You’ve got an interview for a new accountancy role – whether it’s an Accounts Assistant, a Bookkeeper or Semi Senior Accountant, possessing the knowledge to have your most successful interview ever will help significantly on the day.

Interview nerves can affect all of us, but this shouldn’t be a barrier to your success.

The ideas included in this article are tailored to accountancy candidates hoping to impress in your upcoming interview.

So, let’s get started.

1. The Practicalities

Firstly, you will only be able to give an excellent interview when your mind is free to focus on your answers – this means eradicating any worry about the practicalities of the day.

It is an unfortunate fact that candidates sometimes turn up late for interviews; they are unsure exactly where the interview is taking place or how long it takes to get there. A tip I like to give candidates is to be on time – and this means being early!

Plan your time before the interview carefully, make sure that you are 100% happy with what you are wearing (this will help with your confidence) and you know the names of who will be interviewing you. Using their website and social media, plus the help of your recruiter, research the company thoroughly and be aware of current issues going on in the business – I will talk about how important this is in the next section.

2. Develop a Connection With the Interviewer

The most successful interviews all have one thing in common – the interviewer and the interviewee have a connection.

The way to do this is to listen carefully. Pick up on anything that the interviewer says either during the interview or from your research beforehand.

Has the business recently been taken over? Is the head accountant new in their role? Is there anything on their website that relates to you personally?

They might have posted a news article about a recent project or topic that you have also worked on recently. Accounting firms generally aren’t as self-promotional as businesses in other sectors, so it will make your research more difficult if they haven’t updated their website for a while or they aren’t active on social media. In this case, working with a recruiter will allow you to find out helpful information about the business that will help you to strike that all-important ‘spark’ with the interviewer.

3. Be Commercial

Being a successful accounting candidate is all about demonstrating your commercial awareness and current knowledge of the accounting industry.

Tax, IR35, interest rates, the budget – there are plenty of topical issues that affect the lives of accountants and their businesses. Your interviewer will want to know that you are not only a shrewd accountant, but that your awareness of current issues will make you an asset to their team.

Keep up to date with the Financial Times, Accounting Web, Accounting Today and ACCA Global to equip yourself to talk about current issues.

4. Communicate Effectively

Some accounting candidates think that all they are needed for is their accounting skills. While this is true to a point, your employer will require you to be able to communicate your ideas clearly to other members of the team.

The interviewer will be looking for a confident individual who can communicate effectively, whether that is presenting your ideas or findings to a group, or relaying technical information to members of non-accounting teams. So use a mix of professional and personable language, and don’t focus too much on the technical.

5. Demonstrate Why You Want to Work for This Firm

Finally, one of the essential elements of a successful interview is to let the interviewer know why you, over the other candidates, are the right choice.

This involves being able to explain your career goals and how you fit into the company’s growth plans.

Show them that you want to grow with the company but also that you are the right ‘fit’ for their culture.

It would be best if you had a good idea of the company’s culture from the information that you are given before the interview and throughout the recruitment process. 73% of professionals have left a job due to a poor culture fit; this can be a frustrating time for an employee and can damage your earnings. Working with a recruiter ensures that you are only applying for a role in a company in which you will thrive – don’t run the risk of taking a chance on a company who you think will be right for you, only to be disappointed shortly after you start.

What Next?

Are you looking for your next accounting position? This article should have helped you to ace your next interview, but if you need any extra guidance, talk to us today. We help accounting candidates in the North West find their perfect role and guide them through every step of the recruitment process – get in contact to find out more.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, Nursing, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to download our latest interview checklist, you can do so here.

Are you preparing for an upcoming accountancy interview? Would you like to know the common questions that come up time and again?

When preparing for any interview, it helps to have some insider knowledge on what types of questions typically come up. Having in-depth recruitment knowledge at our disposal here at Clayton Recruitment based on over 30 years experience, we share the most common accountancy interview questions. Read on to find out which questions accountancy hiring managers are asking this year.

Why Do You Want to Work For THIS Company?

You have accountancy skills, that’s why you’re sitting in this interview, but hiring managers will often want more than this. They will want to know why you are more hungry for the job than any other candidate. Is the location where you want to be? Did you see something on their website that caught your eye? Was it the culture, potential career opportunities or the chance to work with a marketing leading product or service. Demonstrate that you’ve done your research on the company to nail this question.

