiences with recent employers, try to think of ways to explain these without coming across as too negative about your employers - remember you want them to think of you as positive and enthusiastic and by turning any issues into learning experiences you will be showing you are willing to learn and grow.

Questions To Ask

Two Questions Relating to Their Website, e.g. I noticed on your website that you specialise in supporting XXX, please tell me more about this.

Two Questions Relating to the Job Description, e.g. I noticed on the Job Description that I will be required to xxxx. Will this involve xxx?”

Two Additional Questions, e.g. What career progression opportunities might I have? What sort of shift pattern do you have? Will I have opportunity to do overtime?”

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Now you are all set do your best to relax, be yourself and do the best you can. That's all you can ask of yourself. Good luck!

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