Achievement Focused CV

The Achievement Focused CV

[Edit]

The most effective type of curriculum vitae (CV) or resume is one which focuses on your achievements, i.e., not just the duties you performed in previous roles but the positive impact you made while you were there.

Unfortunately many job seekers do not include professional accomplishments, possibly because they have based their CV on their job descriptions and not thought any further about it. While just listing your daily duties and responsibilities may have worked in the past, an unremarkable CV like this is unlikely to win any interviews in today’s job market.

Achievement focused CVs get interviews

[Edit]

With competition for many roles being extremely high it’s not unusual to find that a lot of applicants for any given job have similar skills, qualifications and experience. Creating a CV which is focused on tangible achievements as opposed to just listing duties will help to get your CV noticed and increase your chances of getting an interview.

Duties are not same as achievements

[Edit]

Your achievements are the things you did in a job which made a positive impact and contribution to your employer’s business. They demonstrate to a potential employer that you can do the job well. On the other hand, the skills and knowledge you would be expected to have in order to perform your everyday work duties do not count as accomplishments unless you can demonstrate specifically how you used them to benefit your employer.

Quantify your accomplishments

[Edit]

Accomplishments are not just an exaggerated way of describing your skills and experience, they’re tangible proof of your past performance. They are most powerful when you quantify them using numbers or percentages, for example the statement:

‘ increased sales’

is much stronger if the reader knows by how much you increased sales:

‘increased sales by 15%’, or
‘increased sales by £10,000’.

If you don’t know the exact number it’s fine to estimate as long as you state that you are estimating and you are confident that the estimate is fairly accurate and would be confirmed if an interviewer asks a previous employer for a reference.

Everyone has achievements

[Edit]

A common mistake when creating your CV is assuming that the only sort of contribution that counts is increasing company sales or winning new customers. Sales are undoubtedly very important but there are many other ways to make a positive difference, so don’t be tempted to think that you didn’t make an impact just because you weren’t in a sales role. Other ways that you may have made a contribution to your employer’s business include the following:

• Increasing the loyalty or satisfaction of existing customers
• Solving a problem or challenge, e.g., decreasing customer complaints
• Saving money, e.g., negotiating a better deal from a supplier
Saving time, e.g., suggesting a new time-saving process

• Developing an idea your employer acted on
• Launching new products, projects or initiatives
• Increasing the company press coverage or market recognition

How to identify achievements

[Edit]

One of the best ways way to identify your career accomplishments is to look at your skills and previous job duties one-by-one. As you go through them ask yourself what positive difference you made to your employer while you were doing that particularly activity.

Also review work-related feedback you’ve been given including positive comments and praise as well as formal inputs, e.g., the results of performance reviews.

Outside opinions can be helpful

[Edit]

Some people have difficulty identifying their achievements and find it helpful to get input from supportive colleagues and friends, or even previous employers. Asking someone else to make an objective assessment of why you were particularly good at your job is likely to reveal things which you may not have considered. They may also be able to help you quantify the difference you made.

Individual versus team achievements

[Edit]

If some of your best results were achieved as part of a team you can certainly still include them, for example:

‘member of a high-performing team which won the regional support award last year’

Highlighting team performance demonstrates not only that you’re a high-achiever, but also that you’re a good team player. However it doesn’t tell a prospective employer how you contributed to the team’s success, so for maximum impact you need to make sure that you include specific details of the role you played. Don’t leave the person reading your CV to guess what your contribution was.

Personal achievements

[Edit]

People with little or no previous work experience should still aim to include achievements on their CV. If you’re in this position it’s fine to include accomplishments from other parts of your life as long as they are relevant to the job you are applying for. Areas to look for achievements include volunteering roles, sporting activities and your academic record, for example:

• Raising money for charity – quantify the money raised and what you did to raise it
• Serving on a community or student committee – what role did you play and how did you make a difference?
• Leading a student team on a project – what size was the team and what did it achieve under your leadership?
• Awards won – don’t just list the awards, elaborate on what you did to win them
•

Accuracy is vital

[Edit]

It’s important to be honest about your achievements. Don’t be tempted to exaggerate as it’s very easy for employers to check on your claims. False information on a CV is very likely to result in your elimination from the application process or even criminal charges or dismissal if you’ve already been hired. Make sure that you can back up your claims with further details and be prepared to elaborate on them in an interview.

Aptitude Tests

An "aptitude test" (also called a "psychometric test") is a structured systematic means of testing a job candidates' aptitudes to perform specific tasks and react to a range of different situations given. Aptitude tests each have a standardised method of administration and scoring with the results quantified and compared with all other test takers.

To take WikiJob's practice aptitude tests see:

• Numerical Reasoning Practice Tests
• Verbal Reasoning Practice Test
• Diagrammatic Reasoning Practice Test Example Questions

To take high quality professional assessment grade SHL style practice Verbal and Numerical reasoning tests click here or click on the button below.

---

Aptitude Tests: Part of the Selection Process

[Edit]

Aptitude tests are increasingly administered online - most often after a candidate has made their initial job application - and are used to filter unsuitable applicants out of the selection process, without the need for time consuming one-to-one job interviews.

Employers use aptitude tests (such as SHL, PSL and the GTIOS psychometric test) alongside interviews, personality tests, application forms, assessment centres, academic results and other selection methods. No test is perfect, but all aim to give an indication of how candidates will respond to the challenges they will face in their day-to-day role at a firm.

Online and Paper Based Aptitude Tests

[Edit]

Aptitude tests can be taken online or at a testing centre, such as a firm's offices, where they are usually paper based. Often a firm may ask you to complete both types of test, to confirm you did not cheat during the initial unsupervised online test.

Test Structure

[Edit]

Tests are timed and are typically multiple choice. It is not uncommon for some available answers to be deliberately misleading so you must take care as you work through an aptitude test. Some tests escalate in difficulty as they progress. Typically these tests are not designed to be finished by candidates.

Scores and Marking

[Edit]

Your score relates your performance to an average group. Your aptitude, ability or intelligence has a relative value to this average result.

Typically, an 'average' performance is all that is required to pass an aptitude test. Most employers take people's backgrounds into consideration for marking. For example, maths graduates will have an unfair advantage over arts graduates on a numerical test. Consequently, most employers use these tests as only part of the assessment process.

Negative marking

[Edit]

Many aptitude tests incorporate negative marking. If this is the case, you will normally be told beforehand. In any test that does incorporate negative marking, you must not guess answers, even if you are under extreme time pressure, as you will undo your chances of passing.

Preparation and Practice

[Edit]

Evidence suggests that some practice of similar aptitude tests may improve your performance on real aptitude tests. Practice exam technique and try to become more familiar with the types of aptitude test you may face by completing practice questions. Even basic word and number puzzles may help you become used to the comprehension and arithmetic aspects of some tests.

Treat aptitude tests like an interview: get a good night's sleep, plan your journey to the test site, and arrive on time and appropriately dressed. Listen to the instructions you are given and follow them precisely.

Before the actual aptitude test itself, you will be almost certainly be given practice examples to try. Make sure you ask questions if anything is unclear at this stage. You will normally be given some paper on which to make rough workings. Often you can be asked to hand these in with the test, but typically not form part of the assessment.

Taking the Test

[Edit]

You should work quickly and accurately through the test. Don’t get stuck on any particular question: should you have any problems, return to it at the end of the test. You should divide your time up per question as accurately as you can- typically this will be between 50 and 90 seconds per question.

Remember that the tests are difficult and often you will not be expected to answer all the questions. Be particularly cautious if the aptitude test uses negative marking, however if this is not the case, answer as many questions as possible in the time given. Remember that multiple choice options are often designed to mislead you, with incorrect choices including common mistakes that candidates make.

Conclusion

[Edit]

Treat an aptitude test like any other exam. Work swiftly and accurately through any test. Work out the maximum time you can spend on any question and stick to it religiously. You can return to questions at the end. Never get stuck on any particular question, even if you think you nearly have it. If you are going to an assessment centre, take a calculator you understand with you. If you do not, you will be forced to use whatever they might provide you with. Answer as many questions as possible in the time given, but be wary of negative marking.

Coaching Material

[Edit]

Professional coaching material is available here for candidates interested in maximising their success at interview and specifically when taking aptitude tests.

Practice Aptitude Tests

[Edit]

To take high quality SHL style practice Verbal and Numerical reasoning tests click here or click on the banner below.

Further information

[Edit] For further information on aptitude tests/psychometric tests see:

• Criterion practice test questions
• SHL
• PSL
• Diagrammatic Reasoning
• GTIOS Psychometric Test

To take WikiJob's practice aptitude tests see:

• Numerical Reasoning Practice Aptitude Tests
• Verbal Reasoning Practice Aptitude Test

To ask questions and get advice about aptitude tests/psychometric tests visit the WikiJob discussion forum.

Assessment Centre

"Assessment centres", also known as "assessment centers" (American spelling) or "assessment days", are an extended period of interviews, assessed tasks and assessment exercises, organised and held by recruiters for small groups of graduate level candidates (usually between six and 20 people).

Recruiters use assessment centres to find out how candidates perform in various situations, in particular group situations, which are often modelled on real life work-based scenarios. They are most frequently used by large graduate employers who want to hire a relatively large number of people for a similar job role, such as a graduate scheme.

---

Job Test Prep offer a comprehensive online practice for candidates interested in improving their performance at Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to find out more now

---

Why is it called an assessment centre?

[Edit]

The term "assessment centre" is used because employers usually conduct these extended assessments in a single centre, either an office of the employer themselves or at a third party venue, such as a hotel or function room. The term "assessment day" is used because most of the time, these extended periods of assessment last for the best part of a day. Many last for 24 hours, and some even last longer (up to three days).

When do assessment centres take place?

[Edit]

If used, assessment centres are usually the final, or penultimate stage of the interview process for graduate jobs. This is because they can be expensive (they take up a lot of space and a lot of employees time to organise and run) and it is in an employer's interests to invite only job applicants most likely to be hired for the job applied for. Most job applicants have usually been rejected before the assessment centre stage of a firm's interview process, having been screened out using single phase assessment techniques such as telephone interviews, online aptitude tests and/or short face-to-face interviews.

---

Job Test Prep offer a comprehensive online practice for candidates interested in improving their performance at Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to find out more now

---

What are the assessments?

[Edit]

Assessment centres are commonly made up of a mixture of (but not all of) the following individual and group assessments:

Typical interviews used at an assessment centre

• Competency interview
• Partner interview
• Technical interview
• Panel Interview

Typical individual assessments used at an assessment centre

• Aptitude tests - (verbal reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning and/or numerical reasoning)
• Personality tests
• Case study
• Presentation
• E-tray exercise
• In-tray exercise
• Written exercise
• Professional conduct questions (mainly used by law firms)

Typical group assessments used at an assessment centre

• Case Study
• Group exercise
• Group discussion
• Group role play exercise
• Group business exercise

For more information regarding your "assessment centre", visit the forum or see the article How to Prepare for Assessment Centres.

Expenses

[Edit]

Candidates are invited to assessment centres by the firm they have applied to. As guests, attendance is always free, even if perks such as lunch, dinner or hotel rooms are provided. Most graduate employers will also be willing to cover each candidate's travel expenses, usually up to a maximum of £100.

A minority of firms (usually small-sized firms with smaller graduate recruitment budgets) will not offer to cover travel expenses. If you have been invited to attend an assessment centre, you should contact the HR team of the company in question to find out their policy on expenses. It is not rude to do this; graduate employers are fully aware that most students and graduates do not have much money and that travel is expensive.

---

Job Test Prep offer a comprehensive online practice for candidates taking Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to find out more now

---

Assessment centre etiquette

[Edit]

It is important to be professional at an assessment centre. Candidates should behave like the employees of the company they are being assessed by. You must wear smart business dress throughout; men should wear ties and polish their shoes; women should dress appropriately. If in doubt, dress conservatively.

Be polite, look people in the eye and shake hands. Make an effort to say hello to your fellow candidates and assessors. Everything you do during an assessment centre will be noted.

Why do employers use assessment centres?

[Edit]

Assessment centres are routinely used by larger graduate recruiters to assess candidates. Smaller graduate recruiters may not be able to organise and orchestrate entire assessment centres due to the expense involved, but are starting to introduce elements of assessment centres into their interview processes, such as psychometric testing and in-tray exercises.

The cost of putting a candidate through an assessment centre varies depending on the length, tasks involved and amount of employees required to assess candidates. Employers could be spending as much as £3,000 on each candidate at an assessment centre.

---

Job Test Prep offer a comprehensive online practice for candidates taking Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to find out more now

---

Why spend so much money assessing graduates?

[Edit]

Employers are prepared to spend money on assessment centres because they believe them to be the most accurate means of recruiting the right people for their vacant jobs. Research carried out by business psychologists into various methods of recruitment has demonstrated that traditional job interviews are not a particularly accurate way to predict a candidate's future performance. Interviews may also be affected by an interviewer's pre-conceptions or bias.

At an assessment centre candidates are usually marked objectively, in terms of highly structured competencies. The tasks they are asked to perform usually reflect the work they will be doing if hired, and consequently their ability to perform at assessment is thought to be a direct indication of their potential ability to perform the job in question. The group aspect also allows assessors to find out about candidate's key personality traits, such as how well-suited candidates are at working with other people.

Consequently it is thought that assessment centres are the fairest and most accurate way to recruit staff.