Do You Know About These Accounting Standards?

Rehearse your basic accounting principles including real and nominal accounts, accounts payable and receivable, everyday business transactions and the difference between International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

When applying for a higher level role such as senior accountant, be prepared to talk in depth about how provide financial support to your current business ensuring sufficient understasnding of various financial issues that facilitates the achievement of business targets.

How Have You Managed Bad Debts?

This is a handy question for hiring managers to see not just how much experience you have, but your financial nouse. As an accountant, the blame often lies with you when the numbers don’t look good, even though the root of the problem might have come from a different department.

Have specific examples that you can share of when you have turned around a negative debt situation. Be able to describe what the situation was, what you did and the result you achieved for your company. Only by sharing these situations do you demonstrate the value you bring to a company who is lucky enough to have you on their team.

What Would You Do Differently?

All candidates are human, and hiring managers know this. There is often a worry from the candidate that they think the interviewer expects them to be superhuman – they don’t. This question is useful because it helps the candidate talk about how they approach and solve problems, without having to admit to previous mistakes.

When this or a similar question about problem-solving arises in the interview (because there will be one), remember to answer with a focus on the positive. You can say ‘while this was a problem at the time, this is how I solved it…’ or ‘if this problem arose again, I would approach it in this way…’.

Tell us About a Time When You Reduced Costs

As an accountant, you will be expected to be able to reduce outgoings at all costs. Give examples of when you have achieved this in previous roles, by sharing the details of the problems and the steps you took reduce expenditures.

Showing that you are continually looking to manage and reduce costs for a business will get the attention of a hiring manager’s good books and validate that you are responsible in your role as an accountant – looking after the health of the companies finances and not just keeping them in order.

Hiring managers are looking for pro-active candidates who understand how vitally important credit control is in today’s financial sector, not just someone with the right certificates.

Tell us About Your Hobbies and Interests

This might seem like an outdated question but now more than ever hiring managers are trying to create a company culture which aims to retain staff. This question is not necessarily about finding whether you are going to be a new member of the company squash club, but it seeks to find out what drives you and if you have a similar ethos to other employees. Be honest and talk about your passions outside of work – hiring managers want to see the real you, not a homogenised version.

Where Do You See Yourself In (X) Years?

This is a standard question but it applies now more than ever. There is a chronic skills shortage in specialised sectors such as accountancy and businesses are desperate to keep the best talent. If the truth is ‘I want to do it for a year to put on my CV’, you might want to modify this answer.

Make it clear that you want to grow with the company. Talk about the plans you have for the future that you can incorporate these into their business, sharing how you want to develop professionally and you see yourself doing that with this company.

Prepare your answers to these common questions and you will have all the main topic areas covered.

Remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you work in the field of tax, audit, treasury or management accounting, be prepared to answer more in-depth questions on your subject area. Remember that interviews are not about being right or wrong, they are mostly about allowing the interviewer see the real you.

After all, if you get the job and you realise you aren’t the right fit, it will be costly for the company and yourself. Lastly, relax, and remember to smile!

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to download our latest interview checklist, you can do so here.

Let’s be honest; we all at some point or another think we know how our significant other might respond in a given situation.

They will choose that off the pub menu, or they won’t be happy about x doing y, or they won’t want to take a flight on Monday, and the list goes on.

Often, we are correct because our years together have taught us how they generally react. We have taken the time to listen and understand them. They might be an oddball, and they are our oddball whom we have grown to love and adore; quirky habits and all.

Now let’s think about the workplace.

Ever been surprised by the reaction of a colleague in your team or department? I suspect so.

It’s probably because you haven’t taken the time to get to know them well and are making assumptions.

Now let’s take this one stage further and think about the interview process and how, on very little information, we make snap decisions.

It’s related to a phenomenon known as unconscious bias.

What is Unconscious Bias?

It’s a recognised phenomenon which is hitting the headlines more than ever as all organisations are becoming aware of the need to embrace diversity in their organisations.

Unconscious bias refers to a preference that happens automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick judgments and assessments of people and situations.

Unconscious bias is influenced by our background, cultural environment, and personal experiences. We all have these biases and research has shown that they heavily influence how we evaluate people in the interview process and more often than not, put minority candidates at a disadvantage.

Let me explain.

