At each interview you will be asked questions related to your previous experience, training, academic education & qualifications, career goals and questions that assess your personality. Below you will find some typical interview questions which you might expect. There will also be a different set of questions specifically related to a role / industry e.g. question for a sales position will be focused on your sales skills, targets, how you face clients etc. Your Bond Personnel consultant will always provide guidance and make sure that you are fully prepared for the interview.

• Sample Questions
• Do’s and Don’ts

Preparing for the Interview

It can not be overstated that thorough preparation before an interview will greatly increase your chances of selection. You have already proved your suitability on paper for the position and now it is time to do the same face to face with the interviewer, otherwise it was all in vain. Your recruiter has done his / her job and the employer is obviously interested in you since you were invited for a personal interview. So it is up to you now to impress upon your potential employer that you are the best person for the role!

Location: Do know the exact time and place of the interview. Plan to arrive fifteen minutes early in case of traffic problems or other unanticipated delays. If possible travel the route the day before to avoid confusion on the day of interview. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable.

Who are you meeting with: Do know the interviewers full name and title.

Dress code / Appearance: Dress professionally and businesslike. (i.e. Sunday best, but not funeral best!)

Role: Do carefully read, and fully understand, the job description and requirements of the position for which you are interviewing. If you have any doubts contact your Bond Personnel consultant. Gather information about the company – visit the company’s website in order to gain a better understanding of the company.

Plan your answers: Prepare the answers to questions you think you are likely to be asked. In a behavioural type of interview, you will be required to provide practical examples of your previous experiences. Remember – the interviewer is interested in what you have done, not what would you would do in a particular work situation. Use the ‘STAR’ technique:

Situation – describe a specific situation you were in e.g. in your previous job

Task / problem – explain what task or issues confronted you

Action – describe a specific action you took

Result – explain the result of your action, positive client reaction or accomplishment

Study sample questions and do’s and don’ts in the next section.

CV: Know your CV well. Do not forget a copy of your CV, for you and the interviewer (interviewers are often busy and may misplace a CV on occasion).

Questions for the Interviewer: Always prepare intelligent questions to ask in advance. This demonstrates your interest in the company and the position. Do not ask questions that are irrelevant or obvious.

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Personality Profiling & Career Coaching

Late 2008 has seen a seismic shift in the Global Economic Landscape which in turn has impacted the job market. This trend continues to deepen throughout 2009. It is no longer a "skills short", "candidate driven" market but rather an opportunity short, jobs driven market.

In recent years you simply had to turn up for an interview and if you had the right experience you were, in many cases, guaranteed the job. This is no longer the case. Employers are now much more interested in the individual behind the experience i.e. What drives them? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What management style will they need?

To compete in such a market you need to be fully prepared. That means you need to be aware of you strengths and weaknesses so you can present yourself in the best possible light, at both CV and interview stage. You also need to make sure that you are making the correct career choices based on your personality, there is no point in applying for jobs that would be e.g. too stressful, not challenging enough or too repetitive. This is simply a waste of your time and the employer’s time, even if you did get the job the chances are you would not stay for long and this may look negative on your CV going forward.

If you are interested in personality profiling please contact your nearest Bond Personnel office. A personality profile consists of a 6 page report outlining (from a work perspective) your main personality traits, strengths / weaknesses, behavioural adaptation, communication style, decision making, organising and planning, management styles etc. It also includes recommendations on career options based on your personality profile.

We can also offer a more extensive career coaching program designed to help job seekers adapt to this new "jobs driven" market.

The coaching program includes:

• Career review
• Self-evaluation and self-audit
• Market evaluation
• CV presentation skills
• Interview assessment and coaching
• Communication issues
• Work based personal profiling (Extensive report detailing strengths, weaknesses and opportunities)
• Job market research tools
• Contract & Salary negotiation assistance at offer stage
• Ongoing support from our recruitment professionals

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After the Interview

Follow-up! Despite whether or not you felt your interview was successful it is essential you call your Bond Personnel Consultant as soon as possible after the interview. It will be of most benefit to you and the consultant for a multitude of reasons. This reaffirms your desire and interest about the job and will enable the consultant to plan his / her next conversations with your potential employer. This will also help him / her gain valuable feedback from the potential employer to pass onto you the candidate.

When you are called back for a second interview, do not be afraid to repeat a winning formula again. It is likely you will meet different people so do not think you have to come up with completely new tactics. Even if some of the individuals are the same do not take it for granted that they will get bored. This is an additional opportunity for you to reaffirm your suitability and strengthen their conviction that you are indeed the most suitable candidate for the job. However, the same rule as for the first interview applies: thorough preparation is a key!