Assessment panels

[Edit]

An assessment centre is usually conducted by a group of assessors made up of members of an employer's HR team, departmental managers and partners at the firm. In theory this makes the process more objective, because the final decision on each candidate must be agreed on by a team of assessors, using a range of structured assessment methods, rather than one person. Competitive sports, such as ice-skating and boxing, and even celebrity talent shows such as X-Factor, also use panels for the very same reason.

Assessment centres are not a competition

[Edit]

You will not be in direct competition with other candidates at an assessment centre. It is normal for large organisations to recruit to a standard. All, several, one or none of your assessment group may be hired. You need to perform to a very high standard at an assessment centre, but you do not need to challenge, compete or disagree with other candidates. In fact, it may harm your assessors opinion of you if you do.

Selectors want to see how you react to and get on with other people during your assessments. Although it is good to show that you are competitive, your assessors are just as interested to see evidence of teamwork, communication and leadership skills, all things that are essential for a good employee to possess.

Example assessment centre

[Edit]

Assessment centres vary a great deal from firm to firm. A typical assessment centre at an investment bank will be as follows:

Day one

[Edit]

• 5pm: Arrive at Hotel / Registration
• 6.30pm: Drinks reception with company representatives
• 7.30pm: Dinner with company representatives
• 9.00pm: Company presentation

Day two

[Edit]

• 8.00am: Breakfast
• 9.00am: Aptitude tests (numerical and verbal)
• 10.00am: Personality questionnaires
• 10.30am: Group exercise one + group exercise two
• 12.30pm: Lunch
• 1.30pm: Group exercise three + business exercise
• 2.30pm: Individual presentations
• 3.30pm: Panel Interview
• 4.30pm: Refreshments
• 5.00pm: Evaluation / depart

The drink and dinner receptions with company representatives will almost certainly be with the assessment centre organisers (who will also be your assessors) and current graduate trainees working at the firm.

Take every opportunity to talk to current trainees as they will not be directly assessing you and can offer great advice about the assessment centre, interviews and the job itself.

Further Information

[Edit]

Literature covering how to ace your assessment centres is available here

For further information also see:

• Psychometric / Aptitude Test Practice
• CIPD Assessment Centre information
• BCS Assessment Centre information
• Assessment Day

---

• Ask questions about an upcoming assessment centre in the WikiJob forum.

Assessment day

Assessment days (also called assessment centres) allow companies to assess candidates over an extended period of time, whilst offering candidates the chance to find out about an employer in greater detail. An assessment day also usually provides an opportunity for a candidate to meet with current employees at a firm. Assessment days can be long, time consuming and highly mentally demanding.

Psychometric Success also offer a printed guide to getting through Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to get your copy now

What is an Assessment Day?

[Edit]

An "assessment day" is an important part of the recruitment process for many graduate employers. As the name suggests, it is a period of extended assessment that usually lasts for the best part of a day, and occasionally, two, or even three days).

Generally speaking, the more prestigious the employer, the longer the assessment day will last for. An assessment day for an investment bank, such as Barclays Capital (BarCap), will usually last for two days and include an overnight stay. The assessment day for a retailer, such as Aldi will usually last for just one day, or even an afternoon.

A well structured assessment day is generally considered to be amongst the fairest and most objective means of selecting employees for jobs, particularly graduate jobs. This is because they give a number of different interviewers a chance to assess candidates over an extended period of time, enabling assessors to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a wide variety of situations.

---

Psychometric Success also offer a printed guide to getting through Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to get your copy now

---

Where do Assessment Days take place?

[Edit]

Assessment days are usually take place at employer's offices, although some firms use third party organisations to run their assessment days. For two and three day assessment days, some employers use hotels to run their assessment activities, hiring function rooms and paying for rooms and meals for candidates.

What happens at an Assessment Day?

[Edit]

Assessment days require you to participate in a number of individual and group exercises. The exact tasks involved are designed to replicate the demands of the specific job you have applied for. Assessment days usually comprise a mixture of: interviews (including competency based interviews and partner interviews), case studies, aptitude tests (such as verbal and numerical reasoning), personality tests, group exercises, role plays and presentations (both group and individual). Candidates are also usually given a tour of company offices during an assessment day and several opportunities to meet with, and talk to, current employees.

How to behave at an Assessment Day

[Edit]

Candidates should be assertive, enthusiastic and co-operative at an assessment day. An assessment day is not a competition; teamwork is key if you want to do well. Be friendly, polite and supportive to other candidates. Assessors are looking for competitive people who can work well with others, not just competitive people.

---

Psychometric Success also offer a printed guide to getting through Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to get your copy now

---

Further Information on Assessment Days

[Edit] For further information on assessment days see:

• Assessment centres.
• Group exercise.
• Competency based interview.
• Internships.
• Ask questions about your next "assessment day" on the WikiJob forum.

Case Study

Case Study / Case Study Interview

[Edit]

(also see case study questions)

Case study questions were first introduced into interviews by management consulting firms. They are now used by many employers, in particular city firms such as the big 4.

Case study questions are used to test candidates' analytical skills, creativity and problem solving ability. They are also used to test candidates understanding of basic commercial principles and ability to interpret data from tables and charts. They can also be used to give candidates a sense of the type of work they will be doing at a firm. Often case study exercises can be linked in with group exercises, written and e-tray exercises at assessment centres.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Typically, a case study will consist of a business scenario that is presented to the candidate on one or several pages. The business scenario will often consist of a situation involving a client's business, and you will have to comment on what advice you would give the client in their current situation. Normally you will be given some time to study the information provided, and then discuss the case study as part of your interview.

Interviewers will be looking for:

• Your ability to reason logically.
• Your ability to justify your points clearly.
• Your ability to understand basic commercial principles.

Answers do not require any specific knowledge. Most questions can be answered with common sense. Any information that is required for answering the case study questions will be provided.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

In certain circumstances, interviewers may offer little or no background information with their questions. This puts added pressure on candidates, forcing them to work out a solution based on their own knowledge, or an analysis of the limited information available. This does not in general apply to candidates applying for accounting to the Big 4, and is relatively rare these days.

Strategy for the Case Study [Edit] Use the preparation time effectively. Underline noteworthy sections in the text. This will help you work quicker and more accurately. You will normally be permitted to make notes and take these to the interview. Identify the key issues, and then prioritise them by importance so that you discuss the most pertinent issues first. When in the interview, stay focussed on the case study, and do not get sidetracked into talking about the real-world industry unless asked to do so. Speak clearly. Remember they are assessing you analytical and reasoning skills. The interviewer will deliberately reason with you to force you to justify and defend your answers. Be prepared to justify all your main points. Remember, there are no right answers; consider all lines of argument however present one as your chosen opinion, mentioning why you discredited the other possibilities.

Now see case study questions.

Case study questions

(also see case study interview)

Case study questions usually fall into one of the following four categories:

• Estimation questions
• Actual or theoretical client questions
• Brain teaser questions
• Graphic interpretation questions

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Estimation Questions

[Edit]

This type of question requires you to think on your feet and work out the solution to a problem with only your own limited knowledge. Such questions include:

• How many cars are there in England?
• How many children are born each year in Europe?
• How many mobile phones will be sold in 2020?
• How many night buses are there in London?

Actual or theoretical client questions

[Edit]

This type of question requires candidates to analyse an actual or possible client issue. Examples include:

• A well known business wants to develop itself online. What is your advice?
• A well known high-street cafe chain is doing badly. How do you suggest they improve?
• A company has found that its revenues are higher than ever, but the company is still operating at a loss. Why is this?
• You have been contacted by a sushi chain to help them develop a plan to enter the home delivery market in a community where another sushi chain already has a market dominant position. You are the lead consultant for this client, what do you suggest they do?

Test yourself with interactive online case study questions available from Bain & Company - here - and McKinsey & Company - here.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Brain teaser questions are highly analytical. They test candidates by asking them to respond to questions which do not have a right or wrong answer, or even an answer at all.

Brain Teaser Example Questions

[Edit] Some example brain teaser questions include:

• Why are manhole covers round?
• If you were a song being played at a fair ground carousel, what song would you be?
• How to know if the light inside refrigerator is on or not?
• How do you test a mobile phone/laptop?
• How do you know if anything your brain is comprehending is real - could it all just be in your brain?

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Graphic Interpretation Questions

[Edit]

This type of question requires candidates to interpret data from some kind of chart or graph. The data may be actual company data, data that has been made up or data that refers to something else entirely.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Chronological Interview

A chronological interview is a style of interview in which you will be asked to talk about your life in rough chronological order, usually from your school days through to the present day. You may be asked to explain why you made certain choices, or why you think your background and experiences make you a suitable candidate for the job you have applied for.

The chronological interview is less structured than a standard interview as assessors are trying to see the reasoning behind each life decision. They may ask you to elaborate on certain points of interest.

Candidates undertaking this type of interview are often asked to complete a career history form in advance, or minimally provide a CV.

Common Interview Questions

The most common interview question at graduate job interviews (and in fact at almost all levels of job interview) is "why do you want to work for this company?". Most interviews feature a set of frequently used common interview questions just like this, that help interviewers to find out as much as possible, in as little time as possible, about the candidates who are being interviewed. You must be able to give comprehensive, well-researched and well-thought out answers to your interviewers. There is no excuse for poor preparation. Almost all job interviews are highly standardised and vary little from company to company, so you can work out what type of interview questions will be coming up, and consequently perform to a consistently high standard.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Most Common Interview Questions

[Edit]

Employers conducting many interviews will often have a list of around 20 to 30 common interview questions, and ask each candidate a random selection of about 10. These questions will almost always refer to and ask you to discuss your: strengths and weaknesses, aspirations/ drive/ motivations, hobbies and skills, education/ academic ability, analytical/ problem solving ability, salary/ travel expectations, work experience and competencies (most notable, teamwork, leadership and communication. It is very likely you will also be asked interview questions about the job/ industry/ employer you have applied for.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Interview Questions and Answers

[Edit]

You should prepare yourself for these most common interview questions before attending any interviews. It is highly likely that you will be asked some, if not all of the following questions, during your job search process.

Job / Industry / Employer

[Edit]

Even before making a job application, an ideal candidate knows exactly what a company does, what they will be doing in the job, and why they want to do it. It is important to spend time finding out about these things before you begin your job search, but even more important to undertake this research before an interview.

Graduate level job seekers will almost always be asked the following common interview questions:

• Why do you want to be a ....... ?
• What do you think you will be doing in this role?
• What draws you to this industry?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What do you know about us - or - What do we do?

Make sure you have spoken to a member of HR at the firm you have applied to before your interview, and found out exactly what the job entails. If you can, talk to people you know who already do similar jobs, and find out what a typical day's work involves for them. Think about your skill-set and why you would be good at doing this job. Think of examples and experiences from your life which demonstrate your skills, and you can use to impress your interviewer and help promote yourself at interview.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

When an interviewer asks you to tell them what you know about their company, you must be able to show extended knowledge. Every candidate has access to the internet and will have read their website. Just using this basic level of information as your resource is not good enough if you want to set yourself apart from the competition. Make sure you research the firm in relation to their future plans and recent developments. Think about how they are placed in the industry they work in. Find out who their competitors are what relationships they have with them. Read relevant trade/industry press to learn about current industry issues you can discuss at interview. The more information you have at your disposal, the better placed you are to answer difficult interview questions.

You are also likely to be asked questions such as:

• Who are our competitors?
• What do you think of our competitors?
• Where else have you applied to?
• Where else have you interviewed at?

Make sure you have researched the industry. If you are making applications to several companies in the same field any research you do now can also be used for interviews in the future. Be prepared to give critical analysis of a firm's competitors at interview. Do not criticise them for no reason, and if you like them then do say so, but always remember to mention that you prefer the company you are interviewing with most of all!

A tough interviewer may ask a candidate:

• How many applications have you made?
• Why haven't you applied to more firms?
• Why have you made so many applications?
• (If you have applied to lots of places) Why haven't you had many interviews?
• (If you have had interviews) Why do you think you haven't been offered a job yet?
• (If you have been offered a job) Are you going to take the job?

These are difficult questions to answer at interview. Each forces candidates to give revealing answers about themselves and their job search so far. If you say you have made lots of applications it may suggest you do not know what you are doing, or are trying too hard to get a job. If you have only made a few, it suggests that you are not serious about finding a job. Similarly, if you have been to lots of interviews but not received many offers this can be seen as an indication that competitor firms do not want to hire you.

• What other careers have you considered/applied for?

It is also advisable to tell your interviewer that you are only applying for jobs in one particular industry, even if you are really applying for jobs in many. For example, if you are applying for jobs in accounting, consulting and the media, it suggests that you are not dedicated to any one field and may lack direction. Recruiters like candidates who are passionate about one single industry, because these candidates are usually the most highly motivated and enthusiastic.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Key competencies: Leadership, Teamwork, Communication

[Edit]

Competency questions do not just come up in competency interviews. You may be asked this type of question in any interview, most commonly in relation to leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

Employers are keen to find evidence of leadership skills in job candidates, particularly for managerial positions such as management focused graduate schemes. It is also important for employees to possess teamwork and communication skills to work in teams and discuss problems and solutions with other people.

Examples of common interview questions you may be asked are:

• Are you a leader? (leadership)
• Describe a situation in which you have lead a team (leadership/teamwork)
• Describe a situation where you worked as part of a team (teamwork)
• Describe a situation in which you influenced or motivated people (leadership)
• Describe a situation in which you dealt with confrontation, for example a difficult customer (communication)

To answer these interview questions you must give a pertinent example from your life to prove to your interviewer that you possess these important key competencies. You need to make sure that you have looked through your CV for examples of where you have demonstrated these skills before the interview.