Though you think tattoos are fine or nose studs are OK in other organisations, deep down when Jonathan appears across the table from you at the interview, there is something that doesn’t quite feel right.

Alternatively, maybe Amanda looks almost identical to Amy who didn’t work out earlier in the year and somehow your gut is saying; don’t make the same mistake again.

Then maybe Sean appears who looks exactly like your favourite brother and even supports MUFC as you do. During the interview, he fluffed a couple of questions though he looks like he will fit in with the rest of the guys in the team, so let’s say yes.

Common ways unconscious bias appears that you might also recognise is the halo effect.  The phrase was first coined by Edward Thorndike, a psychologist who used it in a study published in 1920 to describe the way that commanding officers rated their soldiers. So, if you assume that someone is nice, or friendly, you are highly likely to assume that they would also be clever, smart or good at their job: Beware, this is a huge assumption.

The horn effect is the opposite and is likely what is happening to Jonathan and his tattoos. This is where first impressions create an unconscious bias. If, for instance, a person is seen to be too loud, or too shy, it could also be assumed that they will not be smart or clever, or good at their job. Crazy I know, and it happens regularly.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I suspect it does because at some point all of us can be under the effect of unconscious bias in an interview situation.

Why It’s A Good Idea To Minimise Bias

Bias creates the ‘same old same old’, which stifles growth. Research by McKinsey over the last three years has confirmed that a diverse workplace is more effective, and diverse organisations perform better.

One further report by McKinsey called Delivering Through Diversity showed that gender diversity in management positions increases profitability even more than previously thought. In the firm’s previous analysis, companies in the top 25th percentile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 15% more likely to experience above-average profits. The latest data showed that the likelihood has grown to 21%.

Companies with a more culturally and ethnically diverse executive team were 33% more likely to see better-than-average profits.

So, how can you start to remove bias in your interview process?

Set Tasks

If you know that the role requires a specific set of tasks to be completed, include this in the interview process. The halo effect can often result in wasted time when people join your company who can’t do the job. Maybe if you asked Jonathan and Sean to complete the same task and assessed them based on this, Jonathan could turn out to be an amazing find.

Plan Out Your Interview and Questions And Stick To IT

If you are hiring for a specific commercial role, decide on the questions you will ask and who will ask them.

Ensure everyone is asked the same questions by the same person and score answers too. You will be surprised how this starts to standardise the process and remove bias.

Then finally…

Have At Least Two Interviewers

More if you can. Human beings are all different and view things differently. Ideally, interview with someone who is opposite to you; I know that is a stretch but well worth it.

Ensuring that at least two people conduct each interview will help to get a more rounded picture of the candidate.

Unconscious bias as the name implies is just that, outside of our awareness. So reading this post is an excellent first step.

At the end of the day consider how someone will help your business not just where they come from or their friendly demeanour.

About Clayton Recruitment

Clayton Recruitment has been partnering with organisations across the country since 1989 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability.

With specialist divisions covering Commercial, Financial, Industrial, and Engineering appointments, on both a permanent and temporary basis. If you are looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to download our latest interview checklist, you can do so here.

The first 30 days are critical to any job. There’s a lot to take in, new names to remember and you’re still finding your feet and getting settled. On top of all of that, you’re keen to make a good impression, demonstrate your worth and integrate with colleagues. Not much to do then!

We’ve put together the essential tips to help professionals make it through their first thirty days. Follow our guide and you’ll not only survive the first month, you’ll be set up to thrive for a long time to come.

What to do in your first thirty days

The start of a new job is your chance to demonstrate to your new employer what a valuable asset you are. According to Forbes’ research, ‘professionalism’ is the number one trait that employers value. So how can you balance a high degree of professionalism with being focused, positive and enthusiastic?

There are three stages to bring all of these elements together:

1. Your first day: The most important thing you can do on your first day is to be on time. Lateness is unprofessional and gives the impression of a lack of care. Be friendly and open when introduced to colleagues, but don’t overshare or be tempted to speak negatively about your former employer.
2. Your first week: Show enthusiasm when delegated work and don’t be afraid to ask questions if there’s something that you don’t understand. Continue to meet with management and directors. Show an interest in what your new employer tells you about the department, the business and its vision. If relevant, relate this to your own experience, as it may well help the company.
3. Your first month: A new role, a new business and new colleagues all take a little adjustment. Be sure to attend one-to-one meetings arranged by your manager, and if these are not forthcoming then you can request them. Be open to feedback and give feedback in a thoughtful, constructive way. Make your development goals known and work on a development plan with your manager.

