Interview Skills Training and CV Preparation

Interview Skills course to help students and job seekers achieve great results!

Interview Skills training is designed for all those who wish to improve and demonstrate their full range of communication skills within an interview context. It is useful either in any educational or vocational/professional context or for personal development. It is also designed to encourage and develop speaking, listening and thinking skills.

Level 1

• Personal Introduction
• Providing background information
• Making presentations
• Research and read job advert/ course details, summarise key points
• Telephone and face-to-face interview -answer questions about job or course applied for
• Asking questions of interviewers
• Listening and responding to queries, participating in discussions

Level 2

• Defining job or placement applying for 
• Reviewing curriculum vitae (CV) and explaining skills and experience to interviewers
• Answering questions after presentation
• Contributing actively to sessions of others and in discussions
• Confidence building techniques
• Arranging interviews over the telephone, requesting forms and other information
• Asking interviewer questions about job / placement/ course

Best for: Students who will be interviewed for job placements, paid employment or to secure a place at college or university.

Accreditation:     ESB is an Ofqual recognised awarding body

Schools can choose Level 1 or two or to combine Levels 1 and 2 (accredited* or not).

For further information or to book training, email: schools@executive-solutions.co.uk or telephone 0847 054 2870.

Click here for information online or cut and paste in your browser:

http://www.executive-solutions.co.uk/documents/InterviewskillscoursetohelpGreaterLondonsecondaryschoolstudents-withpricesandfeedback.pdf

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Top Tips for Successful Interviews

      Before the interview

• Research the organisation to find out more about the company and what are their main activities and concerns at present. This is in addition to research when applying for the job. Stay current, ensure you are aware of recent changes in the organisation.

• Review the job description to remind yourself of the duties and responsibilities and skills for the role (both essential and desirable).

• Think of likely questions the interviewers would ask. Prepare suitable responses to questions.

• Think of at least one situation when you would have applied each of the essential skills required for the job. For example, if advert requires the successful applicant to be able to multi-task or highly organised, think of situations at school or from your voluntary or part-time job when you had to multi-task or be very organised.

• Prepare your list of questions to ask interviewers when they invite you to ask questions.

• Review your cv to ensure you are familiar with all you have written and can discuss it in detail.

• Check the address and plan your journey. If uncertain what is the best route, telephone reception at least two days before your interview and ask for directions. Check that you have the correct date, time and venue for your interview.

• Aim to arrive at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time for your interview. If you will arrive much earlier, you can choose to find a suitable point/café to wait nearby or wait in the reception area of the office and explain you are early for the interview.

       On arrival for the interview

• Greet the receptionist and indicate you are there for an interview. Give the name of the person you should be meeting, the job you applied for and the time of your interview. This ensures you are sent to the correct room, in the event of several interview being conducted on the same day.

• Be prepared to greet the interviewer(s) with a handshake and a smile.

       During the interview

• Be prepared to answer questions about why you applied for the job. Answer questions with confidence and fully. Speak up so that interviewers can hear you easily.

• Describe your skills with examples of how you used these previously -jobs, school, volunteer.

• If you did not hear or understand a question, ask interviewers to repeat. Ensure, however, you listen carefully, so you are not often asking for questions to be repeated. You may want to repeat a question to interviewers to clarify your interpretation of the question.

•  Avoid empty or distracting words -Ah, Err, right, you know what I mean, whatever,....

       Dress

• Choose clean, smart looking and ironed clothes. Suitable clothing will give you a tidy and well groomed appearance (look and smell). Avoid overpowering scents and bright colours. Dress should be relevant to the type of job for which you applied -indoor vs outdoor jobs. If practical, visit beforehand to get an idea of the dress culture at the organisation. Footwear –choose shoes, not trainers. Ensure shoes are clean and polished. 

• Guys -wear a belt with your trousers, secure the belt, tuck your shirt in your pants and make sure your tie is tied properly.

• Girls - Try not to go for a top that is revealing or shows a lot of flesh, large earrings, brightly coloured tights or shoes with very high heels. You do not want to fall over on arrival.

• Jewellery should be kept to bare minimum, if necessary. If worn, jewellery should be small pieces, not large and colourful. Tattoos and other body adornments are best kept out of sight/covered.

       After the interview

• Assess yourself. Reflect on what went well during the interview and what could have been better.

• Write the interviewers to thank them for the interview. You can let them know you remain interested in the job and provide any additional relevant information.

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10 Steps along the Bridge to Confidence and Success

Confident people feel good about themselves, build better personal relationships and are more successful at work. They are confident when interacting with others, whether speaking in front of a group, over the telephone or at a job interview.

Self-confidence is a reflection of your self-esteem and when you lack confidence, you shy away from interacting with people. At work as well as in your personal life, low self-confidence impedes progress and denies you many opportunities. Confidence is a necessary skill in any interview situation, including making a presentation at an Assessment Centre. In interviews, your level of confidence will be obvious to interviewers and could influence how they perceive you and how they assess your credibility.

1. Step out of your comfort zone and attempt new tasks. Create novel strategies for action, meet new people and visit new places.
2. Develop your knowledge and stay current. Keeping informed will give you confidence. Extend the breadth of your information gathering so you are current and share up-to-date rather than outdated information.

3. Recognise and value the importance of continuing to learn –lifelong learning. It does not have to be a formal course, as we learn in different ways and from various experiences –our own, those of our families and friends and, sometimes, even from strangers.

4. Develop strong thinking skills. Being a Mom and responding to numerous questions from your child has prepared you for this, so show how much you have learnt. You will have more successful outcomes when you are able to think quickly when on your feet –or seat- in an interview and respond well to questions asked by interviewers.

5. When you cannot find a suitable response, ask for time to address it later, before the end of the interview. This shows you are thinking and prepared to do your best.

6. Don’t let setbacks get you down. Identify what you have learnt from each situation and ensure you don’t repeat the actions that caused them.

7. Learn to express your ideas – fluently and in a way that engages people. Hone your skills by signing up to a public speaking or presentation skills course or get advice from a Trainer or Speaker who appears confident and demonstrates the skills of speech craft.

8. Model the behaviour of confident people you encounter, especially those people with whom you interact regularly.

9. Visualise yourself in situations where you were comfortable and felt confident. Now remember how you felt and retain that feeling of pleasure for a few seconds. If you can recreate that feeling you’ll find that you can actually change the way you feel right now. This technique is known as ‘anchoring’. Use this anchoring technique when you feel the need to boost your self-confidence.

10. Recognise your own abilities and experience, do not undervalue them. If you can mentally ‘pat yourself on the back’ about what you know already, your self-esteem and confidence will increase. Give yourself that boost!

© 2008 Veronica Broomes. Training Director, Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd.

Veronica Broomes helps people improve their outlook on personal circumstances and release their positive self as they grow in confidence. As Training Director at Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd, Veronica supports job seekers, non-management staff, managers and directors to communicate effectively, be successful at interviews and feel at ease in a range of situations and social groupings. Customised communication skills courses are available from Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd plus accreditation in Oral Skills for Interviews (English Speaking Board).

tel: 0845 054 2870

email: sales@executive-solutions.co.uk 

www.executive-solutions.co.uk

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Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd

Tel: +44(0)845 054 2870

Email: sales@executive-solutions.co.uk

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Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd

Registered in England & Wales

Company Number: 6219890
Registered Office: 17 Ensign House, Admirals Way, Canary Wharf,

London E14 9XQ, United Kingdom

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