Interview technique

Learning pre-formed answers by rote is not the most useful way to prepare for an interview. The responses are likely to sound false, and an unexpected question that does not fit your ‘script’ could leave you floundering. Instead, prepare a series of points in line with the job description / person specification, stressing those aspects of your experience, qualifications and skills that match the employer’s requirements most closely. As well as being prepared to explain how you fulfil these requirements, to demonstrate your motivation you must also be able to explain why you want this job with this organisation.

It is important to remind yourself of the messages you have already conveyed to the recruiters in your CV/application form, and to be prepared to discuss anything you have told them. Read through your application, and imagine you are the interviewer. What questions would you ask in their shoes? Make sure that you can give at least one example (and preferably more) for each of the competencies (skills, experiences, knowledge and other attributes) that the employer is looking for, and that you can talk about those experiences in a positive way. Ask yourself:

• Why do I want the job?
• What skills have I gained from my academic/employment/extra-curricular activities that are relevant for this role?
• What are my ambitions?
• What prompted me to make particular decisions/undertake certain courses of action?
• What was my best/worst decision?
• How have I learnt from these experiences?
• What did I learn about myself when I…?
• What would I identify as my main strengths/weaknesses?

It is always a good move to prepare two or three questions that you would really like the interviewers to answer, as this will demonstrate confidence and a genuine interest in the job for which you have applied. Be careful, however, to avoid asking questions which have already been answered on the website, in the graduate brochure or in other literature sent out with the invitation to interview; also avoid asking about holidays or other benefits, as these are generally inappropriate at this stage of the recruitment process. You might want to ask:

• How will I be assessed/my performance appraised?
• What factors distinguish successful employees from less successful ones?
• I see (for example) that you are expanding into Europe – what would be the chances of my working there at some point?
• I read that you might be merging with X – how, in your view, would that affect the current workings of the organisation?
• What is the typical career progression for someone in this position?
• Is there anything else I can provide to help you make your decision? or What other skills do you need that I haven't shown you?
• Why do you like working for this company/doing this job?

If your questions have been answered in the course of the interview, say exactly that. If you are not invited to ask questions, or feel that there are key points you have not been given the chance to make, you can ask at the end of the interview whether now would be an appropriate time to raise this. If you feel there was an element to the interview where you didn’t show yourself in the best light, for example giving a weak answer to a question or talking over someone in a group interview, this can also be a good opportunity to show that self-awareness or offer an alternative example.

Top tips

• Be yourself: if you adopt a new persona for the interview, the result is likely to be insincere and transparent.
• Think about the impact of your voice i.e. the pace, tone and volume (for more information on making an impact see our pages on how to make a good first impression).
• Think about the structure of your answers: you might summarise at the end rather than trailing off. Use the S.T.A.R technique and make sure to emphasise your actions if describing a situation. For more information on the S.T.A.R technique see our pages on how to show you fit the job criteria.
• Honesty is the best policy – and if it is discovered later that you have been dishonest, you are very likely to be dismissed. Admitting, for example, to a period of poor motivation during your A-Levels shows more integrity than blaming someone else for poor grades, so don't feel that you should 'cover up' these incidents - present them positively as learning experiences.
• Be prepared to talk: avoid 'yes/no' answers and expand as often as possible, but don't over-communicate or waffle. Take your cue from the interviewer. Ask, "should I continue?" or "does that answer your question?" if you are unsure whether you have said enough.
• Ask for clarification if you need it, or request a moment's thinking time, before tackling a particularly difficult question. You might also take a sip of water to create a natural pause. This is better than saying the first thing that comes into your head.
• Be balanced in your answers, and try not to sound too obsessive about any one aspect of your life.
• It’s OK to make your interviewers smile or laugh, but don’t try to be a comedian with every answer you give – you need to show your professional side.
• No-one is allowed, by law, to ask you about your marital status, ethnic background, disability, sexual orientation or religious affiliation, unless it is a bona fide occupational qualification, so be aware that you can politely decline to answer such questions, by saying for example, "I don't see what relevance my sexual orientation has to the job for which I have applied, and I must ask that you withdraw the question" or "I really don't see my marital status as having any effect on my ability to do this job, or my commitment to the organisation, should I be appointed".
• Finally, book a practice interview with a Careers Adviser or employer via CareerConnect!