You may be asked several competency questions at interview. Try to use a different example to answer each one.

Analytical / Problem solving ability

[Edit]

Interviewers ask this type of question to find out about a candidate's logical and analytical approach to problems, and to work. You may also be given a work-based problem scenario and asked what you would do, requiring you to visualise a problem and a way of solving it.

• How do you go about solving problems?

Your interviewer wants to see that you understand how to go about solving problems, even if you are not always able to solve them yourself. Show that you are a careful planner, who uses research and other people's advice to tackle issues that you face.

If asked how you would go about solving a problem, think about how you would conduct any necessary research, who you would talk to, how you would allocate your time, the resources you would need and anything else you think necessary.

Aspirations / Drive / Motivations

[Edit]

Employers want to hire competitive people because they tend to accomplish more work, and their work is of a higher standard. You should certainly tell your interviewer that you are competitive, and use lots of high quality examples from your life and university experience to prove this.

• Would you describe yourself as competitive?

Try to demonstrate that being competitive is natural to you. If you have been involved in sports teams this is a very good opportunity to talk about them. They are a great way to describe team and individual competition. Make sure you talk about your competitive successes also, and how other people see you/value you as a team member.

• What motivates you?
• What gets you out of bed in the morning?
• What has been your greatest achievement?

You could say that you enjoy challenges and love the feeling of satisfaction you get from producing great work even though it may have been difficult and there may have been intense pressure. It would also be good to mention that you enjoy working as part of a productive team and contributing to successful projects.

You could also relate what motivates you to the specific requirements and duties of the job you are applying for. Think about what key skills are required by the job you are applying for and try to demonstrate that your motivations are the same.

If you can, try to show that you are self-motivating. Give examples of times when you have motivated yourself to achieve success, for example: completing university coursework, setting up your own business, or organising a sports team. You do not want to appear as someone who always needs someone else to tell you what to do to get you motivated. Show that you are prepared to push yourself for success.

• What do you expect to be doing in five years time?

To answer this interview question try to think frankly about where you want to be in five years. Be realistic about where your career could go. Show that you are motivated by success and promotion. Many people say that they would like to be managing a team and having more input into work processes and company policy. It is a good idea to suggest that you can see yourself at the company you are interviewing at in five years, rather than a competitor firm.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Strengths and Weaknesses

[Edit]

When your interviewer asks you these common interview questions you should prepare to start selling yourself.

• What are your strengths?
• How would your friends describe you?

Before any interview you should make a list of your "Unique Selling Points" - the key skills and competencies that make you a great candidate for this job. These could be: strong academic results, work experience or internships, evidence of leadership or teamwork, foreign languages, creative skills or anything else you think is relevant for this role.

Make sure you back up these points with relevant examples of where you have demonstrated these skills and competencies at interview.

• What is your biggest weakness?
• What are your weaknesses
• How would your worst enemy describe you?

There are two good ways to answer this type of question. You can either try to disguise a strength as a weakness and use this as your example, or you can be honest.

To describe a strength as a weakness, you need to say something like:

• At times I fail to see the bigger picture, because I'm so focused on my own work.
• Once I get started I like to get the job done. I often stay at work too late, because I simply can't leave until I've finished what I've set out to achieve.
• Before I start a new project I tend to ask a lot of questions. I like to be sure of the work about to be done, and how I can excel at it, before I get involved with a new project.

If you give this type of response make sure you give specific examples to back yourself up. However, using this trick to answer this question is something of a cliche. Interviewers hear these responses all the time, and your answers will not impress them.

Another strategy is of course, to be honest. However, there are reasonable limits on how honest you need to be. For example, you should never reveal something terrible about yourself at interview, such as a chronic tendency to arrive late, or that you dislike other people. Instead, choose a small weakness that you're working to improve and describe the action you are taking to remedy it. By acknowledging that you are not perfect you are showing humility, which is in itself a strong quality to posses. For example, you could say something like:

• Before I got to university I was quite shy in social situations. However, I quickly realised that it was important to be more confident and consequently joined several sports teams and groups to force myself to meet people and be more outgoing. In my second year I joined a drama society and my friends say that ever since then, I've never stopped talking!

Everyone has weaknesses and your interviewer will understand this. They will certainly have their own. Be prepared to be truthful, albeit measured in your responses to these questions.

University

[Edit]

Be positive when discussing your time at university. Talk about what you learnt on your course (using specific examples of interesting things) and what you learnt about yourself (again, using specific examples from extracurricular activities). Common interview questions include:

• Why did you choose your university and what factors influenced your choice?
• Did you enjoy university?
• Why did you choose your degree subject?
• Why do you think graduates in .. [your degree subject] .. would be good .. [job role you have applied for] .. ?

Before interview, think about the skills you learnt on your course which are applicable to the job you are applying for. If the job you want is a departure from the course you took (e.g. Accounting, e.g. English) be prepared to explain what attracted you to this industry, and how you plan to transfer your skills to another field. Talk about this in a very positive way; for example, you bring an unconventional perspective to the table which will allow you to think on a different level to your peers.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Extracurricular / skills / hobbies

[Edit]

Talking about your interests and hobbies is helpful for interviewers to gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what you like to do outside work.

• What are your hobbies?
• Were you involved in any teams or societies at university?
• Tell me about yourself

Talk enthusiastically about your hobbies, and talk in detail about specific skills (such as a foreign language) that will set you apart from other candidates and make you a more attractive hire to your interviewer.

• What are your computing skills like?

Let your interviewer know exactly what IT skills you have, and if possible give examples of times when you have used different software packages.

Conscientiousness / Trustworthiness / Time

[Edit]

It should be obvious how to answer questions concerned with your conscientiousness, time-keeping or trustworthiness. If asked questions relating to these issues, you must make it clear to your interviewer that you are a reliable person who is consistently early for work, prepared to stay late when required and someone who they can trust.

• Give me an example of a time when you hit a deadline
• Give me an example of a time when you failed to hit a deadline
• What was your biggest setback?
• How do you deal with adversity?
• What do you do when you are late for work?

Use examples of times when you have been given responsibility in the past, if you need to prove to your interviewer that they can trust you in an employment situation.

Travel / Re-location

[Edit]

Be certain about the travel requirements of the job, before your interview. There is no point interviewing for a job that you won't be able to accept because it is based 300 miles away and you don't want to re-locate.

• Do you enjoy travelling?
• How would you feel about frequent travel?
• How would you feel about re-locating?

If you are prepared to re-locate or travel frequently (for example, spending time on secondment with company clients) discuss times in the past when you have done this successfully (e.g. moving to university) or show your enthusiasm, saying that you are looking forward to experiencing life in various new locations and that you have nothing tying you to any particular place right now.

Salary

[Edit]

Salary is not always discussed at interview, but when it does come up, it is extremely important you know how to handle it.

• What sort of salary are you looking for?

As a graduate, you can expect a salary of somewhere between £15,000 - £25,000 outside London, and £20,000 - £30,000 inside London.

Before your interview you should already know roughly how much the job you have applied for will pay you. If this figure is around £25,000, you should say that you are looking for a salary of around £24,000 - £26,000. Your expectations should match the salary on offer. If your salary expectations are too low, or too high, you will be seen as either devaluing or over-valuing yourself, and you will not get the job. Saying you are interested in a very high salary also suggests to interviewers that you are too motivated by money, and may leave if a better paying job comes along in the future.

The only time you should ever tell your interviewer that you want to earn a lot of money is during an interview for a sales job, or a job in recruitment. This is because salaries for these roles are based on commission; the harder employees work, the more money they can earn. Employers want employees who want to earn a lot of money because this means they are more motivated to work harder.

Candidates should never ask their interviewer questions about salary during a graduate interview. Doing so gives the impression that you are interested in a job purely for financial reasons and reveals that you have not researched the job and company in fine detail - if you had, you would have found out the salary on offer already!

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Further Information

[Edit] Now see other articles similar to Common Interview Questions:

• Questions to Ask your Interviewer.
• General Interview Advice.
• competency interview questions.
• Telephone Interview.
• Investment banking interview questions.

Competency

A competency is a particular quality that a company's recruiters have decided is desirable for employees to possess. During interviews and assessment processes competencies are used as benchmarks that assessors use to rate and evaluate candidates.

Competency Based Questions

In interviews recruiters look for evidence of competencies by asking candidates competency based questions. This style of question forces candidates to give situational examples of times in the past when they have performed particular tasks or achieved particular outcomes using certain skills.

Further Information

For further information on competency see - Competence and What are Competencies?.

Competency Based Interview

A competency interview (also referred to as a situational, behavioural or competency based interview) is a style of interviewing often used to evaluate a candidate's competence, particularly when it is hard to select on the basis of technical merit: for example, for a particular graduate scheme or graduate job where relevant experience is less important or not required. However, increasingly, companies are using competency based interviews as part of the selection process for experienced recruitment, as it can give valuable insights into an individual's preferred style of working and help predict behaviours in future situations.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Conventional job interviews may focus on questions relating to an applicant's past or previous industry experience, but this is an ineffective tool for graduate level candidates who are not expected to have any former experience in the industry they wish to work in.

Questions about industry experience will not be part of a competency interview. Instead interviewers will ask questions that require candidates to demonstrate that they have a particular skill or a "key competency" the firm is looking for. Candidates will be asked to do this using situational examples from their life experiences, to illustrate their personality, skill set and individual competencies to the interviewer.

Competency interviews may also feature questions that probe candidates on their knowledge of the company and industry they have applied to. This type of interview question tests candidates on their motivation and commitment to career.

A typical competency based interview will last for one hour. At most major firms competency interviews will also be standardised. Consequently all applicants can expect to be asked identical questions.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. JobTestPrep can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

What are Competencies?

[Edit]

A competency is a particular quality that a company's recruiters have decided is desirable for employees to possess. During interviews and assessment processes competencies are used as benchmarks that assessors use to rate and evaluate candidates.

In interviews recruiters look for evidence of competencies by asking candidates competency based questions. This style of question forces candidates to give situational examples of times in the past when they have performed particular tasks or achieved particular outcomes using certain skills.

Key Competencies

[Edit]

A firm will usually isolate several key skills or "key competencies" to look for in candidates at interview. You will be graded in terms of each competency based upon your answers to competency based questions.

Employers typically use some of the following as their key competencies:

• Teamwork
• Responsibility
• Commitment to career
• Commercial awareness
• Career motivation
• Decision making
• Communication
• Leadership
• Trustworthiness & Ethics
• Results orientation
• Problem solving
• Organisation

Now see - Competency based interview and competency based questions.

Why are Competency Based Questions Used at Interview?

[Edit]

In the case of applications for graduate jobs, candidates typically have no experience in the industry to which they have applied. Consequently it is not possible to assess their suitability for a job role based upon their CV alone. This has led to the development of competency based interviews becoming the prime way to interview inexperienced graduate applicants.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Typical Competency Based Interview Structure

[Edit]

Questions in competency interviews will usually refer to activities a candidate has participated in at school, college or university, or any other activities that can be used to effectively display evidence of particular competencies or a particular competency.

A typical competency question could be: "Describe two situations where you have had to work as part of a team." When asked a question like this, you should be able to talk for several minutes about your participation to a particularly strong team you have been part of in the past and how your sense of teamwork helped lead a task or project to successful completion.

You should have an idea before the interview of the experiences from your life that you could use as examples to demonstrate the key competencies of the firm to which you are applying. You are likely to have to provide at least two examples for each competency during your interview.

It is quite acceptable to ask for and to use a few moments of thinking time before answering competency questions. If necessary, simply notify your interviewer by explaining you "may need to think about this for a few moments". Once you have thought of a good example to use, continue with your answer.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. JobTestPrep can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Who Uses Competency Interviews?

[Edit]

Estimates indicate that a third of all employers are using competency interviews as part of their recruitment process. Large graduate employers are especially likely to use competency interviews as part of their graduate recruitment procedure, in particular as part of an assessment centre.

Will I Be Given a Competency Interview?

[Edit]

It is hard to tell if a competency interview will feature as part of your assessment process before making your application to a firm, although the application form itself may help to give you a clue. Many employers who do use competency interviews design their application forms to include a number of competency questions. Take note if you find any questions on your application that ask you to give situational examples. These may be a strong indicator of what is in store at interview!

Key Competency: Motivation & Commitment to Career

[Edit]

It is likely you will be asked why you wish to work for this company in particular, and what distinguishes this company, for you, from its competitors. This question requires you to discuss your knowledge of the firm in detail and prove to your interviewer your desire for a job.

To answer this question you should describe:

• The key strengths this firm has over its competitors in the industry (e.g. more specialised in certain niche areas, more international scope, more respected).
• What appeals to you personally about the firm (e.g. your interests in the firm's niche areas, your relevant study at university).
• Other relevant factors you find interesting (e.g. the impression you have of the working style at the firm, the social side of the company, the type of charitable work the firm is involved in).

You may also be asked what you believe you will be doing during your first year on the graduate scheme. You should be particularly clear about exactly what it is you will be doing. If you cannot answer this question, you are unlikely to be successful. If you are currently unsure, it is perfectly acceptable to contact firm's graduate recruitment departments before applying to discuss anything you do not already know about the job.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Competency Based Interview: The first 60 seconds

[Edit]

Although competency based interviews are standardised, a typical interviewer will decide within minutes whether they like you or not, and this is likely to affect the outcome of the interview. It is very important to give a good impression to your interviewer from the very first moment you meet.