Being proactive will put you in the driving seat of your new career and will help you feel more settled and secure. It’ll leave a good impression on your new employer too!

How to make a good impression in your new job

Making a good impression at the start of your new job sets you up for success. It’s about demonstrating your value. You want to reinforce in your employer’s mind that they were right to hire you. The ability to work in a team shows that you’re interested in the collective success of colleagues and the company. Listening, enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in show that you’re a good fit while showing off your skills.

When meeting management, be open to what they are saying, especially if they are communicating their vision of what the business or department is working towards. Show an interest and bring your experience to bear: even if you’re not in a leadership position, your experience is valuable and if you have skills or knowledge that will help the organisation achieve what they want, share it. This will impress leaders and demonstrate your skills and commitment.

Making sense of the company culture

Getting to grips with a new job is one thing, making sense of the culture of a business is another. There are several simple things you can do to help you get familiar with your new workplace.

• Make use of your mentor – If you’ve been partnered with a mentor, they can prove invaluable in helping you understand the business. If you have questions about how things work, potential office politics, or anything that’s not necessarily related to the work but the everyday ticking over of the place, your mentor will be able to give you the inside view.
• Attend orientation, meetings and introductions – This will give you a good overview of the company and how it works. Meeting key players and observing them in action will give you a good idea of the leadership style and how this influences the business.
• Pay attention to feedback – Whether feedback is delivered as an everyday drip-feed or in more formal one-to-ones, it gives you a good idea as to the culture. Keep your ears open to what’s being said and learn to understand what is expected of you – being told what to adjust and how to make it better, helps you understand the company’s values in a tangible way.

How to integrate with co-workers

It’s likely that you spend more time with your colleagues than anyone else. So it makes sense to have good relationships with those you work with, even if you aren’t best friends. In order to integrate with colleagues in the first thirty days of your new job, there are a few steps you can take.

On your first day, be friendly and open. A smile and a firm handshake convey trust and create a good first impression. Take time to introduce yourself to your mentor and make sure that you go to lunch! Chatting with people away from your desks is much more likely to see you get along on a personal level which helps to enhance working relationships. Just beware of oversharing and don’t be tempted to talk negatively about your former employer: you’ll quickly destroy trust and be viewed as a gossip.

Over the coming weeks is when you can start to build and solidify working relationships. If your manager hasn’t arranged it, ask to be introduced to the department head. Being aware of who’s who will help you understand your work and build positive relations. If you’re invited to events or networking make sure to go along. Avoiding these kinds of situations gives the impression that you’re not a team player and can damage relations with colleagues.

Hit the ground running

Joining a new business can be a challenging process. But by going through things in a logical and proactive way, you can make the best of your first month. Ensure you tie up your own goals with the goals of the business, demonstrate your value and your boss will be thrilled with their new hire.

Our guide on ‘How to excel in your first 30 days‘ will give you more hints and tips on settling into your new role – download your complimentary copy or contact us on 01772 259 121. We’ve decades of experience working with professionals from a range of industries to place them in their ideal careers and we’d be happy to help with whatever challenges you’re facing.

And if you found this blog interesting please take a look at our other blog on ‘How to onboard yourself into a new job’. You can also register your CV with us online.

It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous and slightly uneasy in an interview, after all, it’s an important process and one that could shape your career prospects for years to come. Getting a job, as we all know, can change lives – particularly if it’s one you’re desperately keen to get – so it’s hardly surprising that for many people, interviewing can be highly stressful.

However, it helps to get inside the head of an interviewer and put yourself in their shoes. If you were hiring for your own company, what traits and skills would you look for?

Are they who they say they are?

This may sound obvious, but you’d be blown away by the number of people who openly lie on their CV. It’s easy to make yourself sound employable on your application if you just lie and any experienced hirer will likely want to run through your CV to clarify that you are who you say you are and that you’ve done what you’ve said you’ve done. They’ll probably want to throw a few open ended questions at you to allow you to talk through your CV in your own time and – as long as you are telling the truth – this should come naturally. It’s important to remember to consider how your past experiences can help you carry out the role. So rather than simply stating what you did, try and use examples and make a link with what you’ve done in your past and how it could help you in the position you’re applying for.