Answering difficult questions

Questions often perceived as particularly difficult include those which appear to be an invitation to expose your flaws, such as: what is your biggest weakness? What would you say has been your greatest failure? When answering these questions relax, be honest, and emphasise the positive. These can be good opportunities to show that you understand yourself and that you’re proactive about working on yourself. Think about answers in advance so that you're not floundering on the day.

Remember - no employer expects you to be completely perfect and self-awareness is preferable to blind arrogance! You might, for example, in answer to the question, “what is your biggest weakness?” say that, although you think well independently, you wouldn't be entirely happy in an environment where there was no teamwork; however you could then mention what coping strategies you would develop!

Or, you could tell them about your tendency to be nervous when presenting in front of large audiences and how, in an effort to overcome this, you have joined the debating society and now have strategies which help you communicate clearly to an audience when nervous.

Alternatively, you might say that your strengths lie in your ability to think problems through clearly, and that you can sometimes be frustrated with people who don't work logically, though you have learnt to appreciate the different insights that they can bring to a project.

These answers outline the weakness in each case, but turn the question around, so that can stress both your strengths and your ability to learn from your mistakes.

Another line of questioning that can sometimes be daunting is if you are asked to think about yourself in a different way, so for example to compare yourself to an animal or biscuit (or colour, or piece of furniture). In this instance, think about the personal qualities that you want to emphasise in this situation, and explain your choice. A plain chocolate digestive might suggest a professionalism that a strawberry wafer possibly does not.

Ending the interview

End on a positive note. Thank the interviewer(s) for their time, and reiterate your enthusiasm for the job for which you have applied. If the employer has not already made the next step clear, in terms of when they expect to let you know the outcome, go ahead and ask them.

Review the day

When you get home ensure you record all the questions you remember being asked at the interview. It would be helpful to keep an ‘interview notebook’ where you can jot down your experience and how you might answer them differently with a little more time to prepare. There are also online interview question databases to which you might like to contribute, in order to help future candidates. 

Rejected after first interview?

If you have been invited to interview and subsequently rejected, you can safely assume that on paper employers consider you capable of doing the job for which you have applied, but that at interview their opinion has changed in some way. Consider whether you have substantiated the messages you gave in your application, and whether you are presenting a professional, confident image at interview. Replay to yourself some of the answers you gave – particularly the ones you found more difficult - while they are still fresh in your mind. It is always worth asking an organisation for feedback after an interview; at worst they will say no, and at best you will receive a detailed critique of your performance. If it isn’t obvious how you can improve your performance in future interviews, talk with a Careers Adviser.

Independent exercise: review your interview technique

To see how you perform during an interview, record yourself on a webcam or phone, answering some of the example questions above, or the following three questions:

1.    Why do you want to work with us? (This could be for a role that you have applied to, or an organisation that you aspire to work with)
2.    Why is teamwork important?
3.    What is your biggest strength and weakness?

Review your recording and reflect on the following:

• Content  – did you answer the question that was asked? Did you provide a clear structure, e.g. Situation, Task, Action, Result? Did you provide evidence for your claims?
• Communication – did you use clear, concise language? Did you speak at an appropriate pace?
• Confidence -  did you appear engaged? Did you allow yourself enough time to think before answering?

If you don’t have a way to record yourself, you could practice in front of a mirror, or ask a friend or relative to interview you using these questions, and then ask for some constructive feedback using the reflection points above.

