Beat interview blunders

Job interviews are anxious times but most of us can be happy in the knowledge that our stumbling question and answer session will remain between us and the interviewer.

An economics and business studies graduate from the Congo, Guy Goma, was not so lucky when he turned up for a job interview at the BBC in May. He found himself ushered into a studio and interviewed on live television after being mistaken for the similarly named Guy Kewney, editor of Newswireless.net who was also waiting in the foyer.

In preparing for an interview doing your homework is paramount.

Matt Pontin, recruitment manager for roading construction company Fulton Hogan, recommends job seekers research prospective employers.

"They should make sure they have prepared questions and that they use the opportunity to interview the employer," he said.

"It is a two-way process and in this talent-short market it is important for the individual to use that time to make sure they are happy with the information they gather from that meeting, too."

Heading the list of questions not to ask is: what does your company do? Pre-interview research should have answered this most fundamental query.

Questions about pay, benefits, and other self-interest items should be asked only after you've got a job offer, advises veteran career coach Joyce Lain Kennedy.

Questions that send the wrong message include: What is the salary? Would I have an expense account? Do you have a good profit sharing plan? When would I get a raise?

You also don't want to ask questions such as: How much vacation time would I get? Would I have to work overtime? How many sick days do employees get?

And be alert for the moment enough of your questions are enough. Watch for cues from the interviewer that you may be going on too long.

Fulton Hogan advocates behavioural-based interview techniques and a thorough selection process that sometimes includes psychometric and attitude profiling, Pontin said.

Job applicants should be prepared for questions that require competency based examples from their past.

"Try and think about those before you go to an interview," he advises. "The old fashioned strengths and weaknesses [questions] are still there but in a more scientific way. So try and think of ways to demonstrate those to your prospective employer, backed up with competency-based examples from your career to date.

"Think about how you can display where you have excelled, made a difference, made an innovation, are coping well or have adapted to change or leadership."

Things not to be done during the interview include chewing gum, sucking on a water bottle, smoking, and using your cellphone (in fact, be sure to turn off your phone before you go in).

It is also a mistake to badmouth previous employers, workmates, jobs, lecturers or tutors.

Questions to ask that will help make you look good or sell yourself include: What are you looking for an employee? How would you describe the ideal employee? What's the best background for this job?

If the interview process involves sessions with several people in different positions, questions need to be tailored to each person.

For instance, a human resources manager may do an initial screening and be intent on gauging your fit with the organisation. To the HR manager direct general questions such as: How would you describe the work environment? What kind of person does well here? What are the department's strengths and weaknesses?

To a department manager or your future boss ask more detailed questions about the job including duties, conditions, and challenges. They could include: What are the day-to-day responsibilities? How is your department organised? What are the objectives you'd like accomplished on this job? What resources are available to someone in this position?

If the chance arises to talk to current employees you may be able to gather useful information with questions such as: What do you like best about this organisation? How much freedom do you have in goal setting, deadlines, and projects? What do you think are the biggest challenges in this job?

Your questions can earn you a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, the quality of them potentially a deciding factor in convincing the employer to hire you.

And preparing questions can calm nervousness. Going armed with a list of great questions can make you feel more confident and in charge.