Shake hands confidently, smile, introduce yourself, and be generally convivial to the occasion. Sitting quietly and communicating poorly will not help you, and neither will boisterous or arrogant behaviour. You should be polite but outgoing, assertive but not aggressive and aim to be every bit as professional as the interviewer who is assessing you.

You can also ask questions about competency interviews, competencies, competence and competency based questions on the WikiJob forums.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. JobTestPrep can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Also see:

• What are Competencies?
• Competency based questions
• General interview advice
• Competency

Competency Based Questions

(see also competency based interview, key competencies and general interview advice)

Competency based questions or competency questions are interview questions that require candidates to provide real life examples as the basis of their answers. Candidates should not talk in broad terms, be too general or use their imagination when replying to interviewers. Instead, candidates should use specific situations from their life as examples when answering this type of interview question. Candidates should explain why they made certain decisions, how they implemented these decisions and why certain outcomes took place.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Why are Competency Questions used in Interviews?

[Edit]

Recruitment professionals believe that the best way to find out about a candidate's potential future performance is to find out about examples of past performance. However graduate candidates don't usually have any experience of the industry to which they are applying and consequently it is impossible for interviewers to discuss previous job roles. Instead interviewers use competency questions to force candidates to reveal how they have performed in various situations in the past, revealing individual personality traits. These are a great help for interviewers interested in finding out exactly who a candidate is and how they may act if employed.

Interviewers usually isolate specific key competencies that they believe suitable employees should possess and ask competency based interview questions designed to force candidates to reveal their skills in these areas.

Examples of key competencies interviewers ask about are: Teamwork, Responsibility, Decision making, Communication, Leadership, Commitment to career, Commercial awareness and Career motivation.

How to Answer Competency Questions

[Edit]

An example of a typical competency interview question is:

"Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a task or project on time, despite intending to do so?"

In your response your interviewer will want to find out how you manage your time during difficult tasks and the reason why you failed to meet your deadline on this occasion (and consequently a reason why you may fail to meet deadlines in the future).

Interviewers using behaviour-based interviewing techniques such as competency questions are likely to probe for additional details during your responses. Always make sure you provide concise, highly specific answers that are well explained, thought out and detailed.

Although your interviewer will at times ask you to give examples of past failures (such as the question above) rather than achievements, you must adequately justify why you failed to complete tasks, and defend the reasons for your failure. Clever candidates will justify failure by giving examples of positive personality traits. Consider the following answers:

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. JobTestPrep can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Competency answer one: Positive justification for missed deadline

"During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date. This was because I was heavily involved in cutting edge research right up until the end of my course and was waiting for imminent results from surveys being undertaken by researchers at other academic institutions.

Considering this was my final piece of academic work, I wanted to ensure it was based on the most accurate and up to date sources of information available, even if this meant a delay in production. To ensure no marks were deducted from my dissertation, I contacted my course director and personal tutor two weeks before my dissertation due date to discuss my particular situation. I argued my case, and was consequently allowed an extra two weeks to produce my work.

Although my work was delayed, I feel that this delay was justified in that the work was of the highest quality it could be. Furthermore, I sufficiently organised myself in relation to my department and tutors, so that all relevant people were aware of a possible delay in the production of my dissertation."

Compare this answer to those below, which justify failure with much weaker, negative responses:

Competency answer two: Negative justification for missed deadline

"During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date. This was because I was ill for a couple of weeks during my final semester."

Competency answer three: Negative justification for missed deadline

"During my final year at university I failed to deliver my dissertation on the due date. One of my worst characteristics is poor organisation, especially in relation to time."

Tips for answering competency based interview questions

• When answering competency questions you can give examples from work, study or personal life, but make sure you give a wide variety of examples and a different example to answer each question.

• Don't go into too much background detail when answering competency questions. Your interviewer only wants to know about your past behaviours. Further detail is redundant.

• Make sure your answers and examples you use are the most relevant to the questions asked, rather than the most impressive or elaborate.

• Don't make your answers up! Your interviewer will find this very easy to spot.

Techniques for Answering Competency Questions

[Edit]

There are several ways to answer competency questions in an interview.

The STAR Technique

[Edit]

This is also sometimes known as SOAR, where "Task" is replaced by "Objective".

• Situation: Describe the situation.
• Task: Describe what task was required of you.
• Action: Tell the interviewer what action you took.
• Result: Conclude by describing the result of that action.

Be positive about your actions throughout your response and do not make up an example as you will NOT come across as believable. If you cannot think of good examples instantly, ask the interviewer for a moment or two to think about the question and then give your answer.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

The CAR Approach

[Edit]

One way of dealing with this type of question is to use the CAR approach. CAR stands for Context, Action, Result. It helps you to structure your answer like a mini essay.

"Context" is your introduction, where you describe the scenario you faced, date and place. The "Action" forms the main body and should be the longest part of your answer. The "Result" is the conclusion and like the introduction, should be quite short.

• Context: Describe the situation and the task you were faced with, when, where, with whom?
• Action: How? What action did YOU take? Sometimes people focus on what the group did without mentioning their individual contribution.
• Result: What results did you achieve/conclusions did you reach/what did you learn from the experience?

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Examples of Competency Interview Questions and Answers

[Edit]

• Competency Question: Give an example of when you've led a team.
  • Answer: I have led a team on a number of occasions, for example, when I was coach of my university football league. Not only do I believe that I am an efficient leader I also believe that I work well as part of a team and can also take instructions and work simultaneously with other people or colleagues. I have the ability to communicate amongst different team members effectively ensuring that the message i am try to put across to members is done so with clarity. This ultimately enables me to be an effective and successful team leader. Providing direction, support and guidance is the key to success.

• Competency Question: Give an example of when you've overcome a problem at work.
  • Answer: I have not really encountered many problems with work as this will be my first time in full time work, though i do have deadlines to meet both at work in my part time job and also in college. At college I have deadlines to meet and have tasks that need to be completed these are often challenging, these i enjoy and plan my time around and also do what I can to deliver the best and highest quality work.

• Competency Question: Give an example of when you've excelled yourself at work in the past.
  • Answer:

For further information discuss competency based interviews, competencies and competency based interview questions for graduate jobs on the WikiJob forums.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. JobTestPrep can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Further interview information

[Edit]

• General interview advice
• Partner interviews
• What are Competencies?
• Key Competencies
• Competency based interview
• Competency

E-tray Exercise

An E-tray exercise is a computer based simulation of an email in box that lasts for, and must be completed within, a fixed amount of time. During the exercise emails will arrive into your in box e-tray and you will be required to:

• Make basic calculations;
• Extract information from data provided;
• Make judgement calls on how to deal with demanding managers/unhappy clients etc.

The E-tray exercise is the electronic equivalent of the In-tray exercise.

---

Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray simulator tests are available - click here to improve your performance

---

Normally the answers to this exercise are multiple choice. Be careful with calculation questions. Typically, the wrong answers listed will be common errors for that problem and can be misleading. You do not always necessarily need all the information provided, and sometimes more information than is necessary will be provided, to distract you.

Emails in an e-tray exercise will often arrive slowly at first and then get faster as time progresses. It is important that you do not begin to select random answers at the end as they will be testing to see how you perform under pressure.

---

Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray simulator tests are available - click here to improve your performance

---

E-tray Written Exercise

[Edit]

Some E-tray exercises will have a written part as well, where you will be required to respond to an email. Typically, no spell-checker is provided, so you must be certain to use words that you can spell confidently. Make sure you respond in a style appropriate to the email you have been sent, and ensure that it has a clear, logical structure.

Keep watch over time, and make sure you proof read what you have written before the time is up.

---

Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray simulator tests are available - click here to improve your performance

---

Who Uses E-Tray?

[Edit] Recruiters well known to use E-tray exercises include:

• Deloitte
• KPMG
• E&Y
• The Civil Service fast stream scheme

Practice E-tray Exercise [Edit] The Civil Service provides an e-tray exercise that you can try on-line. It is exactly the same format used at KPMG, Deloitte and most other firms, so makes excellent practice - click here. For further practice real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray tests are available here

Example Cover Letter

Covering letters, or cover letters, are a type of letter sent with a CV or resume when applying for a job. Often cover letters are not read until after the CV or resume has been reviewed. Despite this, they provide an invaluable opportunity to communicate directly with your prospective employer.

---

Need some help with CV and cover letter writing? Take a look who we have partnered with to help you.

---

Why write a covering letter?

[Edit] The purpose of a covering letter is threefold:

• To sell yourself and convince the employer of your suitability and enthusiasm for the role.
• To highlight any particular information from your CV or resume which is especially notable or relevant.
• To communicate any other information such as special circumstances or availability for interview.

All covering letters should adopt a simple, concise and formal style.

---

Need some help with CV and cover letter writing? Take a look who we have partnered with to help you.

---

Example Cover Letter

[Edit]

64 Minehead Avenue Withington Manchester M20 1FW Telephone: 07123 456 789 Email: adam.jones@hotmail.co.uk Mr Graham Stoker Graduate Recruitment Manager Smith Partners 16 Arlington Road Manchester M14 6LZ 25 October 2010 Dear Mr Stoker, Re: 355/001: Graduate Trainee – Audit I would like to apply for the graduate trainee - audit programme, currently advertised on WikiJob.co.uk. I enclose my CV for your consideration. I first became interested in audit during my first year of university, when I attended a presentation by Smith Partners. Audit appeals to my long standing interests in business and mathematics, and I feel is a function that would allow me to see projects through from start to finish, working relatively autonomously. I am particularly attracted to working at Smith Partners because of the firm‘s excellent reputation, focus on client value, and the opportunity to train for the CIMA qualification, which will help me develop my skills and career. I met with current graduate trainees at the Smith Partners September open day and was impressed by the friendliness of employees and very positive descriptions of working life, at the firm. I come from an advanced academic and analytical background having completed a degree in finance and mathematics at the University of Manchester and believe I am well qualified to add value to the audit team at Smith Partners. I have extensive experience working as an accounts clerk at Driftbridge Plc, speak several foreign languages and have advanced workplace skills in management, people development and presenting. Having completed a degree and taken a gap year, I feel I am now ready to take up the challenge of full employment. Need some help with CV and cover letter writing? Take a look who we have partnered with to help you. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am available for interview from 31st October onwards, and look forward to taking the opportunity to talk with you further about my application. Yours sincerely, Adam Jones

Top 3 Tips:

1. Always write to a specific individual - never address covering letters to Dear 'Sir' or 'Madam'. Use "Mr", "Mrs", "Miss" or "Ms" and then your contact's surname. Never use their first name.
2. Tailor your letters to each application - don't mass produce them. You will undoutedly get more interviews by sending out a small number of well written covering letters, than by sending out many poorly written ones.
3. Keep things concise - three or four brief paragraphs is fine. A covering letter should be a maximum of one A4 page.

Further Information:

• Mention any relevant qualifications – in this case a degree.
• Mention any relevant work experience – in this case, working as an accounts clerk at Driftbridge.
• Refer to any training or details mentioned in the advert – in the case above we referred to CIMA.
• Remember to compliment firms on their reputation or other characteristics.
• Letters addressed it to a specific person, should be signed with ‘Yours sincerely’. Letters addresses to Sir/Madam should be signed 'Yours Faithfully'.
• Include your mobile telephone number in the letter.
• If the work was in a specific industry (e.g. tax advice), we would have mentioned this too, and why we are interested & suitable.
• Keep your covering letter concise - only use one side of A4 paper.

In conclusion, you must do the following:

• Highlight any relevant experience & qualifications (degree & current role)
• Show a desire to work for an employer (in this case, reputation & client focus)
• Explain why you want the job & what the benefit to you is (in this case, CIMA training).
• Indicate how you can be reached.

Use the structure set out in the example cover letter as a guide. Make sure that when your letter is finished your spelling and grammar is flawless. A carelessly written cover letter will almost certainly guarantee a rejection.

---

Need some help with CV and cover letter writing? Take a look who we have partnered with to help you.

Having trouble with your CV? Why not try our 100% free CV review service

---

General interview advice

First Impressions

[Edit]

Research suggests that most interviewers' first impressions of candidates are based around assessments made in the first few minutes of an interview. Creating the right impression early on is vital if you want to impress your interviewer.

---

Take our interview preparation course, guaranteed to get you the job you want or your money back! - click here

---

Make sure you:

• Smile.
• Shake hands confidently.
• Introduce yourself.
• Speak properly.
• Be polite.
• Do not try and be funny, cocky or egotistical. It will backfire. You are there to work and to learn; be enthusiastic.
• Don't make excuses, even if you are late. Only apologise if you have to.
• Don't be late, always be early.

Ultimately you are trying to create the impression that you are a professional person who is more than capable of communicating to a high level in an interview situation. Interviewers will be assessing whether you are responsible enough to deal with clients, and likeable enough to work on their teams. People who impress at interview impress clients. If you make a good impression, you will be hired.

Dress

[Edit]

Always dress well for interviews, you need to be smart. There is nothing wrong with looking good. Even if an office is 'smart casual', you should dress in a suit for the interview day.

---

Special discounts for WikiJob members on interview suits and shirts from T.M.Lewin - Click Here

---

Men

[Edit]

Gentlemen should wear a dark blue, black or grey suit that has recently been pressed. Your shirt is a matter of personal preference, but most of the time its best to keep things simple. You can't go wrong with a crisp, well-ironed, white shirt. Very light pastel shade shirts are also acceptable.

Your tie should also be simple and well-ironed. It shouldn't be too shiny. Stick to a strong simple single colour such as blue or brown to give the impression that you are confident, professional and reliable.