Cultural fit

One of the hardest things for an interviewer to gauge is whether the person sitting opposite them will fit into their current line-up. There are two distinct schools of thought. Some people like building teams with ‘disruptive’ characters who can challenge the status quo and create results and innovation by being different. Others recognise the value of employing people who can get on with their current employees and won’t upset the apple cart. Unfortunately, there’s no golden solution to this and if the employer doesn’t think you’ll work at their company for whatever reason, they’re unlikely to take you on. Your best bet is to be yourself. Your true personality will reveal itself further down the line and putting on a persona only raises the risk of you not actually being well suited to the organisation.

Are you up to the job?

Finally – and perhaps most obviously – the interviewer will want to know whether you’ve actually got the skills to do the job. This is where pinning examples to things you’ve done in your past really becomes valuable. If you can actually highlight times when you’ve made a difference to your former employer it saves them the task of linking your skills with the job specification and working out whether you’re cut out for the role. Others will do it in their interview and if a hiring manager has an obvious fit for a role, they’re hardly likely to think about other candidates quite so much. It also doesn’t come down to what you just say. If the role involves a lot of interaction with senior partners or associates then you’ll want to consider your speech patterns and ways of communicating. In addition, you should consider any obvious reasons why the company wouldn’t hire you and don’t let the interviewer jump to their own conclusions (which they will). If your CV shows signs of job hopping, for example, then provide reasons for why you’ve done so ahead of being asked.

For other tips, check out our career advice pages 

You’ve crafted a great CV, made a stellar application, and you’ve been selected for interview. Congratulations! You can rest assured that your personal brand is working well if you’ve made it this far. However, don’t be complacent. According to experts, only 2% of job seekers will be offered an interview. And just because your personal brand looks great on paper, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that an interview guarantees success. The work to secure your ideal role is only just beginning.

Acing an interview is not about being a business or an industry genius, it’s about the small practical things you can do that will give you the best chance at success. View the interview as an opportunity to enhance your personal brand further – our interview checklist will help you prepare for the challenge and to secure the best outcome.

Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know.

Practicalities

First of all, arrange time off with your current employer. Don’t just go AWOL on the day, as you want to retain good relations with the company that is currently paying your wages. Gather all of the relevant information from the recruiter – the who, what, when, where and format of the interview. Allow plenty of time to reach the destination and factor in time to find a parking space – don’t let traffic woes stress you out ahead of the important meeting with those you’re trying to impress.

First impressions count for a lot, so make sure you are dressed appropriately for the work environment you’re hoping to join. Even if you’re entering a creative field, anything too ‘out there’ is unlikely to be appreciated. Be smart – iron your clothes, clean your shoes and make sure your hair is freshly washed. Smile, and shake the interviewer’s hand firmly to portray a confident, relaxed demeanour.

Research, research, research. The best way to ensure interview success is to be clear what the job involves, and what is being asked of the candidate. If it’s a multi-stage interview process, ensure you have plenty of examples to showcase your skills as repeating the same anecdote will risk you sounding like a one-trick pony. Demonstrating that you have a wide range of skills and experience is much more impressive to company bosses and HR personnel. They want to see that you can cope with a range of everyday demands and situations.

The interview

There are plenty of steps you can take to enhance your interview success. If you have a phone interview speak slowly and clearly. You may well be on a speaker phone in a meeting room – not favourable acoustics at the best of times – and you want to make sure that everyone in the room hears you properly. A phone interview may be the first time you speak to a potential employer – put across what you need to well, and it won’t be the last.

Whatever interview stage you’re at, bear these tips in mind:

• Hone in on your skills and have the job spec in front of you – or at least review it before your interview. Relate your past experience to what the new company is looking for.
• Be specific when talking about your experience. The STAR method helps you to answer questions fully while staying focused. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Explain the situation you were faced with, the task that needed to be done, what action you took, and the end result.
• Asking about development opportunities is fine, as this shows that you want to stick around, but do not ask about salary or benefits!
• Your reasons for leaving may be a question the interviewer asks, so have a professional answer prepared. It’s OK to be honest but do frame it in a positive light – saying that the business was moving in a different direction to where you wanted to go, or that you feel you’ve achieved all that you can in the role will be sufficient.
• Don’t talk down your current employer. Following the previous point, this is absolutely vital. Any unprofessional or personal comments will not win you brownie points with the interviewer.
• Ask the interviewer questions, for example: how they plan to grow, or where the leadership want to develop key business areas. It’s important you show an interest in the employer you may work for.