Brief mock interview with a Careers Adviser

You can use a one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser for anything careers-related - including a mock interview. As appointments are short, you are unlikely to fit in a whole interview and feedback - but you can run through a few practice questions and discuss your interview strategy. If you are preparing for a particular job interview, you may wish to bring the job description to this appointment as a point of reference.

Example questions

Communication 

• Tell me about a time when you have had to use written communication to successfully influence someone.
• Give us an example of a time you had to adjust your communication approach to suit a particular audience.
• Have you ever needed to present to a (large) audience? How did you prepare for that?
• How did you structure your communication? How successful were you?

Teamwork/Collaboration

• Tell me about a time when you were part of … a team … an effective team … a team where something went wrong.
• Can you give me an example of how you helped someone else to improve?
• How did you make a contribution? How do you help build good team spirit? What makes a successful team?

Leadership

• Tell me about a time when you were part of a project and you needed to change something – tell me what you did.
• Describe a situation when you assumed the role of leader …any challenges? …how did you address them?
• How did you manage conflicting ideas? What do you think makes a good leader?

Organisation and planning

• Tell me about a time when you have had to balance or juggle a number of (conflicting) priorities
• How do you approach managing your academic workload with your extra-curricular commitments and interests?
• How do you decide what to do first? What kind of goals did you set?

Self-management and resilience

• Tell me about a time when you have been faced with resistance or negativity - how did you respond?
• Give an example of a time when you had to cope under pressure - any examples from outside of your studies?
• What’s the most difficult problem you have faced and how did you sort this out?
• What was the solution - who suggested it? If others were involved, how did you persuade them to your point of view?

Initiative and problem-solving

• Tell me about a time when the project you were working on went wrong or faced difficulties.
• Can you tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem you could not solve (straight away/alone)?
• What did you do to resolve things? What did you learn from the experience? What would you do differently in future?

Commercial awareness/seeing the big picture

• I’d be interested to hear about a time when you created a new approach to an issue or started something new.
• How does your degree make you a better candidate for this role?
• Why was change needed? How did you approach this?

Focus on delivery/drive for results

• Give me an example of a time when you were particularly successful/delivered over and above expectations.
• Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
• Can you think of a time when you were not able to deliver what was expected of you, or a promise you had made?
• How did you approach the problem? Did you seek help or advice? What was most important in making that decision?

Motivational questions 

• Why are you interested in working with us?
• Why should we hire you?
• What do you know about our …sector? …company? …the role?
• What makes us stand out as a company (compared to our main competitors?)
• What are your long term career goals? 

Strengths-based questions 

• When are you at your best?
• What do you love to do in your spare time?
• What are you most proud of achieving?
• What would your friends say are …your strengths? …your weaknesses?
• Describe a successful day you’ve had.
• What aspects of your course have you most enjoyed?
• Do you enjoy starting or finishing a project most?
• If you had a to-do list, what are the tasks that get done first? …which are left until last?
• What motivates you to put in your greatest effort?

Academic interviews - additional questions 

• Tell us about your research.
• Can you describe the value of your research to a layperson?
• How does your research fit with the department’s research objectives?
• Does your research have any potential to serve the wider community and how do you propose to measure impact?
• What ideas do you have for further funding your research, and what are the possible sources of future funding?
• How can you contribute to administration in the department? How does your teaching experience fit you for this post?

Case study & technical interviews – general examples 

• How would you choose the optimal balance of economy /business class seats on an airline?
• What strategy should a new world wine producer use when seeking to enter a European market?
• How much water flows past a point in the River Thames in 24 hours?

Video Resources

• Oxford University Careers Service Director, Jonathan Black, says that if you're in the room you deserve to be there — be confident. But don't forget the three key themes you should cover. Watch the Financial Times video on how to ace an interview.

Other Resources

• Prospects: Interview tips
• EY has a page of interview tips
• There are lots of books which contain tips on interview technique; search on SOLO or at your favourite bookshop.