Women

[Edit]

Women should stay professional for interview and never wear anything revealing. Dark blue, black or grey trouser suits are highly effective interview tools. Keep jewellery and perfume to a minimum. A single piece of bold jewellery can be a good way to express assertiveness and confidence.

Colours

[Edit]

Colour can dramatically affect the first 5 second impact on your interviewer. Wear a red tie and you run the risk of being seen as a highly assertive, dominant and possibly even cocky candidate. Wear a yellow or orange tie and you may be seen as a quirky, off-the-wall character and not taken seriously.

For some professions a red tie may be useful. For example, sales companies are often interested in overly confident candidates as they generally make better salesmen. Accountancy firms would be less interested in candidates with red ties. Prospective accountancy candidates should wear more conservative colours such as blue, grey or brown, indicative of sensible, hard working, conscientious personalities

Being better dressed will not turn a poor candidate into a good one, but it will help you make the 'right' impression on the day. You need to prove to your interviewer that you can represent their company in a professional and appropriate manner in the future and you should dress accordingly at interview.

WikiJob recommends wearing a dark suit with a blue or brown tie for jobs in Accountancy, Law and Consulting and a dark suit with a red tie for jobs in Sales and Investment Banking.

How are colours perceived?

[Edit]

How colours are perceived:

• Blue: Confident, reliable, honest. Wearing a strong blue tie is a good idea for interview!

• Brown: Confident, resilient, boring. Brown can be an excellent choice for an interview situation, but be careful. Some brown ties can look terrible, and your interviewer will pick up on this. Make sure you get a second opinion on how you look before you step out.

• Red: Assertive, bold, confident. Be aware that this may make you appear overbearing, over assertive, cocky or arrogant in an interviewers eyes.

• Yellow/Orange: Quirky, unusual, off-beat. These colours will get you remembered, but not necessarily for the right reasons. More suited to creative/media jobs.

• Black: A black suit will always look good, but you should never wear a black tie to an interview.

• Grey: Stylish, but can be dull.

• Green: Not a good colour for interview, unless it’s a pastel shade. Green is often associated with untrustworthiness and deceit.

• Striped: Be careful when wearing stripes. Too many stripes will make you seem slightly unhinged and may make your interviewer nervous.

Behaviour

[Edit]

You should be on your best behaviour in the interview. Candidates should be polite and respectful, responding to the interviewer and his/her questions. Candidates should be assertive and confident, but not interrupt the interviewer and only ask questions when there is a natural break in the conversation or when invited to do so.

‘’’Never use slang or colloquialisms in an interview.’’’ Always speak as you would expect someone in authority to speak to you. If you do make a mistake, quickly correct yourself.

Body Language

[Edit]

Try to remain calm and relaxed, to instill a sense of confidence in your interviewer. Constantly changing your sitting position, moving your hands, arms and feet or changing the position of your head will give the impression that you don't feel comfortable in the interview situation. Although this may be true, it is not something you want your interviewer to be aware of. Instead of thinking about your body, try concentrating on your breathing. By focussing on maintaining a slow and steady breathing rate you will forget about other body movements and consequently move less. Obviously when in interview, make sure you focus on the task at hand.

Try and keep your hands and feet out in the open. Don't sit on them and try not to cross arms or legs as this may be seen as defensive and a sign of introversion or fear by your interviewer.

---

Take our interview preparation course, guaranteed to get you the job you want or your money back! - click here

---

Mirroring

[Edit]

When people are comfortable around other people they tend to mirror their movements, body language, voice and even breathing. In social situations groups of friends tend to move easily amongst one another, whereas groups of strangers are more uncomfortable around each other.

Mirroring your interviewer can be a good idea, to give the impression that you are comfortable around them. Try to sit in a similar way to your interviewer, hold your hands like they hold theirs or even try tilting your head in the same way they do.

Voice

[Edit]

Under the intense pressure of an interview situation your vocal pace is likely to speed up. If you notice this happening, try and slow down. Speaking normally gives the impression of confidence and assertiveness, which is what they are looking for.

Smell

[Edit]

You should be clean for interview but not covered in deodorant or perfume. A light mist of a subtle smelling perfume is more than enough for the close confines of an interview room.

Smokers should not smoke until the end of their interview and only spark up once they are well away from company's buildings. Companies are becoming increasingly wary of employing smokers (who tend to take more breaks than non-smokers) and if you are unlucky enough to be interviewed by a non-smoker or hardened anti-smoker, you will give off a very bad impression from the very first moment.

If you must smoke before your interview make sure you smoke outside, out of sight, wash your hands, clean your teeth and chew some minty gum. A smoky scent could cost you a job, so don't take the risk.

Take our interview preparation course, guaranteed to get you the job you want or your money back! - click here

Also see: Competency based interview, Common Interview Questions and How to Get Hired.

Group exercise

A group exercise is an assessed discussion exercise that involves a small group of candidates (usually 8-10 people), following a question posed by a member of a firm’s recruitment team. Group exercises occur frequently at graduate assessment days.

You can practice group exercises online here

Candidates are usually given some information relating to a business scenario before the group exercise begins, with a short amount of time available to read this and make notes. You will then be asked to join the other candidates, and you will all be briefed to discuss the information provided and reach a conclusion. Normally these exercises are restricted to about 10 minutes, so it is important to work fast. A common variation is for each person in the group to be assigned an individual role and given some extra information only he/she sees, in addition to the common information.

You can practice group exercises online here

How to Perform at Group Exercises

[Edit]

The group exercise will be observed by recruitment staff and the performance of each individual member will be strictly assessed and almost certainly rated in relation to a set of performance criteria or competencies such as: leadership; enthusiasm; or persuasiveness.

Crucially your assessors will be looking for evidence of:

• Logical arguments
• Teamwork
• Confidence/Strength of character

It is key that:

• You are not overbearing.
• You are clear, concise and confident.
• Everybody in the group has an equal opportunity to speak.
• You make your points and if criticised, are prepared to stand up for yourself and diplomatically argue why your opinions are valid.
• You do not sit quietly while other candidates make their points without making your own.
• The group reaches a conclusion in the time allocated.

Be inclusive and self assess yourself about half way through the interview. You need to contribute otherwise interviewers will not be able to assess you and if you know that you are prone to being quiet - or quite dominant in a group - you may need to moderate your communication so that you include yourself and other people.

You can practice group exercises online here

Make sure that you follow the instructions that are given to you at the start of the exercise - ensure that you link information back to the brief that you are given. Try and prioritise, watch the time (but also make sure that you are accurate). It may be sensible not to use other people's names during the exercise unless you are 100% sure that you are correct.

Try to show your understanding of the firm’s services on offer by relating these to the project (if possible). Do not make it obvious but try to "work the room", involving everyone and motivating other people.

If available, use the white board and try to establish a lead role early on. Bring other people into the discussion by passing ideas around, stay focused on the objective and make it known that you are aware of the amount of time left and that there is a deadline. If you can, try to dictate the pace of the discussion in your favour, be confident and enthusiastic and think carefully about your ideas before you voice them.

You can practice group exercises online here

Further Information

[Edit] For further information:

• Ask questions on the WikiJob forums.
• Take a practice group exercise

You can practice group exercises online here

How To Write a Cover Letter

Writing a "cover letter" or "covering letter" can be difficult, particularly if you have no professional letter writing experience. To create a successful cover letter you will need to:

• Thoroughly research the company you wish to apply to;
• Consider why you want to make an application to this company and for this position; and,
• Spend a good deal of time writing, editing and fine tuning your letter.

Your letter must be engaging, be written specifically for the company applied to, sell yourself and effectively communicate your message. The more effort you are able to put in to your cover letter, the more likely you are to be offered an interview.

• Are you having trouble with cover letters or CVs? Have a look at this our very own CV and covering letter writing service!

Writing Your Covering Letter

[Edit]

Great covering letters are written with passion, enthusiasm and market the candidate (you) specifically to the employer, in terms of the skills, qualities and competencies the employer is looking for. To get a recruiter’s attention, you must set yourself apart from other candidates.

Below you will find an effective graduate and post-graduate level covering letter writing structure. Use this to help you when writing your covering letters, but remember: the best covering letters do not follow the rules or a formulaic template. A great covering letter will be unique to you and your specific application.

Covering Letter Template Structure

[Edit]

Your address Line 1 Address line 2 Postcode Email: yourname@address.com Telephone: 00000 000 000 Name of recruiter [First name and last name] Always address your cover letter to a specific person – it is much more professional, and in doing so you can be much more certain that your application will be delivered to the right person Job title of your recruiter Company name Address line 1 Address line 2 Postcode Date [day month year, (e.g. 17 January 2009)] Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs. [Surname] Your Job Title and Reference (if applicable, e.g. "Graduate Trainee - Audit/3889")

• (1) Introduction

Introduce yourself to the recruiter. Explain who you are, (e.g. My name is Sam Sanders and I am currently studying for a BA in Geography at the University of Manchester) and why are you writing to the company/organisation. Make sure you point out where you found details of the vacancy you are applying for and if appropriate, mention that you have enclosed your CV.

• (2) Why job/why industry?

Explain that you are interested in the job role applied for and industry applied to. Explain what draws you to the job and industry, when you first became interested in them and why you are interested. In this paragraph you could also explain why you think you are suitable for this type of industry/job role. It is important to use this paragraph to engage with recruiters. You need to sound motivated and extremely interested in the job or graduate scheme you are applying for.

• (3) Why Company?

Explain your interest in the company or organisation you are applying to. Explain why you have applied to them specifically; mention what sets them apart from their competitors. It is important to make it clear you have done your research, and understand the role you are applying for, the company culture, what the company are looking for, and that your skills and competencies match those sought by the company.

• (4) Why You?

In the final paragraph of your cover letter you must really sell yourself. Explain your relevant skills, competencies and experience in detail and discuss why these would all be of great use to the company or for the job role applied for. You need to tick the recruiter’s boxes and make it clear you can add value to an organisation. Be positive, be engaging and be enthusiastic. Try not to sound arrogant or exaggerate too much, if you are invited to interview you will have to back up any statements you make here!

• (5) Conclusion

Your covering letter conclusion needs to be sharp. Do not close with the phrase “I look forward to hearing from you” because this is an open invitation to your prospective employer to write back and say “thanks, but no thanks”. State that “I look forward to discussing my application with you in further detail” or “I look forward to discussing my skills, competencies and values in greater detail”. For smaller organisations, it can sometimes be useful to state when you are free for interview, or dates when you are not available, booked holidays for example.

• (6) Yours sincerely/signature

Always end your covering letter with "Yours sincerely" if you have addressed it to a named contact (e.g. Mr. Adam Smith) or with "Yours faithfully" if you have not addressed it to anyone specific.

Remember that the purpose of a cover letter is to pitch yourself to an employer; you must be positive and engaging throughout and try to lead your recruiter to want to call you right now to invite you for interview.

• Are you having trouble with cover letters or CVs? Have a look at this our very own CV and covering letter writing service!

• Why not try our 100% free CV review service

In-tray exercise

An In-tray exercise is a paper based business simulation most frequently used to assess job applicants. When you sit in-tray exercises you will usually be given a scenario and a number of related documents, such as letters from the company, organisation charts and news reports. You will then be required to make decisions during the test and produce responses to certain tasks to the in-tray deadline. In-tray tests tend to last 1-2 hours in which you'll have to:

• Make calculations
• Extract information from data
• Make judgement calls dealing with demanding managers/unhappy clients etc.

It is worth noting that there is also a very similar type of test, called an E-tray test. This is basically the same type of test, delivered electronically. Questions and answers tend to be longer in an in-tray exercise than in the E-tray exercise, which is usually multiple choice format.

---

Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray simulator tests are available - click here to improve your performance

---

In-tray Written Exercises

[Edit]

Some in-tray exercises will have a written part as well, where you will be required to respond to an email. Typically, no spell-checker is provided, so you must be certain to use words that you can spell confidently. Make sure you respond in a style appropriate to the email you have been sent, and ensure that it has a clear, logical structure. Keep watch over time, and make sure you proof read what you have written before the time is up.

---

Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray simulator tests are available - click here to improve your performance

---

In-tray at the Assessment Centre

[Edit]

Many large graduate recruiters (particularly financial institutions and accountancy firms) use in-tray exercises (or on occasion e-tray exercises) during their candidate assessment centre. If this is the case you will usually be informed of this before the actually assessment centre itself.

Some companies may ask you to complete an e-tray test before any form of official interview, as these types of tests can be delivered electronically, to your home computer, as a first stage test before the telephone interview.

Practice In-tray Exercises

[Edit]

It can be very useful to take practice in-tray or e-tray tests before you sit the real thing. Practising these types of test means that you can become more familiar with the type of questions you will be asked, and learn how to answer questions quickly, within tight time constraints.

Useful Links

[Edit]

• Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray tests are available here.
• Another good example of an In-tray exercise can be found on the University of Edinburgh's careers website (this particular In-tray test has been provided by KPMG).
• For further information on in-tray and e-tray exercises visit the WikiJob Aptitude Test forum.

Internships & Placements

The following articles discuss internships & placements in further detail. These articles should help you find out about internships and placements, what they are, why they are so useful and how you might go about getting one, to help you achieve career success:

• Placement - Industrial Placement
• Placement - Sandwich Courses
• Placement - Sandwich Placement
• Placement - Vacation Placement

Further Information

[Edit]

For more information about internships, placements and graduate jobs, visit the WikiJob forums.

