Topic 2: Interviews and Testing
What are the different types of Interviews?
Interview Tips:
- Face to Face Interviews – consider dress code, body language, positive attitude and storytelling skills;
- Telephone Interviews – consider enthusiasm, clarity and listening skills; and
- Virtual Interviews – consider dress code, audio/video quality and internet space.
Research the job, understand the organisation and develop your own pitch.
Be prepared to progress through a combination of interviews as many organisations adopt this approach.
What are the different types of Interview questions?
Interview questions are mainly three types:
1. Technical Questions: Tend to assess skills and knowledge; Questions will be specific to the role
Examples: What are your qualifications? Do you have any part-time work experience?
2. Situational Questions: Tend to test problem-solving abilities; Questions relate to hypothetical situations
Examples: How would you respond to criticism? How would you manage a difficult team member?
3. Behavioural Questions: Tend to assess and evaluate the behaviour; Questions relate to challenging situations
Examples: How did you manage a difficult situation? What did you learn from past mistakes?
How do you answer Interview Questions?
Interview Questions are answered most effectively using STAR framework
S – Situation – explaining the circumstances;
T – Task – eliciting what was expected of you in the job;
A – Action – what skills and abilities were used to solve the problem at hand; and
R – Result – explaining the outcome and your experience.
How do you prepare for Interviews?
Interview Preparation (Face to Face):
- Dress code – smart casual dress, portray professionalism;
- Body language – eye contact, smile, handshake;
- Universal questions – prepare responses beforehand for general questions;
- Focus – show enthusiasm and positive attitude throughout;
- Storytelling – sell strengths and accomplishments and showcase your ability to strengthen identified weaknesses; and
- Answers – make sure you include ample examples in your responses to the interview questions alongside opening statements and closing remarks.
Interview Preparation (Telephone/Virtual):
- Research – the job and understand the organisation;
- Technical – check the internet speed, quality, lighting, camera etc;
- Pitch – prepare your own pitch to sell your strengths;
- Communication – speak clearly and be concise; and
- Answers – make sure you include ample examples in your responses to the interview questions alongside opening statements and closing remarks.
Interview Preparation (Group/Case Study):
Many companies focus upon conducting group discussions or case study interviews as a technique to filter the number of applicants for the advertised position.
- Group discussion – a contemporary topic will be provided to the applicants and the group will be asked to discuss the pros and cons.
- Do’s and Don'ts – avoid situations where one person dominates the group and make sure each individual has a voice and contributes to the group discussion.
- Case study interviews – for many graduate jobs, a case study will be given to the applicants and questions will be asked along the analysis of the case study.
- Do’s and Don’ts – understand the problem in the case study, perform SWOT analysis and come up with recommendations to solve the identified problem.
What is Psychometric Testing?
Psychometric testing helps to select the right candidate for the job.
- Aptitude Tests: Tend to test the abilities, knowledge and skills of graduates
Examples: Verbal ability; Numeric ability; Abstract reasoning - Behavioural Tests: Tend to test the behavioural fit of the graduate to the role
Examples: Personality tests - Assessment Tests: Tend to assess the graduates interpersonal interactions
Examples: Group exercises; Simulations
How do you prepare for Psychometric Tests?
Psychometric test preparation:
- Research different types of psychometric test;
- Plan ahead;
- Take a couple of practice tests; and
- Understand that the psychometric tests are not particularly difficult.
Record your reflections on Interviews and Psychometric Testing. Download a template in Word that you can use to complete this activity. You may also create your own template or use an ePortfolio platform.
What are the components of ePortfolios?
ePortfolios – are somewhat becoming common and may integrate presentation of information from the three types of graduate portfolios.
ePortfolios benefits:
- Collate and curate information
- Personal and professional journey
- Showcases emerging graduate identity
- Assists with employability
- Highlights areas of strengths
- Highlights areas of improvement
Activity - ePortfolio development with mentors in the networking session