First Military Recruitment Interview Preparation

As you pursue your job hunt, interviewing skills will prove to be very valuable. The interview is the
most critical event in landing that perfect job so a little time brushing up on these skills could prove
invaluable. In such a competitive market place it is more important than ever to do a good interview.
You should always think of the interview as a two-way street. They might want you, but do you want
them? It is no longer acceptable to say, “I have no questions; I think you have covered everything”.
You must really think about the company and the job that you potentially will be doing.

This interview pack will take you through the interview process including competency-based questions
and picking out crucial points that if you follow will greatly improve your chances of landing that
perfect role! Our fully trained consultants are here at hand should you have any worries, concerns or
questions.

Be confident in yourself. We are. We have assessed your attributes and understood your
requirements. We have also discussed with you, the job you are being interviewed for. If we did not
think you were suitable for the position, we would not have wasted your time sending you for an
interview.

Preparation Prior to Interview Presentation

 Always wear a suit to an interview unless told otherwise. Preferably a dark one with a white
shirt/blouse and gents to wear a plain tie.
 Look clean and fresh!
 Tie long hair back.
 Accessories like folders and handbags should be minimal and conservative.
 Jewellery and make up should be kept to a minimum.
 No heavy perfume or cologne.
 Please remember to turn your mobile OFF.
 Remember, 'first impressions count'. Most interviewers will make up their minds about
you in the first 10 minutes.

Preparation

 Have you researched the company, looked at their website and know what they specialise in?
You can use this information to ask questions.
 If you are unsure on the location do a practice run, look in your A-Z or on
https://www.google.co.uk/maps
 Always be on time. All employers will disapprove of lateness. The best idea is to arrive 15
minutes early and wait out the time nearby, but not at the interview location.
 If you do anticipate being late call us!!

Interview Techniques Conducting Yourself

 Remember to be pleasant to eve.ryone you meet. It maybe that the receptionist is asked his
or her opinion of you after you have left.
 When the interviewer meets you offer a firm handshake, call the person by name, smile and
maintain a comfortable amount of eye contact.
 Be confident and friendly.
 Speak correctly avoiding slang and colloquialism.
 When answering questions, look for opportunities to express your strengths.
 Ask questions to gather more information about the company, making it easier to align your
attributes to fit the role and company culture.
 Always believe in yourself!

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Dos and Don’ts

 Do not put your handbag, briefcase or elbows on the interviewer’s desk or in your lap.
 Do not slouch, sit on the edge of your seat, shuffle your feet or tap your fingers.
 Do answer questions concisely, honestly and avoid getting side tracked.
 Do not interrupt, but do not be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify a question if you do not
understand.
 Do not criticize former employers, employment agencies or anyone else.
 Do explain your reasons for changing jobs in a positive way.
 Do smile.
 Do look the interviewer in the eye.
 Do use the interviewers’ name.
 Do ask questions. If your mind goes blank say ‘You have covered everything, but if I think of
anything afterwards, may I ask the agency?”.
 Do try to avoid the subject of promotion; most companies are interested in filling the vacancy
in hand.
 Do close for a 2nd meeting, if confident enough ask if they have any reservations about you
after what they have seen so far, that way you may be able to address those there and then,
if there are none, then you can come out of there with more confidence.

Questions They Might Ask

The following are questions that you will always need to be prepared to answer in any interview, they
may not all be asked but BE PREPARED!

 Why do you want the job or what interests you about this job?
 What do you know about the company and the job?
 Why do you think you are suitable for this position? What is your relevant experience?
 What are your strengths and weaknesses?
 Why should we hire you?
 What motivates you?
 What benefits can you bring to this company?
 Why did you leave your last job?
 What aspects of your last role did you enjoy?
 What are your long-term career goals?
 What salary are you seeking?
 What notice period are you on and when are you available to start work?

Competency Based Questions

A lot of interviewers these days will probe your abilities with particular tasks through competency style
questions. This could involve gathering evidence of a variety of skills including communication,
motivation or flexibility. Some examples are below…

Communication

 Can you give me an example of when you have written an important letter to a client? How
did you ensure it was clear to the reader? What feedback did you receive?
 Have you ever had to explain something really difficult over the telephone? What was so
difficult about it? How might you do it differently in future?
 Tell me about a time you had to communicate a complicated idea to another person or team.
How did you go about this? What was your strategy to ensure they understood? How did you
check that they understood?
 How do you ensure communication is effective?
 How would you persuade colleagues that an established procedure could me more effective if
amended slightly?