Internships

These "internship" articles discuss internships and placements for student and graduate interns in further detail, mainly in relation to getting graduate jobs. These articles should help you to find out more about internships or placements, what they are, why interning is so useful and how you might go about getting an internship and becoming an intern.

---

Find internships and work placements - click here

---

Internship Articles

[Edit]

The following articles on internships should be helpful to anyone considering work experience or a placement:

Internship Articles

[Edit]

• Internships - How to get an internship
• Internships - The Importance of Internships
• Internships - What is an Internship?
• Internships - Why take an Internship?
• Internships - Summer Internships
• Internships - Finance Internships

Placement Articles

[Edit]

• Internships - Sandwich Placement
• Internships - Vacation Placement
• Internships - Placement or Internship?

Industrial Placements & Sandwich Courses

[Edit]

• Internships - Industrial Placement
• Internships - Sandwich Courses

Further Information

[Edit] For more information on internships, placements and graduate jobs visit:

• The WikiJob forums.
• The National Council for Work Experience.
• DirectGov Information on Voluntary Placements and Internships

Interview Questions & Answers

The following list of "job interview questions and answers" should help you prepare fully to answer difficult interview questions. Each interview question below links through to an example answer, that you can add to by editing yourself or by commenting on. You can also add to the interview questions on this page by editing the page, or suggest an interview question to be answered at the bottom of the page in a comment, which may be useful if there is a particular interview question or questions you are struggling with.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Please note that not all answers have been written at this time but do feel free to construct your own answer to help others in their interviews. This page is a work in progress!

General Interview Questions

[Edit]

Click on the interview question for the best answers.

Personal Interview Questions

• Interview question: Tell me about yourself
• Interview question: Tell me about your previous employment
• Interview question: What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
• Interview question: What are your strengths?
• Interview question: What is your greatest weakness?
• Interview question: How would your friends describe you?
• Interview question: How would your friends describe you?

Interview Questions about Employers

• Why do you want to work for our organisation?
• Why do you want to work in this industry?
• Why do you want to work in this area? (e.g. London, Manchester, France)
• How is this firm different from its competitors?

Smaller Employers Interview Questions

• Interview question: Why do you want to work for a small firm?

Interview Questions about Careers

• Why do you work as a .....?
• Why do you think you would be a good .....?
• Where do see yourself in 5/10 years time?
• What experiences most influenced your career choice?
• What do you really want to do in life?
• Would your social life or interests outside of work infringe on your work commitment?
• Have you applied to anyone else?
• What are you looking for in the firms you have applied to?
• Are you hoping for specialisation in a particular field, if so why?
• What motivates you?

Interview Questions about Education

• Why did you select your A level subjects?
• Why did you choose your university?
• Why did you choose your course?
• What have you gained from your course?
• Did the course live up to your expectations?
• What aspects of your course did you find the most challenging?
• Have you been required to re-sit any examinations?
  • Why do you think this was?
• Are you satisfied with your academic achievements to date?
• What do you see as the principal benefits of university life apart from obtaining a degree?

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

Commercial Awareness Interview Questions

[Edit]

Click on the interview question for the best answers.

Commercial awareness interview questions:

• Describe a company you think is doing well/badly and explain why you think this is so.
• What do you think are key qualities for a company to have to be successful?
• What significant factors have affected this industry in recent years?
• What do you understand of the role this firm plays in this industry?

Technical Interview Questions

[Edit]

Click on the interview question for the best answers.

Accountancy

• Interview question: Why do you want to be an accountant?
• Interview question: What do you think you will be doing in your first year as an accountant?
• Interview question: What do you think you will be doing in your first year as an auditor?

Investment Banking

• How is a merger/acquisition structured?
• Give an example of a recent commercial deal that captured your attention: which party/side in this deal would you like to work for if you were a lawyer and why?

Legal

• How would you sell on services to a client? - for solicitors in commercial practice only
• You are alone in the office and a client phones demanding instant advice, what do you do?
• You are alone in the office and a very important client phones demanding you shred various documents of theirs. What do you do?
• What would you do if three partners all came to you with work they wanted you to do by 5pm that day?
• If you had a completely free choice, which law would you like to change and why?
• Why would you want to do legal aid work?

Competency Based Interview Questions

[Edit]

Click on the interview question for the best answers.

• Give an example of when and how you have worked in a team.
• Describe a time when you had a number of conflicting demands on your time and how you dealt with this
• Give an example of a time when you were not in agreement with the rest of the team.
• Can you give me evidence that you set yourself high personal
• How do you go about motivating yourself when the pressure is off?
• How do you go about organising your time and assessing priorities?
• Why, among all the candidates, should we choose you?
• Describe a situation where you acted on your own initiative?
• What is the worst mistake you have ever made and what did you learn from it
• How do you react to pressure?
• How do you react to failure?
• How do you respond to change?
• How do you go about handling difficult people?
• If a decision goes against you how do you take it?
• Would you say that you usually achieve what you set out to do?
• Tell me about a situation when you have had to meet a tight deadline?
• Give me an example of a time when you had to negotiate to achieve a desired outcome?

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that almost guarantees success - click here

---

For general information on interview questions, see common interview questions.

Investment Banking Interview Questions

There are four interview questions that every candidate planning to attend Investment Banking interviews should prepare for. You will almost certainly be asked each one, for more or less every interview you attend, so it is well worth taking some time to familiarise yourself with possible question variations and of course, model answers.

The four most common investment banking interview questions are:

• Tell me about yourself (or, your talk through your CV).
• Why do you want to be an investment banker? (or, Why have you chosen investment banking as a career?)
• Why do you want to work for our bank in particular?
• How do you value a company?

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees success - click here

---

Other Investment Banking Interview Questions

[Edit]

Below is a list of questions that have been asked at investment banking interviews.

Career Questions

[Edit]

• What other firms are you interviewing with and why?
• Are you interviewing with management consulting firms too?
• What career opportunities are you exploring other than investment banking?
• What are the most important qualities for a career in investment banking?
• What do you understand the responsibilities of an analyst to be?
• Describe a current event in the market?
• What is your most challenging professional experience?
• What would you do if you were giving a presentation to a client and suddenly noticed a mistake in some of the calculations, which you had prepared?

Education Questions

[Edit]

• What were your grades each year at university?
• Why did you choose your university?

General Questions

[Edit]

• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Where do you see yourself in five years/ten years?
• What are your proudest accomplishments?
• Who or what is your greatest influence?

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees success - click here

---

Competency Questions

[Edit]

• Are you a leader or a follower? Give examples.
• Describe an ethical decision you had to make?
• Describe a time you failed, why did you fail, what did you learn?

Finance Questions

[Edit]

• Why would two companies merge?
• What major factors drive mergers and acquisitions?
• What are some common anti-takeover tactics?
• Why might a company choose to issue debt vs. equity?
• What could a company do with excess cash on the balance sheet?
• How would you calculate a firm's WACC? What would you use it for?
• How do you calculate the firm value for the following firm?
• What would greater impact a firms valuation, a 10% reduction in revenues or 1% reduction in discount rate?
• What major factors affect the yield on a corporate bond?
• Walk me through the major line items of a Cash Flow Statement.
• Say you knew a company's net income. How would you figure out its cash flows?
• What is the difference between the balance sheet and the income statement?
• What is goodwill? How does it affect net income?
• What is the difference between Purchase and Pooling accounting? Under what circumstances would you use one or the other?
• What are deferred taxes? How do they arise?
• What is working capital? How would you calculate it?

Industry Questions

[Edit]

• What was our firm's share price yesterday?
• What is the FTSE at today?
• Which way is the market going? Bond, equity and foreign exchange?
• Where do you think interest rates will be in the next 12 months?
• What has happened in the markets in the past three months?
• What were the headlines in the Financial Times today?
• What would you personally invest in?
• What industry do you follow and what numbers do you look at to determine if a firm is doing well in the industry.

---

The best way to prepare for tough interview questions is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible. Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees success - click here

---

Investment Banking Questions

[Edit]

• Why have you chosen to work in investment banking rather than management consulting?
• How does your past career qualify you for a position in investment banking?
• What department do you want to work for inside investment banking and why?
• Who is in the bulge bracket?
• If you were the CEO of our firm, what major changes would you implement?
• Describe a typical day of an investment banking analyst?
• What is your greatest concern about investment banking right now?

To discuss investment banking or investment banking interview questions in further detail, visit the WikiJob forums.

Job Applications

A "job application" is probably the most important part of the job search and recruitment process. The job applications stage of assessment is where most job applicants will be rejected, most of the time for pretty petty reasons, such as small or careless mistakes on a job application form, CV or covering letter.

---

Having trouble with CVs, cover letters and job applications? Why not try out our CV writing services - we even offer a free CV review!

---

Stand Out Job Application

Some employers receive thousands of applications for jobs. You must make sure that your application really stands out when you apply for a job, to be in with any serious chance of getting through to the interview stage of the application and assessment process.

---

Take a practice course to prepare for competency based questions in your upcoming job interviews - click here.

---

Application Article Gloassary

The following articles give advice on various types of applications, to help candidates when applying for jobs:

Job Applications

• Job applications - Job application forms
• Job applications - Email job applications
• Job applications - Online job applications

CVs & Cover Letters

• Job applications - CVs and Resumes
• Job applications - Covering Letters

Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation

• Job applications - spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Job applications - spelling, grammar and punctuation tips for Foreign job applicants

Types of Job Application

Although most graduate schemes require applicants to fill out application forms for jobs online, many jobs require your CV and/or covering letter and/or other form of job application to be emailed or posted to your prospective employer.

Take a practice course to prepare for competency based questions in your upcoming job interviews - click here.

Further Information

For more information on making graduate job applications ask questions in the Wiki Job Application forum.

Job Interviews

A job interview is a meeting organised by a recruiter used to evaluate a potential employee for prospective employment at a company. Job interviews typically precede a hiring decision and often form part of the assessment centre process. Most graduate job interviews last for about one hour, although telephone interviews and technical interviews are usually shorter.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

What Happens at Job Interviews?

Job interviews are usually preceded by the evaluation of CVs submitted by candidates who have applied for a particular job role; recruiters/employers usually invite the best of these candidates to interview. The job interview is considered one of the most useful tools in evaluating potential employees.

Multiple rounds of job interviews may be used where there are many candidates in competition or the job in question is particularly challenging or desirable. Earlier interview rounds usually involve fewer and less important interviewers and will typically last for much less time and go into far less detail than final stage interviews.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Telephone Interviews

A common initial job interview is the telephone interview. This type of interview is especially common when candidates do not live near an employer, or when an employer does not have sufficient resources to interview many candidates face-to-face. Telephone interviews have the advantage of keeping costs low for both employer and also candidate.

Once all candidates have been interviewed, the employer typically selects the most desirable candidate and begins the negotiation of a job offer.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Job Interview Preparation

It is very important to be well prepared for a job interview. A common reason employers give for not hiring candidates is the inability of candidates to fully explain the contents of his or her CV. It is very important that you are able to discuss every item listed on your CV, and if possible to give examples where appropriate. It is also wise to research the company you will be interviewing at, before your interview, as well as preparing for common interview questions.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Typical Job Interviews

A typical job interview involves a single candidate meeting with one, two or three current employers from a firm. Usually interviewers consist of: the potential supervisor of the employee, a member of the firm's Human Resources (HR) team and/or a partner from the firm.

Job interviews usually last from between 15 minutes to two hours. Most job interviews will feature questions about a candidate's work history, personality, work style and other factors relevant to the job. The candidate will usually be given a chance to ask any questions at the end of the interview. These questions are strongly encouraged since they allow the interviewee to acquire more information about the job and the company, but can also serve to demonstrate the candidate's interest in working for the company in question.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

The primary purpose of the job interview is to assess the candidate's suitability for the job, although the candidate will also be assessing the corporate culture and demands of the job, and whether or not the company is right for them.

Candidates for lower paid and lower skilled positions tend to have much simpler job interviews than candidates for more prestigious positions (such as graduate jobs).

Usually, the larger the firm, the more intense the interview will tend to be. Candidates generally dress slightly better than they would for work for interviews.

Additionally, some professions have specific types of job interviews. For consultancy interviews, most candidates will be given a case study interviews. For IT and technical related roles, most candidates will be given a technical interviews.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

At many companies, assessment days (also called assessment centres) are increasingly being used by employers, particularly for graduate positions. These extended assessments may include analysis tasks, group exercises, presentations and aptitude tests.

Why Job Interviews are so Important

A bad hiring decision can be immensely expensive for an employer. The costs associated with hiring a candidates, training, severance pay, loss of productivity, impact on morale, cost of re-hiring, and other factors can be very large.

Different Types of Job Interview

There are many different types of interview. Several of the most regular are detailed below:

Competency Based Interview

For the extended wiki profile on competency based interviews see here.

Competency based interviews (also known as behavioural interviews) are increasingly frequently used by employers. This type of interview is based on the notion that a job candidate's previous behaviours are the best indicators of potential future performance. In competency based interviews, the interviewer asks candidates to recall specific instances where they were faced with a set of circumstances, and how they reacted.

Typical competency based questions include::

• "Tell me about a time when you took the lead on a project. What did you do?"
• "Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn't like."
• "Give us an example of something particularly innovative that you have done that made a difference in the workplace."
• "What happened the last time you were late with a project?"

Stress Interview

Stress interviews are used by employers to put candidates under intense pressure, to find out how they perform. One type of stress interview involves an employer organising a succession of interviewers (either one at a time or all together) who intimidate the candidate, putting them under great pressure when answering questions. The main purpose of this type of interview is to find out how a candidate handles stress. Stress interview questions often involve how a candidate handles work overload, how they deal with multiple projects, and how good they are at handling workplace conflict.