Popular interview questions still revolve around the topics of: teamwork, sales ability, planning and organisational skills, customer focus, initiative, and motivation/drive for results. Prepare for questions you may be asked ahead of time. Just make sure that you answer the question you’re asked on the day, and you’re not just shoehorning what you want to say into the conversation. Consider these interview questions and how you might answer them. We’ve put some tips and tricks to give you a head start:

1. Tell me about one of the toughest groups you’ve had to work with. What made it difficult? – What did you do?

Talk about why the group was tough, without talking down other people. Was there a deadline, or a mix of abilities and experience in the group, for instance? Focus on your actions, not other people’s.

2. Tell me a situation in which you were able to turn around a negative customer? – What was the issue? – How did you accomplish the turnaround?

Again, don’t vent about the customer. Explain how they came to be upset. Demonstrate that you took positive actions, like listening and being patient, to resolve the situation.

3. Give me an example of when a mistake you made provided you with a learning experience?

This isn’t a trick question – we all make mistakes, so don’t say you haven’t! Focus on how your rectifying the mistake resulted in a better way of working for you, the team or the business.

Celebrations and learnings

So, you excelled at the interview and have been offered a position – great news! However, if you didn’t receive an offer this time, don’t panic! You can still take a lot away from the experience. Ask the interviewer or your recruitment consultant for feedback – understanding areas where your interview performance could have been better gives you insight into what you need to change next time.

Our interview checklist for candidates is full of practical tips and information to help you make the best of an interview. From preparation to the big day, it has everything to help you land your dream job. Visit our website or call 01772 259 121 to request your free copy.

And if you enjoyed this blog, you may also like to read our blog on ‘What is your interviewer actually thinking?’. Don’t forget to have a look at our recent job vacancies too.

Over the past few months, we’ve given a considerable amount
of advice on how to write a CV that will make a hiring manager sit up and take
note and how to nail a job interview amongst various other things. However,
we’re regularly asked what a job interviewer is actually looking for and what
they’re thinking when they meet a candidate.

It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous and slightly uneasy
in an interview, after all, it’s an important process and one that could shape
your career prospects for years to come. Getting a job, as we all know, can
change lives – particularly if it’s one you’re desperately keen to get – so
it’s hardly surprising that for many people, interviewing can be highly
stressful.

However, it helps to get inside the head of an interviewer
and put yourself in their shoes. If you were hiring for your own company, what
traits and skills would you be looking for?

Are they who they say
they are?

This may sound obvious, but you’d be blown away by the
number of people who openly lie on their CV. It’s easy to make yourself sound
employable on your application if you just lie and any experienced hirer will
likely want to run through your CV to clarify that you are who you say you are
and that you’ve done what you’ve said you’ve done. They’ll probably want to
throw a few open ended questions at you to allow you to talk through your CV in
your own time and – as long as you are telling the truth – this should come
naturally. It’s important to remember to consider how your past experiences can
help you carry out the role. So rather than simply stating what you did, try
and use examples and make a link with what you’ve done in your past and how it
could help you in the position you’re applying for.

Cultural fit

One of the hardest things for an interviewer to gauge is
whether the person sitting opposite them will fit into their current line-up.
There are two distinct schools of thought. Some people like building teams with
‘disruptive’ characters who can challenge the status quo and create results and
innovation by being different. Others recognise the value of employing people
who can get on with their current employees and won’t upset the apple cart.
Unfortunately, there’s no golden solution to this and if the employer doesn’t
think you’ll work at their company for whatever reason, they’re unlikely to
take you on. Your best bet is to be yourself. Your true personality will reveal
itself further down the line and putting on a persona only raises the risk of
you not actually being well suited to the organisation.

Are you up to the
job?

