How to shine at interviews for graduate jobs in the Channel Islands

Nearly all first interviews are structured around selection criteria, to make them as objective as possible. All candidates are asked more or less the same questions – the organisation thinks up the selection criteria and at interview examines whether you meet these. Work out the criteria and think about those obvious but tricky questions that are bound to come up.

On the day, be smart, businesslike and try to ‘look the part’. Check the address and your itinerary beforehand and aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before your interview begins. Make sure you come fully prepared – recruiters expect candidates to have done their homework on the firm they are interviewing with and to know why they are applying and what is going on in the wider world that may be relevant to the position they are applying for.

Group exercises

Group exercises include discussion groups, exercises that involve roleplaying, leadership tasks and, most commonly, job-related scenarios that test your ability to operate in a task that approximates the area you have applied for. When taking part in group exercises:

• Demonstrate that you’re listening by building on others’ ideas – ‘I like what Jo said but…’ Make sure you don’t just criticise – you should be demonstrating how you can work in a team and make constructive suggestions.
• If everyone is trying to be in charge in a group exercise, try to be the timekeeper instead – you’ll get credit for keeping everyone on track.
• Be positive and friendly – be the one that suggests where to meet for lunch.
• Remember that if you say nothing you’ll get no credit.

Presentations

You could be asked to give a presentation, usually to a mixed group of candidates and assessors. Here are a few ground rules:

• A structure is helpful to prevent your mind from going blank and will help the audience keep track too. Use whatever form of notes you feel comfortable with, but never speak from a script.
• Don’t attempt to fit in too much information or your audience will switch off. Five minutes is only enough time to present four big ideas or messages.
• Much of the message of your talk will be transmitted non-verbally, so your body language can make a huge difference to your presentation.

Psychometric and personality tests

These are often used as part of the assessment process. General ability tests assess general intelligence. Expect to be asked to use complex information, in the form of words, numbers and diagrams, to solve problems using logical or lateral thinking. Tests designed to examine specific abilities are also common. These are most likely to be numerical or verbal reasoning tests, which will be specific to the job you have applied for.

Personality tests help to give recruiters a better picture of the kind of person you are. They are not in-depth analyses of your innermost thoughts and there are no right or wrong answers. Instead, they are a set of questions selected to elicit information about how a person is likely to behave in certain circumstances, for example when there is pressure or stress to deal with. To be successful honesty is the best policy.