Another type of stress interview may involve only a single interviewer who behaves in an uninterested or hostile manner. For example, the interviewer may not make eye contact, roll his eyes or sigh at the candidate's answers, interrupt, turn their back, take phone calls during the interview, or ask questions in a demeaning or challenging style. The goal is to assess how the interviewee handles pressure or to purposely evoke emotional responses. The key to success for the candidate is to remain unemotional during the process.

Example stress interview questions:

• "If you caught a colleague cheating on his expenses, what would you do?"
• "How do you feel this interview is going?"
• "What would you change about the design of a postbox?"
• "I don't feel like we're getting to the heart of the matter here. Start again - tell me what really makes you tick."

Technical Interview

For the extended wiki profile on technical interviews see here.

This kind of interview focuses on problem solving and creativity. The questions involved with this type of interview are used to discern your problem-solving skills and are likely to show your analytical ability and creativity.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Presentations

For the extended wiki profile on presentations see here.

Candidates may also be asked to deliver a presentation as part of the interview and assessment process. This is stressful and is therefore useful as a predictor of how the candidate will perform under similar circumstances on the job.

Job Interview Controversy

Discrimination
In many countries, employment laws forbid discrimination at interview, based on a number of issues, such as: race, gender, age, and marital status. Asking questions about these specific issues during a job interview is generally considered discriminatory, and constitutes an illegal hiring practice.

Unsuitable selection tool
There is growing information which infers job interviews are an ineffective means of selecting employees. Where the aim of a job interview is ostensibly to choose a candidate who will perform well in the job role, other methods of selection provide greater predictive power and often at a lower cost. Furthermore, most job interviews are highly unstructured and have almost no useful predictive power of employee success. They can also be biased, for example, a candidate interviewed later in the day may be judged more harshly by an interviewer than a candidate interviewed earlier in the morning - simply because the interviewer may become tired and less easily impressed during the course of an interview day.

Interviewers' opinions have also been shown to be effected by the attractiveness of candidates, and even by the colours of the clothing candidates' are wearing. Women who wear red have been shown to be assessed as "sexier" by interviewers, and consequently perform better at interview, than female candidates who wear other colours of clothing.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Further Information

For further information about job interviews see:

• Competency based job interview
• Telephone job interview
• Technical job interview
• Common job interview questions
• Case study job interview
• Panel job interview
• Partner job interviews
• Stress job interview
• Job interview applications

Job Offers

A "Job Offer" is the final stage in the job search process. Companies usually inform candidates they would like to make them a job offer by telephone, or less frequently, by email. After this, a formal written contract will be sent out, which is likely to be subject to a few final checks and measures, such as: your references being satisfactory; you pass a health/medical questionnaire; you pass a security/police check; your exam results are accurate; you have a UK work permit or the right to work in the UK; and even that you agree to relocate.

If you are not eligible to work in the UK but have not discussed this with your employer at any point previously during the assessment process, you will ultimately be found out and your offer will be withdrawn.

Accepting a Job Offer

[Edit]

You do not need to rush to accept a job offer, particularly if you have reservations of any kind. It is far better to consider your options, compare offers, and take some time to reflect on your interviews and assessments than to rush in to accepting an offer. Similarly, just because you have an offer does not mean this job role is necessarily the most suitable for you. There is nothing wrong with rejecting a job offer, if ultimately, you do not think you would be happy doing the job offered, or working at the company who have made the offer.

Negotiating your Job Offer

[Edit]

Employers are often quite flexible about start dates and even the financial package they are offering you. If you do not feel that the salary offered is adequate, or that you are worth a higher salary because of your specialist skills or attributes, you should say something. Employers are open to negotiations on job offers, although you should be prepared for them to reject your suggestions. However, do not argue with your employer. If a firm tell you there is no room for negotiation on your job offer, accept that this is the case.

There will usually not be any room for salary negotiations for structured graduate schemes.

Working Hours

[Edit]

You should be absolutely clear about the hours you will be expected to work before signing your contract. Many firms will unofficially require you to work late several nights a week, but you should be aware of, and prepared for this, before you start working for the firm. Watch out for any “opt out” clauses in your job offer contract, which infer you are opting out of your right to work less than 48 hours in the average week.

Golden Handcuffs, Golden Hellos, Golden Handshakes

[Edit]

If you have been offered any of the above, be care to pay attention to specific details in your job offer contract. Accepting any “golden hellos” or “golden handshakes” offered to you upfront to encourage you to apply, may result in you also being given “golden handcuffs”. This means that should you decide to leave the firm before the end of your training contract, or another fixed period of time, you will be required to pay back this starting bonus, either partially, or in full.

Training

[Edit]

You should also pay attention to the particular details in your job offer relating to your training itself. Although your firm may be offering to pay for your training (e.g. ACA, ACCA, Professional Skills Course (PSC), etc), you may be required to pay for any exams you fail, or need to resit. Should you fail an exam more than once, you may actually be fired, in which case you may also be required to pay back all the money your firm has spent on training. Once again, should you chose to leave your firm before the end of your training contract, you may also have to pay back your associated training costs.

Further Information

[Edit]

The following articles focus on "job offers" and should help to provide some information on job offer analysis and comparison.

• Factors to consider before accepting a job offer

PQA Interview (Personal Qualities & Attributes)

A PQA Interview (Personal Qualities & Attributes) is a type of interview used to assess a candidate's experience in relation to the Personal Qualities and Attributes that an employer believes are necessary for employees to posses, to be able to do a job. This type of interview is fairly similar to a competency based interview, and requires candidates to provide situational examples to demonstrate skills and abilities. This type of interview is most commonly used by public sector employers, such as the Police, the Fire Brigade and the NHS (National Health Service).

Panel Interview

A panel interview follows the same rules as a conventional interview, but is conducted by more than one interviewer. For graduate level interviews, the panel will probably consist of just two or three interviewers, usually a combination of:

• HR team member
• Line manager
• Partner

During a panel interview you may find that only one of your interviewers is asking you questions. Even if this is the case, you must still make sure that you maintain eye contact with each assessor. Do not talk directly to one person, but instead look from person to person when you talk, but always finish by talking to and looking at the person who initially asked you the question.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Partner interviews

Partners are senior members of staff at a firm. Unlike normal members of staff, they own a share of the firm, receive a profit share (rather than a salary), and will undertake legal responsibility for the firm's affairs. The Big 4 accounting firms all have more than 500 partners in the UK.

The purpose of the partner interview is to see if your personality is suitable for the firm you are joining. There are no set questions, this is merely a conversation about why you want to join and what it is you hope to achieve. Partners may also be looking for evidence of commercial awareness and commitment to career.

Questions Likely to Be Asked

[Edit]

• Why do you want to join this firm? Why not a competitor?
• Why the line of service you have joined?
• What do you think you can bring to this firm?
• How do you think you will benefit from working here?
• Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
• What do you do in your spare time?

Tips

[Edit]

Partners are trying to determine whether you are a trustworthy, genuine person, who can be trusted to deal with the firm's clients and give them the right impression. They are also trying to determine if you are likely to fit in amongst other employees.

Try not to show off. A partner has had many years of experience and if you talk about something bear in mind that the partner is likely to know much more about it than you do.

This interview is predominantly a matter of assessing social chemistry, so make sure you are personable, friendly, open and relaxed. Shake hands confidently, smile and be courteous. Make sure you hold strong eye contact throughout your interview. You should ask questions, such as the partner's role in the firm, and what sort of clients he/she deals with.

Also see - Competency Interviews, General Interview Advice and Competency Questions.

Personality Tests

The personality test and the personality questionnaire are used in order to determine a candidate's typical reactions and attitudes to various situations. These tests might try to identify how well you get on with others, your normal reaction to stressful situations or your feelings about the kind of people you like to work with.

You can take practice personality tests here which will help you to prepare for your upcoming personality tests.

Personality Test Conditions

[Edit]

It is unlikely that personality tests or questionnaires will be timed or indeed have right or wrong answers. Do not let this lack of exam conditions fool you. Some employers will know precisely what they are looking for in terms of an ideal 'Personality Profile' and it is up to you to meet their expectations. It is unwise to try to fake the answers. These questionnaires usually have some type of internal checking where the same question is asked with different wording early and late in the test to try to detect dishonest answers. Ultimately, there is little point in pretending to be the kind of employee a firm is looking for if you are not right for them. If they think your personality is unsuitable for their company, their company is probably also unsuitable for your personality.

Personality Test Practice

[Edit]

You can take practice personality tests here which will help you to prepare for your upcoming personality tests.

Further Information

[Edit] Now see -

• Aptitude tests.
• Myers-Briggs
• WikiJob forum.

Presentation

A presentation is a short persuasive talk that must be given as part of an interview or assessment day. Employers will either ask you to prepare a presentation in advance, or more usually on the day of assessment itself. You may have to give your presentation to a single interviewer, a group of assessors, or even a room full of other candidates. Depending on your assessor(s), you should also be prepared to answer questions at the end of your presentation posed by your audience.

To give a successful presentation you need to show that you can put information across to other people clearly, confidently and consicely. You must support your ideas and themes with anecdotes, examples, statistics and facts. Aim for a conversational delivery, using brief notes or bullet points, rather than memorising and reciting, or reading from a prepared sheet. Try to establish eye contact with everyone around you. Speak clearly, take your time and don't try to rush through your delivery.

Preparation

[Edit]

It is essential you practice your presentation before the interview. Give presentations to friends and family well in advance of your interviews, rehearse in the mirror or record yourself on camera or tape to analyse your delivery. If you give a good presentation at interview you will give interviewers a very good impression of yourself and all the practice you have put in will pay off.

Content

[Edit]

Candidates should keep their presentations simple, straight-forward and easy to understand. If you try too hard (for example, to be funny or clever) you run a serious risk of embarrassing yourself.

Keep things sharp, succinct and to the point. Don't over elaborate, or waffle for the sake of using up time. It is important to be articulate, and not to use slang. Throughout your presentation you must be professional, as professional in fact as you would expect your interviewers to be.

Keeping track of time is important during your presentation. If you have been asked to prepare a presentation of five minutes, make sure you present for at least four and a half or at most five and a half. Giving a short presentation looks like a candidate is under-prepared. Giving a long presentation runs the risk of boring or agitating your assessors.

Performance

[Edit]

The most important part of your presentation is how you present. Interviewers are looking for candidates who are naturally professional - confident, articulate and presentable. Essentially, interviewers are looking for candidates that they would be happy about putting in front of one of their clients.

When delivering your presentation take note of the following (V.E.S.S):

• Voice: Speak clearly and loudly enough for everyone to hear during your presentation. Vary the tone of your voice to keep your audience interested. Don't speak too fast and be confident enough to leave space between any key points you make, if necessary.
• Eyes: Maintain eye contact with your audience throughout your presentation. Look from person to person as you talk to keep everyone engaged.
• Smile: Be positive throughout your presentation. Smile when you begin, keep smiling as you talk, and conclude with a smile. People naturally prefer people who smile, especially your interviewers!
• Stance: Stand up straight, with your shoulders back and feet pointing straight at your audience when delivering your presentation. Use your hands to elaborate what you are saying if you need to, but not excessively.

Conclusion

[Edit]

At the end of your presentation, rephrase the original question (or title of your presentation) and answer it with your conclusion. Thank your audience, smile and offer a chance for questions to be asked.

Also see - this post on Giving a Presentation in the forums.

Professional Conduct Questions

Professional conduct questions are a type of interview question that is used mainly by law firms, to assess a candidate's concept of professional conduct, their thought process and their attitude to dealing with clients. This type of question is most frequently used during training contract assessment centres.

The Rules of Professional Conduct

[Edit]

The main rules of professional conduct are:

• You must work in the best interests of your client
• Avoid conflict
• Confidentiality
• Being competent to act for the client
• A lawyer is bound to act with integrity, their overriding duty is to the court. Yes, they have to work in the best inerests of the client but this does not mean by forsaking honesty and integrity.

Example Questions

[Edit]

Question: You and your supervisor have arranged to meet a client on a Saturday. You and your client have arrived, but your supervisor has been in an accident and cannot attend the meeting. The client wants answers today. What do you do?

Answer: Advise your client that you are only a trainee and not fully qualified to give advice in this situation. Listen to the client's problem, and if you feel competent enough to advise, do so within your knowlege. If you do not feel competent or only have limited advice to give, ask the client if he is ok to wait while you try to contact another partner or manager, perhaps from a different office for advice.

A lot of interviewers/interview questions will try to panic you by mentioning that you will lose the deal if you don't give advice. Do not let this change your answer. It is unfortunate if you lose the deal, but that is better than giving incorrect advice and/or breaching professional conduct rules.

PwC Job Offer

Successful candidates will receive telephone notification of their job offer, followed a few days later by an offer pack, which contains a contract and pre-employment vetting forms, which include an independence form (where you state you have no personal interest such as shares in any client of PwC) and a personal data form in which you give your permission for PwC to perform background checks on you. There is also information on the benefits package you will receive as part of your salary.

The pre-employment process generally takes a minimum of four weeks. If there are any problems with your completed forms, you will be contacted by the employment vetting team requesting some further information.

Buddy

[Edit]

Shortly after you receive your initial written contract you will be contacted by a "buddy" who will give you their contact details and let you know they are available to answer any of your questions, whenever you have them.

Embark Website

[Edit]

PwC also provide successful candidates with access to the Embark website, which is a private access website for successful candidates. This gives you a wealth of pre-joining information, and is where you will find information on your first week and the following three months at PwC.