Finally – and perhaps most obviously – the interviewer will
want to know whether you’ve actually got the skills to do the job. This is
where pinning examples to things you’ve done in your past really becomes
valuable. If you can actually highlight times when you’ve made a difference to
your former employer it saves them the task of linking your skills with the job
specification and working out whether you’re cut out for the role. Others will
do it in their interview and if a hiring manager has an obvious fit for a role,
they’re hardly likely to think about other candidates quite so much. It also
doesn’t come down to what you just say. If the role involves a lot of
interaction with senior partners or associates then you’ll want to consider
your speech patterns and ways of communicating. In addition, you should
consider any obvious reasons why the company wouldn’t hire you and don’t let the interviewer jump to their own
conclusions (which they will). If your CV shows signs of job hopping, for
example, then provide reasons for why you’ve done so ahead of being asked.

For more insights from the team visit our blog or get in touch with the team for more career tips and tricks. 

While few companies have hiring processes as challenging as the likes of Google and Apple, far more businesses are introducing additional assessment measures into their recruitment process. In the never-ending war for talent, companies are looking to find the best suited candidate, often in professions with growing skills shortages.

Read the job spec

Before you even begin the application process, make sure you read the job specification thoroughly and spend time considering how you could demonstrate the required abilities and the relevance of your experience. In most instances the first step to any online application is uploading your CV, and companies will be looking for you to demonstrate a set of core competencies, so alter the content slightly if needed to ensure it is directly relevant to the position you are applying for.

Know what’s being looked for

Online assessments are no longer box ticking exercises, often they include series of multiple choice questions designed not only to test a candidate’s professional knowledge, but also their commercial awareness and values. These tests are often designed with multiple ‘right’ answers and candidates will be expected to pick the most relevant response, so it is crucial to understand what a company is looking for in their employees.

Do your research

It’s definitely worth spending time reading through the businesses’ website, particularly any ‘about us’ or ‘values’ pages. This kind of information will likely give you an insight into the kind of qualities that an organisation is looking for. For roles which frequently receive a high volume of applications, hiring managers will look for candidates that demonstrate an understanding of the company’s key values. Entry level candidates who are able to demonstrate that they would fit in well within a company’s culture will likely set themselves apart from their peers with similar experience.

Have real examples

Skills-based assessments are now also being used by hiring managers to sift through suitable candidates. Some organisations may ask candidates to demonstrate relevant skills such as clear communication, multi-tasking and commercial awareness through a series of skills based tests. These tests frequently take place during the interview stage of the recruitment process, where hiring managers are able to accurately assess a candidate’s professional skillset. For roles that require strong communication skills, interviewers might set candidates a writing task, while hiring managers interviewing for roles that require a sense of commercial acumen might ask them to discuss relevant news stories.

So, while it is important to ensure that your CV accurately represents your skills and experience, it’s becoming increasingly important to prepare for skills and value based assessments as well.

Check out our advice pages for more hints and tips.

If you would like to speak to one of our Recruitment experts, call the office on 01772 259121 or email enquiries@clayton-recruitment.co.uk and we will be more than happy to help.

You may have seen our previous blog on creating a great CV, but how do you nail the next stage to secure your dream job. You might think that now you’ve passed through the gatekeeper that the hard part is over, but the interview really gives you the chance to strut your stuff in front of the key decision makers. So what should you keep in mind?

Be punctual, but not too punctual

Arriving early for the interview is important, after all it doesn’t exactly set a glowing precedent for what your time working there will be like if you’re late. However, don’t make the mistake of being too early as you’re more likely to look desperate more than anything else. A good rule of thumb is to be 15 minutes early, stick to that and it gives you plenty of time to compose your thoughts as well as demonstrating your good timekeeping skills.

Practice, practice, practice

Ensure you conduct some thorough research on the organisation that you can drop throughout your interview to highlight your knowledge and proactivity. Go over some standard interview questions as well as some role specific ones with a friend or family member and you’re likely to feel much more prepared and less stressed when the day comes around. However, it’s a thin line to tread between being ready and sounding like you’re reading off a script, so try to keep things as natural as possible.

Give examples

Rather than just reeling off a list of your top attributes, look to form an evidence based argument about why you should get the role you want. You need to show proof that you are what you say you are and highlighting your achievements build a more compelling case for why the organisation should choose you. If you can show examples of when you’ve saved your previous employers time or money or simplified any overly complex processes, you’re likely to stand in good stead.

Interview your interviewer

This isn’t just an opportunity for the organisation and its staff to learn about you, it’s also your chance to learn about them so try and turn the situation into a conversation, rather than an interview. Don’t go over the top, you do still need to answer the questions you’re being posed, but look to send some back in the other direction.

