5 Questions Every Candidate Should Ask at Interview

1)       Why is the position vacant?
This is an important question because it will enable you to understand whether the position has been put in place to overcome a particular problem. On the other hand it may be that you will be replacing a previous employee that wasn’t performing. The answer that you get will give you an idea of what the employer is looking for you to achieve and where the previous employee may have made mistakes. This will help you to avoid falling into the same traps or underperforming in these areas.

2)       What challenges does the company currently face?

By asking this you will hopefully gain an understanding of any problems that are hindering the company’s performance. You can then promote yourself as the solution to overcome these obstacles. Not only can you sell yourself using the employers response but you may also be able to determine whether they are being unrealistic in what they are trying to achieve.
 
3)       Specifically what do you think I can do to overcome these problems?

Now you have a more detailed idea of what the employer is actually looking for you to achieve within the company using this you can now arm yourself with answers for any objections that they may have about you. For example:

“We don’t think that you could effectively cold call our type of clientele because …..” You can now respond using knowledge that you have gained from the above questions with, “I can assure you this won’t be a problem because in a previous role I dealt with ….. and sold …..”.

4)       What are the expectations on me within the first 3 months, 6 months, and year?

Again the answer to this question will enable you to determine whether you these employers are going to target you in a constructive, achievable and realistic way that will enable you to be successful in this role. Use this answer to decide if this is an organisation that you can see yourself working for.  

 

5)       How do you feel that I am going to fit into your team?
 
Ask about other members of the team. Try and find out about their backgrounds and how successful they are in similar roles. You can use the response to gauge whether you will be an effective member of the team.

Remember you are a sales person so treat the interview as a sales pitch, seeing yourself as a solution. Sell yourself in the best possible way and close the deal as you would with any other sales pitch.

Written by Tom Ward

More about Tom: http://www.aaronwallis.co.uk/tom-ward-aaron-wallis.aspx

The Top 10 Biggest Interview Mistakes

Interviews, it may be the single toughest part of any individual’s job search, and yet, job seekers often compound their interview nervousness with lack of preparation and frequent mistakes. Interview mistakes can be avoided. The 10 biggest interview mistakes and how to avoid them are as follows:

1.     Don’t Lie.

If the conversation drifts to a topic you're not knowledgeable about, admit you don't know the answer and then explain how you would go about finding a solution. Displaying your problem-solving skills is better than telling lies about something you don't understand.

 

2.     Do Your Research

You are expected to fully research every company prior to every interview. It is essential that you do some research on the business, industry and market before every interview. It is essential for two reasons a) to demonstrate your interest in the business and b) more importantly, to ensure that the business is right for you!

3.      Winging It

This is never a good idea. Trying to formulate an off-the-cuff answer to even simple questions in a high-stakes interview is sometimes harder than it appears, and doing so can be a recipe for disaster.

4.     Turning Up Late

Before the interview work out exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. On the day allow yourself 30 minutes for traffic problems or any other delays – if you’re too early you can always grab a cup of tea nearby and go over your CV. If for some reason you are running late, call your interviewer to let them know.

5.     Don’t Talk Too Much

There is nothing much worse than interviewing someone who goes on and on and on... The interviewer really doesn't need to know your whole life story. Keep your answers short, to-the-point and focused and don't ramble - simply answer the question.

6.     Not Talking Enough

It's really hard to communicate with someone who answers a question with a word or two. When you fail to communicate with the interviewer, you may destroy your chances of being hired by the company. Make eye contact and be confident with your answers. So, even though you shouldn't talk too much, you do want to be responsive and fully answer the question as best you can.

7.     Dress Appropriately

Turn up to an interview in ripped shorts, an old t-shirt and some flip-flops and you’ll probably find yourself back out the door before you know it. Dress appropriately for the type of job interview. Always dress in more conservatively than you would normally. Make sure that you are not wearing outlandish colours, showing too much skin, or wearing too much jewellery (man or woman).

8.     Badmouthing Past Employers

It’s fine to talk about what you would like to achieve career-wise and how this may not be possible in your current job, but never bad-mouth a current or previous employer. It could give your interviewer the impression you’re difficult to work with.

9.     Close The Interview

Everything you say or do is being judged very closely in an interview. Make a mistake in one of your responses and your chances of getting the job are diminished. However stressful an interview may be, if you can end the interview by closing for the position, you will earn tremendous respect and show an example of your closing skills.

10.  Not Asking Questions

Asking questions towards the end of the interview shows you’re confident, thoughtful and are seriously interested in the position. If you can’t think of anything, good ones to fall back on are what career opportunities are available and what kind of training do you offer.

 

Written by Liam Oakes

Liam is the Candidate Manager at Aaron Wallis and has been with the company for 2 years after having a career with the RAF; Liam has helped hundreds of Sales Professionals secure a new Sales role and ensures that Aaron Wallis runs smoothly.

Liam.oakes@aaronwallis.co.uk

www.aaronwallis.co.uk

Twitter - https://twitter.com/aaronwallisliam

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AaronWallisSR

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/liam-oakes/4b/536/403

Reputation is all: Could the internet kill your job application?

You surely can’t have missed the story of teacher Carly McKinney. In short, Carly, a Colorado high school teacher was suspended pending an investigation after she tweeted provocative pictures of herself, tweets about her recreational drug taking and feelings towards one of her students, who she described as “jailbait”. Strangely, Carly hadn’t broken any laws… her pictures didn't contain any obvious nudity, her tweets relating to marijuana use are also legal as she lives in the state of Colorado. So, the only damage done was to her online reputation.

So why have we all heard about her online posts and why is her career at stake? The simple fact is she chose to openly reveal herself over the internet and by so doing created a particular online reputation – a reputation that the Colorado board of education just didn’t like. As I said earlier, what Carly did is legal, but Carly chose to publish her actions and is still blissfully unaware of why there is such a fuss.

Hand on heart, I know the vast majority of candidates I meet at Aaron Wallis aren't sharing intimate photos or information about themselves on the internet. However, the truth is each one of us has an online reputation to consider.  These days, everything we do, everything we say and the photos we are in are easily found on the internet – posted by us or posted by others. So remember, when you are considering a career move, it’s very likely that potential employers are googling you.

Managing your online reputation when looking for a new role is crucial.  Have you taken time to assess what your online reputation is like? Is everything written about you true? Do all your images show you in the right light? Give it some thought… others are. 

Stefan is a specialist sales recruiter focusing on the security and fire industries at Aaron Wallis. Having held senior sales and marketing roles with leading companies in the security industry, Stefan works with a wide variety of companies to recruit sales professionals across all levels and disciplines.

More About Stefan Kobewka: http://www.aaronwallis.co.uk/stefan-kobewka-aaron-wallis.aspx

Discover More About Stefan’s Career on LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/pub/stefan-kobewka/36/79a/401

Email: stefan.kobewka@aaronwallis.co.uk

www.aaronwallis.co.uk