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Interview Preparation

Prepare for Common Questions

• Tell me about yourself.

Concentrate on how your experience makes you a strong candidate for the position. Use examples to
demonstrate how you match the ‘ideal candidate’ section of the job description

• Why do you want this job?

Play to your strengths. Highlight the aspects of job that will highlight for which you have a particularly
strong track record. e.g., Improving OEE, implementing continuous improvement, gaining third-party
accreditations, building a team etc.

• What are your strengths/weaknesses? (Similar questions: ‘How would you describe your personality?'
or 'How would your manager/employees describe you?’)

Choose the most relevant strengths for the job to which you’re applying. For weaknesses, avoid 'I work
too hard/I'm a perfectionist'. Instead, choose a real area where you're aware you could do better, and
say what you're doing about it.

• Where do you see yourself in three/five years?

Try to link your career goals with what you know the company offers I terms of career development and
link it to what the company hopes to achieve in the next three/five years.

• What do you like/dislike about your last/current job?

While it’s best to be honest about what you disliked, bear in mind that being overly critical of your
former or current employer is off-putting. Focus on the positives, e.g., “I enjoyed being able to achieve x,
y and z”
Do Your Research

• The skills and experience the company values.

First and foremost, you should know what the company looks for in a qualified candidate. This enables
you to position yourself as the best candidate for the position.

Read between the lines of their job postings. You can also find out information on the employer’s career
page to get an idea of the type of employees they wish to attract. Reach out to current employees who
work there and ask them about what the company values.

• Key players in the company.

These individuals can be managers, department directors, and especially the CEO/president of the
company.

You can find out who the key players of the organization by reading the employer’s “About” page and
employee bios. It’s also a good idea to check out what these individuals say on Twitter and LinkedIn to
learn what employees say about the company online.

• News and recent events company.

Most companies have a page on their website dedicated to press releases and events. This is a great
source for you to find out information regarding the company’s latest news and updates. Use Google
too.

• The company’s culture, mission, and values.

Pay attention to what’s written on their website regarding the company’s values and mission. You can
also learn more about the company culture by following the organization on its social media networks.

• Clients, products, and services.

For all job interviews, knowing who the company’s customers are and the type of products the company
makes is hugely important. For interviews in food manufacturing is absolutely essential.

Use the company’s website. You can also read through the company’s blog, case studies, and white
papers. Reach out to your network too.

• The person/people interviewing you.

Finally, you should find out everything you can about the interviewer(s). This will give you an advantage
during the interview because you’ll have a better chance of connecting with them and sparking a
meaningful conversation.
 Do some research on LinkedIn and other social media. This will help you learn about the interviewer’s
background, their position with the company, any shared connections and maybe even some common
interests you share.

Competency Questions

Competency questions require you to provide real-life examples as the basis of your answers.

Common competencies include:

• Decision Making
• Communication
• Leadership
• Achieving Results
• Problem Solving
• Organisational skills

Preparing for Competency Questions

From the job description or person specification, pick out the main competencies that the employer is
looking for and think of examples of when and how you've demonstrated each of these.

Familiarise yourself with the STAR approach to answering questions

The STAR Method

Situation: Set the scene and be as specific as possible.

It’s tempting to include all sorts of unnecessary details. But if the interview asks you to tell them about a
time you didn't meet a customer's expectations, for example, they don't necessarily need to know the
entire history of your customer relationship. Your goal here is to paint a clear picture of the situation you
were in and emphasise its challenges, so that the result get to later seems as significant as possible. Keep
things concise.

Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.

You’re telling this story because you had some sort of core involvement in it. This is the part of your answer
when you make the interviewer understand exactly where you fit in. This can easily get confused with the
“action”. However, this piece is dedicated to giving the specifics of what your responsibilities were, as well
as any objective that was set for you before you dive into what you actually did.

Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.

What steps did you take to reach that goal or solve that problem? Resist the urge to give a vague answer
such as, “So, I worked hard on it…” or “I did some research…”. Be specific. This is your chance to really
showcase your contribution. Make sure you give enough information about exactly what you did.
Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

The result obviously be positive! Interviewers don’t just care about what you did, they want to know why it
mattered. Make sure you clearly articulate the results you achieved and quantify them if possible. Numbers
are always impactful.

Prepare your Questions

Your questions are a chance to find out more but also to confirm your interest in the job and demonstrate
that you’ve thought carefully about the opportunity. Because many of your questions will be answered
during the interview, consider preparing about 10 so you almost certainly have some left to ask at the end.

- About the job

What does a typical day look like for a person in this position?
What are your short- and long-term goals for the person you hire?
How has this role evolved over time to meet the needs of company?

- About the company

Why do you enjoy working here?

How would you describe the company’s culture?
What kind of growth does the company expect to see within the next five years? Can
you describe some of the company’s recent challenges and achievements?

- About your qualifications

What qualities do you look for in a candidate?

Do you have any concerns about my experience or skill set?
Are there reservations regarding my fit with the role or company?

- About the next steps

What are the next steps in the hiring process?

When might I hear back from you regarding a decision?

Topics to avoid

If you’re still in the early stages of the interview process, avoid asking questions about salary, benefits,
vacation time or company perks. You could send the message that you’re more interested in how the
company can benefit you, not how you can contribute to the company.

As your Consultant, we will handle this part of the process.