Interviews

Interviews are a crucial part of the recruitment process for most organisations. Their purpose is to give the selector a chance to assess you and for you to demonstrate your abilities and personality. It’s also an opportunity for you to assess them and to make sure the organisation and position are right for you.

The recruitment process for most organisations follows a common theme: applications/CVs are received, either online or by post; and candidates are short-listed and invited for interview. The interview format can vary considerably and may include an assessment centre and/or tests. The number of interviews also varies. Some companies are satisfied after one interview, whereas others will want to recall a further shortlist of candidates for more. If successful at the final interview stage, you will receive an official job offer.

Interview format

Interview format is determined by the nature of the organisation, but there are various standard formats.

Chronological interviews

These work chronologically through your life to date and are usually based on your CV or a completed application form.

Competency-based interviews

These are structured to reflect the competencies that an employer is seeking for a particular job (often detailed in the recruitment information). The chances are you will have focused on these in your application form. This is the most common type of interview for graduate positions today.

Technical interviews

If you have applied for a job or course that requires technical knowledge (eg positions in engineering or IT) it is likely, at some stage in the selection process, that you will be asked technical questions or have a separate technical interview to test your knowledge. Questions may focus on your final year project and your choice of approach to it or on real/hypothetical technical problems. You should be prepared to prove yourself but also to admit to what you don’t know (stress that you are keen to learn).

Case study interviews

Used largely by consulting firms, these can range from a straightforward brainteaser to the analysis of a hypothetical business problem. You will be evaluated on your analysis of the problem, how you identify the key issues, how you pursue a particular line of thinking and whether you can develop and present an appropriate framework for organising your thoughts. There is no perfect way to solve each problem and how you reach your solution is often more important than the solution itself.