CV Guide

Your CV is your initial introduction to a potential employer. It is a marketing tool – “advertising your skills and experience”. It sells your qualifications, skills and achievements to a potential employer and informs them of your employment history. If you get it right, there will be a better chance of you being selected for the next stage in the process - an interview. Here is our guide for writing a successful CV.

• CV Format
• Do’s and Don’ts

“Tell me about yourself.”

Purpose: To get to know you and how you feel about yourself. To learn about your ambitions and general attitude towards your career. To put you at ease, and enable the remainder of the interview to continue smoothly.

Suggestions: Be able to introduce and talk about yourself. Emphasise your previous experiences, education and training. Highlight your personal skills and characteristics.

“What do you know about the company?”

Purpose: To find out what you know and like about the company and if you would stay if hired. To see if your qualifications and work experience fit their requirements, approach and company culture. To find out if you are genuinely interested in contributing to the company or only the security, benefits and prestige they may offer.

Suggestions: Visit the company’s website and check recent media articles. It is crucial to review and be aware of the company, their market position, their reputation on the market, what services / products they provide, their history, mission and values.

“Can you work under pressure or tight deadlines?”

Purpose: To find out your attitude or experience of pressure and your ability to deal with it.

Suggestions: Give job-related examples from your past experience showing your ability to cope with pressure. Describe what you consider normal pressures for the type of work you will be doing.

“What are your strengths?”

Purpose: To discover reasons for hiring you. To find out how well you know yourself. To find out if you believe in yourself and if you are the right person for the position.

Suggestions: Prepare strengths that reflect on your job. Mention that besides the work skills, training and experience that you would offer, you also posses job-related qualities such as flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, dependability and reliability. If time permits, back up these qualities with examples.

“What are your weaknesses?”

Purpose: To discover if you are unsuitable for the job as a result of lack of experience or training, poor people skills or attitude, laziness, indecisiveness, not being a team player etc.

Suggestions: A tricky one! You can describe a weakness which is considered as a professional strength (e.g. I am a perfectionist) and how you deal with it, a weakness which is not related to the position or a weakness you are tackling (e.g. I felt I needed to improve my typing skills which is why I am currently undertaking a course).

“How do you react when asked to do a task you are unfamiliar with?”

Purpose: To see if you can judge and handle real life working situations. See if you are aware of the company’s policies. Assess your interpersonal skills. Assess your command, leadership and decisiveness qualities.

Suggestions: Mention your commitment to follow up company guidelines and to consult your manager / boss where appropriate. Describe a time when you successfully dealt with a suitable situation. Describe experiences, skills and attributes that you feel would be of appropriate value.

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The Do’s:

• First impression is important! Always give a firm handshake to all interviewers and look them in the eye
• Make sure that your mobile phone is switched off
• Show your enthusiasm for this particular job
• Be positive about your abilities and what you feel you can bring to the company and the role
• Speak calmly and do not rush your answers
• Provide practical examples from your past of how you demonstrate / demonstrated skills that are described in the job description
• Keep your answers relevant to the job
• Listen carefully
• Always prepare at least 2 questions for interviewers
• Always thank your interviewers for their time

The Don’ts:

• Do not be overconfident
• Do not over-answer questions, keep it relevant
• Do not answer with just Yes or No, explain your answers where possible and provide examples
• Do not talk negatively about your present of previous employers, supervisors or colleagues
• Do not ask about salary and benefits! You will receive this information from a Bond Personnel consultant
• Do not interrupt

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Personal Information

Your name, address, phone number and email address.

Personal Statement

A short paragraph about you – should not be longer than 5 lines of text. Provide summary of your relevant skills, personal attributes and career objectives.

Employment History

Dates of employment, name of employer, job title, responsibilities, career achievements.

Education / Professional Qualifications / Training

Dates, institution, name of degree / diploma / certification, a professional body membership.

Other skills

E.g. language skills, computer and keyboard skills, driving licence.

Interests / Activities

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The Do’s:

• Put information in a reverse chronological order – from your most recent experience back to your earliest.
• Keep your CV up to date and relevant to the job you are applying for.
• Use clear job titles and responsibilities, highlight achievements.
• Make your CV easy on the eyes - use clear professional font, correct font size, headings and formatting such as bullet points, bold font or italics.
• Appropriate length – a good CV should ideally be two to three pages long.
• Be positive and honest.
• Use action words.
• Check your spelling and grammar.

The Don’ts:

• Do not date your CV.
• Do not put your photograph on your CV.
• Keep the format simple, avoid using grids, frames or boxes as these can be corrupted when loaded to a database.
• Do not use jargon.
• Do not attach references.
• Do not mention personal characteristics such as age, height or marital status.

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