The Embark website also gives you access to the graduate loan request form, the form to request an Amex card and your suitability to work in the UK form. There is also some information about work permits.

Grosvenor Health

[Edit]

A few weeks after receiving your initial written contract, you will receive a letter from Grosvenor Health (PwC’s Occupational Health provider) asking you to fill out an online health questionnaire. This is simple but detailed.

ICAEW & ICAS

[Edit]

You must register with the ICAEW or ICAS, or the relevant body for the course you will be taking before you start work at PwC. Instructions for this are on Embark. There is also information on the pre-course reading.

PREV1EW Events

[Edit]

Having accepted the employment offer and prior to joining PwC you will be invited to a PREV1EW event, this is an opportunity to meet other graduates who are joining your office and/or region. You will also be provided with some information relating to the professional qualification which will also be available on embark for those who cannot make the event. This event is a great opportunity to ask any outstanding questions which you may have.

Depending on which office you join you may be invited to a sports day for your department, usually held at the beginning of August. There will be the opportunity to meet graduates in the year above you and your future colleagues.

First Week

[Edit]

Your first week is likely to include a two day induction with graduates from several other offices.

The next two days will be spent in your particular office where you will be introduced to your business unit, your personal coach and undertake some IT training.

Friday of your first week will be your first day at college studying for the ACA or ACCA.

Week Seven (approximately)

[Edit]

At the end of week seven you take your first three exams and take a further three at the end of week 15.

After this time you will begin practical work, whilst continuing to study towards the ACA or ACCA.

You are heavily advised not to take any holiday during the first 15 weeks of your employment.

Role play

Role plays test how candidates might approach difficult situations that frequently occur in the business world. Interviewers frequently ask interview candidates to assume the role of a specific company employee and ask them how they would approach a hypothetical or real life situation.

Often one of the interviewers will act the part of a member of the public, colleague or customer and another interviewer will watch and take notes/assess you. The situation will often involve some sort of controversy or conflict or dissatisfaction on the opposition's part, and require negotiating and reasoning as well as customer service skills from the interviewee.
in other words, you will be told about a product and you will have a customer who wants it, pitch, break ice, confirm needs, etc. it is mainly sales ability and problem solving.

Stress Interview

Stress interviews are used by employers to put candidates under intense pressure, to find out how they perform. One type of stress interview involves an employer organising a succession of interviewers (either one at a time or all together) who intimidate the candidate, putting them under great pressure when answering questions. The main purpose of this type of interview is to find out how a candidate handles stress. Stress interview questions often involve how a candidate handles work overload, how they deal with multiple projects, and how good they are at handling workplace conflict.

Another type of stress interview may involve only a single interviewer who behaves in an uninterested or hostile manner. For example, the interviewer may not make eye contact, roll his eyes or sigh at the candidate's answers, interrupt, turn their back, take phone calls during the interview, or ask questions in a demeaning or challenging style. The goal is to assess how the interviewee handles pressure or to purposely evoke emotional responses. The key to success for the candidate is to remain unemotional during the process.

Example stress interview questions:

• "If you caught a colleague cheating on his expenses, what would you do?"
• "How do you feel this interview is going?"
• "What would you change about the design of a postbox?"
• "I don't feel like we're getting to the heart of the matter here. Start again - tell me what really makes you tick."

Technical Interview

A technical interview is a type of interview that typically features questions that are specific to the role you have applied for, brain teaser and/or numerical reasoning questions, or both types of question. Technical interviews are generally used to assess candidates for technical or specialist graduate job positions (such as jobs in IT, Engineering and Science) rather than general graduate schemes.

Technical interviews may be used for less specialist roles (but if so only usually for highly competitive roles) such as jobs at investment banks. However, these interviews are less likely to contain technical questions specific to the job itself, and more likely to contain numerical reasoning questions and/or brain teaser questions.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Types of Technical Interview

[Edit]

It is not unusual for an interviewer to show a candidate a wiring diagram or a line of computer code and expect instant analysis in a technical interview. Candidates should bear in mind that interviewers are not just interested in technical knowledge (although this is very important) but also how candidates approach problems, construct their thought process, and demonstrate personal skills, such as communication.

---

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Technical Interview Questions

[Edit] In a technical interview candidates are likely to be asked questions that:

• relate to specific knowledge about the company's technical activities;
• relate to understanding the technical work required to be completed as part of the job applied for;
• relate to work completed as part of a degree course (if this relates to the job applied for);
• require candidates to solve actual technical prolems that they would be likely to face if employed.

Candidates may also be asked brain teaser questions and difficult numerical reasoning questions such as:

• What is the degree angle between the hour and minute hand of a clock at 3:15pm? (Lehman Brothers)
• What is 17 x 18? (JPMorgan)
• How many manhole covers are there in London?
• Why are manhole covers round?

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

For more information and to prepare for your technical interview, visit the WikiJob forum.

Telephone interview

Many recruiters use "telephone interviews" as the first stage of a job interview process. A telephone interview is an effective way for a firm to screen many candidates quickly and with the lowest overall expenditure of any type of interview. This is why companies use this style of interview so frequently.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

What is a Telephone Interview?

[Edit]

A telephone interview is a pre-scheduled interview that takes place between a recruiter and a candidate who has applied for a job role that takes place over the telephone. Telephone interviews are usually fairly straightforward and are mainly used to screen poor candidates out of an interview process, rather than to test high quality ones. Often, all recruiters will be looking for from candidates during a telephone interview will be a calm, confident telephone manner and an intelligent set of responses to interview questions.

Graduate level telephone interviews are usually short - most last less than 30 minutes - and feature a mix of competency questions and questions about your CV, work experience and education. BATE

---

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Prepare for a Telephone Interview

[Edit]

Although a telephone interview is relatively straightforward, even highly capable candidates can be rejected at this early interview stage if they are inadequately prepared or not used to speaking in a professional manner over the phone. For many candidates, the whole situation can feel unnatural - without eye contact it can be difficult to build rapport and display a strong personality with your interviewer.

Practice

[Edit]

Practice is useful, especially if you haven't worked in an office or used a telephone to talk to clients in previous jobs. If you can, try getting friends or family members to call you and ask interview questions. Candidates who don't think they'll have any trouble with this style of assessment are often the ones that have difficulties.

Research

[Edit]

It is important to find out as much as you possibly can about a company, and a job role, before any type of interview; a telephone interview is no exception. You may receive some information from your prospective employer, but make sure you also visit their website, competitor websites, read relevant trade press and keep aware of current industry specific commercial awareness issues. Be aware of the size of a company, its structure, its products and services, its markets, competitors and future plans.

Plan

[Edit]

Plan for possible questions you may be asked before your interview. Consider answers you can give, including good experience examples for competency based questions. Also spend time thinking up questions you would like to ask your interviewer. Asking your own questions shows you are interested in the company and job role. For example, ask questions that are relevant to you, but not questions that it would be easy to find out the answers to with a little research on a company website, during your telephone interview.

How to Have a Successful Interview

[Edit]

Many candidates find it hard to adapt to telephone interviews and struggle to get into interview "mode" when talking to interviewers over the telephone. This is not good enough; you need to be as professional and presentable as you would in a face to face situation from the moment your interviewer calls.

Although it may sound strange, putting on smart, interview style clothes before your scheduled telephone interview can help you to focus and get into a professional mindset. Find a quiet place (a study with a desk is best) to answer the phone and put yourself to work studying some relevant material on your company or industry before the scheduled call so that your mind is already focussed on work.

Make sure you smile when answering your phone. If you force yourself to smile, you physically become more relaxed and as a consequence your voice will sound more confident, friendly and assertive. If you do this, you will come across much better when speaking.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Standing up, rather than sitting down, can be a good way to keep your confidence and enthusiasm levels high. Professional salesmen use this trick to keep them focussed and alert when making high-pressure sales calls. The best salesmen also recommend using a headset when making, or taking, important calls. Doing so helps you concentrate on talking and thinking, rather than holding your phone, and allows you to use your hands to complement your responses.

Finally, make sure you keep a copy of your CV, covering letter, application form, and any notes you may have made on the company in question to hand.

Common Telephone Interview Mistakes

[Edit]

Candidates that fail telephone interviews often do so because of poor preparation or making minor mistakes. Some common mistakes are discussed below - make sure you steer clear of them!

Using Slang

[Edit]

Candidates who would never use colloquialisms in face to face interviews often accidentally use slang during a telephone interview without even realising it, because they are so used to using the phone to talk to friends. You should never use slang in any kind of interview situation.

Arranging Your Interview

[Edit]

Many candidates arrange their interviews without adequately considering when they will next be free. It is essential to properly plan when and where you will be when organising your telephone interview. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a loud, busy place, when your interviewer calls.

Answering The Phone

[Edit]

Your telephone interview begins from the moment you answer the telephone and ends only when the conversation, questions and your goodbyes have been completed. Even your opening "good afternoon" or "good morning" message should be outgoing, engaging and enthusiastic. Aim to impress your interviewer at every stage.

Forgetting Your Interview

[Edit]

Candidates who forget a scheduled telephone interview are destined to fail. If a recruiter calls a candidate who appears to be confused, unprepared and disorganised, they will be unlikely to invite them for a face to face interview.

---

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Being Interrupted

[Edit]

Almost as bad as forgetting your interview, is organising your interview at a time, or in a place, where you will be interrupted. Ensure wherever you want to take your telephone interview is a place where you will be left in peace.

Charging Your Telephone

[Edit]

If using a mobile phone, remember to charge it on the day of your interview. If your phone cuts out, or starts beeping during conversation, you risk irritating your interviewer or losing your train of thought.

Time Limits

[Edit]

In most telephone interviews time is strictly limited; you may even feel as though you are being rushed when answering questions. Sometimes time is so strictly limited that interviewers will stop candidates talking even though they have not completely finished answering a question. This is usually because the candidate has already answered the question well enough and the interviewer has decided that they do not need any further information, and to save time they can move on to the next question.

Don't be worried to take a little time to consider questions, or your responses to them, before answering. Although time is limited, your interviewer should understand that candidates need to take some time to produce top quality responses.

---

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Telephone Interview Questions

[Edit]

Telephone interviews are typically conducted by a member of a firm's human resources (HR) team, or outsourced to a specialist organisation (such as a recruitment consultancy or job assessment organisation). Questions will usually focus on: your CV, work experience and academic history; your motivations for applying to the firm in question, the particular industry and job role; your knowledge of the firm itself (i.e. competitors, global reach, future plans); and, your skills, qualifications and competencies.

Typical Telephone Interview Questions

[Edit]

It is less likely that a telephone interview would include technical questions, brain teaser questions or commercial awareness style questions (although you should still prepare for these questions, just in case).

Example Interview Questions

[Edit]

Typical telephone interview questions may include:

• Why do you want to work in [industry in question]?
• Why do you want to be a [job role in question]?
• What are you most looking forward to in this role?
• Tell me about yourself/take me through your CV.
• Where would you like to be in five years? What do you think you will be doing?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your greatest achievements?
• What motivates you?
• Tell me about a time you have led a team.
• What was your degree grade? Were you happy with this?

Where possible, always use a different example when answering each question.

• Click here for a more comprehensive list of possible graduate level interview questions.

How Should I Conclude a Telephone Interview?

[Edit]

Part of reason why firms conduct a telephone interview is to find out how keen candidates are about working at their company and in the particular job role applied for. It is important to be enthusiastic throughout your telephone conversation, but make a particular effort to be forthcoming at the close.

Your interviewer may be able to tell you at the end of your conversation if they would like to see you for a face to face interview. If they do not, there is no harm in asking when you might hear from them regarding the next interview stage. If they do, thank your interviewer and ask them for some further details, such as: when, where and with whom your interview will be; if there is anything you should bring with you to the interview, what the interview format will be and how many people you will be up against; and, what are the crucial skills and competencies the employer is looking for in employees.

---

The best way to prepare for your interviews is by reading as many interview questions and answers as possible.

Interview Gold can help you with a method of preparation that guarantees your success - click here for more information

---

Interview Tips

[Edit]

Relax - telephone interviews are more concerned with finding out about your personality than your answers to questions. Do not use slang or colloquialisms. Try to sound confident and capable. Make sure you are polite throughout the conversation. Review company information before the interview to settle you into the right mindset. Practice - ask family or friends to call you and ask interview style questions, before the real thing.

Telephone Interview Practice

[Edit]

Take a practice course to prepare for your job interviews - click here.

Further Information

[Edit] For further related information see:

• General Interview Advice
• Competency Interviews
• Competency Questions
• Common Interview Questions
• Questions to ask your Interviewer

To discuss a telephone interview for a specific company, visit the WikiJob forum.

Written Exercise

Employers often use a written exercise to assess job candidates. Written exercises usually test a combination of: common sense, comprehension skills, the ability to structure a letter, an essay or an argument, note taking ability and written communication skills. A candidate's knowledge of specific industry issues or work procedures is not usually tested. The subject of your written exercise may also be used as the basis for a discussion in a later interview.

Written Exercise Examples

[Edit]

Examples of written exercises used by firms include:

• Write a report on the pros and cons of a takeover bid, based on 12-pages of material provided.
• Summarise the facts of a case file, listing its strengths and weaknesses.
• Summarise a Law report for a client who is concerned with the issues it covers but has no specific legal knowledge.
• Write a letter of complaint to a local council on behalf of an elderly resident.

You will typically be given between 40-60 minutes to complete a written exercise.