In the conclusion to the discussion on “making your procurement jump in 2015”, supply chain recruiter Tech-Pro spoke to SmartProcurement about the most important part of your employment search – the interview – and how to be ready for it.
Things to prepare for an interview
Tech-Pro has summarised the important steps in the guideline below:
Be on time In fact, rather be 30 minutes early than 5 minutes late. Make sure you have the correct directions (go onto the website and get a map)and always allow for unforeseen traffic incidents in your schedule. Although most interviews are scheduled for an hour, set aside 30 minutes on either side of the interview as a contingency plan.
Dress appropriately This may be the stickiest point in relation to interviews as organisations have varying dress codes. A suit and tie is standard interview attire for men. For women formal business attire (for example a “power suit” with skirt or slacks) is appropriate. Even on a Friday – although many companies have a more casual dress code on Fridays, always err on the side of caution and overdress rather than under-dress.
Be prepared Do research on the company – who they are, what they do, a little knowledge of the organisation’s history. Search the Internet to see if there is any recent news or press releases about the company. Read as much as possible even though the information may not be pertinent to the interview.
Know your CV Projects, timelines, job titles, achievements and qualifications. Be ready to provide clarity on day-to-day responsibilities and have as many examples of completed projects as possible. Interviewers are not looking for a robot, or a perfect candidate. They are, however, looking for competency so make sure your responses display it. The most reliable predictor of your competency is what you have done in the past so make sure it is demonstrated in your responses through examples of what you have achieved.
Ask questions At the end of the interview candidates are normally given an opportunity to ask any questions they might have. Make sure you have prepared questions relating to the company and the role for which you are being interviewed. Steer clear of any conversations around money as this may look presumptuous on your part.
The most important part of any interview Be honest and be yourself. It is a conversation between people and, though it is formal, try to relax.