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Influencing

 Tell me about a time when you had to convince a colleague(s) of your point of view. What
positive messages and benefits did you outline and why?
 Describe a time when you have had to develop an important strategy or initiate a project. How
did you go about it? Who was involved? How did you ensure success? What indirect
influencing methods did you use?
 How do you prioritise your own work? How do you establish your own priorities? How
regularly do you review your priorities? What do you do if an urgent request comes in?
 What aspect of planning do you find most useful?
 What was the most important event you have had to plan for in the past? What if anything
would you have done differently? What aspects of the process did you find most challenging?
Flexibility
 What experience have you had of working in a team? Describe the team and how it is
operated. What was your role in the team? What did you contribute to your team? What
support would you expect from the team?
 Tell me about the last time you had to cope with a significant change in your daily work
patterns, brought about by factors outside your control
 How do you cope with the problem in the workplace of simultaneous, “urgent” demands made
upon your time?

Resilience

 How do you motivate yourself? How do you manage really dull administrative tasks?
 Not all experiences have a positive outcome, how do you pick yourself up after a bad
experience?
 How would you react if an extremely angry client phoned you demanding an answer to a
problem that had been passed from pillar to post from the last two weeks and who is also
hurling personal abuse and insults at you?
 Give an example of a difficult situation you have found yourself in? How did you approach it?
 Can you describe a situation where you faced overwhelming odds yet managed to prevail?
What odds did you face? How and why did you prevail?

Relationships with others

 How would you establish yourself in a team? What steps would it be important to take?
 Describe a time when you feel you definitely contributed to the success of a team. Why was
the team so successful? What was your contribution to its success? What did you learn from
this experience?
 Can you think of a time when you were part of an unsuccessful team? Why was that team
unsuccessful? In hindsight, what could you personally have done to remedy the situation?

Problem Solving

 Can you give me an example of when your manager was absent, and you were required to
deal with an unforeseen problem? What did you take into consideration? How did you analyse
the situation? What alternatives did you consider? What was the effect of your decision?

Motivation

 How do you manage to maintain high energy and concentration levels when work becomes
tedious or monotonous? Can you give me examples?
 Can you cite any examples of when your own personal energy and drive inspired others to
see things differently and thus turned negativity or apathy into positive results?

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Questions you should ask

 Can you tell me a little bit about the people who work in the team?
 How have others progressed within the organisation?
 What is the decision process and time scale for this position?
 To whom would I report?
 Who are the key people I would be working with?
 What is the most rewarding aspect of this job?
 When do you want somebody to start?
 What sort of person are you looking for?
 Why would I want to work for you?

Finality

As the interview winds down, the time has come to leave the recruiter in no doubt that you are
interested in the position. Phrases like…Thank you very much for seeing me today, from what you
have told me about the position I feel it could be just what I am looking for – what would be the next
step? Or… I very much enjoyed our meeting today, this is a great company and I would be keen to
meet with you again, what would be the next step?

Many roles have been offered to the candidate with the least skills but the most enthusiasm and
interest!! This is the 90/10 rule – 90% enthusiasm and 10% skills. After the interview Feedback is very
important. You should call us immediately after the interview. In certain circumstances this could be
the difference between a job offer or not! By the same token we will give you feedback from the
interviewer as soon as possible. This is essential in a situation where you have failed, as it will give us
clues to your strengths and weaknesses at interview.

In Summary If you spend time planning for your interview you will feel more confident which will come
across to the interviewer. To plan the interview effectively you should: Research the company,
prepare for the questions that you will believe they will ask, prepare your questions, decide what to
wear well in advance, allow plenty of time to get to the interview (better to be 20 minutes early than 5
minutes late!)

Being so prepared will relax you, which will allow your personality to come out and let you engage
properly with the interviewer. Presentation is all important as we all know first impressions count.
Therefore, always wear a suit to any interview Ultimately you must sell yourself. Be enthusiastic and
positive. Sell your experience, your willingness and your drive and determination. Be yourself and be
upbeat! Be confident

GOOD LUCK AND PLEASE CALL US WITH SOME FEEDBACK ON COMPLETION OF YOUR
INTERVIEW!!!