Prepare questions in advance

Along similar lines it’s also crucial to prepare a series of questions to ask at the end of the interview and not having any rarely tends to leave a favourable impression. Good examples include asking about timeframes, when you’re likely to hear back from them and if the firm has interviewed many people for the role. A good question to get real insight into the organisation is asking them what they like about working there. There are no definitive rules, but it’s certainly much better to have something ready to ask.

Close the interview and follow up

Finally, look to close the interview yourself by asking whether there’s any other information that they would like to know about you or if there are any areas of your CV or application that they have questions over. It’s also well worth following up your interview with a quick email or phone call to say thanks as this is likely to make you stand out from the crowd when they review applications.

What factors do you think are important to nail an interview? Share your thoughts with us below.

Read this blog for some advice on the first 90 days of your new job. Also, check out our other blog posts here.

If you are still on the hunt for that dream job, call the office on 01772 259121 to see how we can help. Or check out our current jobs here.

Job satisfaction is something that’s frequently held up as the pinnacle of working life. Yet more often than not developing a career is what offers the real satisfaction, not just having a job. Performing tasks because they have to be done feels a lot different to performing tasks that are leading you towards the next step on your career path. In fact, the Good Work Index developed by the CIPD  draws together insight on the factors that help us assess whether the job we have is poor, and how they can be improved. The report, amongst other factors, focuses on the importance of development opportunities to lead to an overall sense of fulfilment. We’ve therefore put together some hints on what to look out for in a company that offers a career… not just ‘a job’.

Junior level: getting off to a flying start

Whether you’re a graphic designer, a chemical engineer or a buyer, the training that you receive in the formative years of your career is so important. Whether you take the route through university with a specific career goal in mind or study an academic subject with only a vague idea of where it might take you, or whether you take an apprenticeship, you need to feel confident that a company has the right processes in place to support you on your journey into professional life.

Look out for businesses that have established training programmes for apprentices and graduates and, crucially, have a proven record of success. When you’ve invested time and money in education that will develop your career, you want to feel that a company will have the ability to support you as you move from novice to experienced professional; if the foundation is shaky then everything built on top will be unstable too.

Life in the middle lane: taking it up a gear

With a few years’ practical experience you’re in a good position to make decisions about your career that can bring exciting new ventures and opportunities. At this point, adding strings to your bow is a good idea. This could be about increasing your value as a whole. For example, you could take a management course so you can lead others. This increases your responsibility and makes you more valuable. It gives you skills that aren’t just about your work, such as people management and other soft skills. These are key in any management situation and are needed by companies across all sectors.

Alternately, at this point, you might want to make a change or head in a specialist direction. If so, then look out for businesses that align with your interests and can offer training that deepens your knowledge, as this will allow you to carve out a particular route for your career. On the flip side, maybe variety appeals more to you. Secondments are a great way for those with a few more years’ experience to get a taste for different areas of the business. It keeps things fresh for you, without committing to one particular avenue definitely, and it broadens your overall skills and experience which is valuable to your employer.

Don’t stop growing: senior career progression

For many, reaching the status of director is the pinnacle of their career. If this is something that interests you then it’s a good idea to look out for companies that are growing or expanding into new territories. You may stand a better chance of reaching a senior level if there is room at the top. Keep an eye out for companies that have clear strategies in place for developing the next crop of leaders, have clear succession plans and have established processes for dealing with this.

Progressing to the level of ‘Head of…’ or director is much more than evidence of ability, it offers some significant benefits. Being a business leader brings with it the chance to make an impact on the profession and to take the company in a certain direction that you envisage. It also enables you the chance to influence and offer help to those below you and shape the direction of their career, as yours was by your seniors.

Whatever stage of your professional life you’re at it’s important to keep thinking about the future and how the present builds towards that. Keep in mind that as you move up the career ladder what you want out of your career may change and the business that fitted your objectives may no longer do so. Of course, building a career entails having a job, but remember to keep thinking about how it fits with your overall career plans – if it doesn’t then maybe it’s time to move on.

If you found this blog interesting, have a look at our other blogs on interview tips and how to get a promotion, or if you’re looking for that perfect role, send us your CV. Alternatively, you can check out all the vacancies we have available.