In this Interview guide we will walk you through the steps you will need to take to ensure that; when you put the phone down or walk out of that interview room, you are left feeling positive about how it all went and whatever happens you did your absolute best. From the first initial call from the Recruitment Specialist, through to an interview with the Hiring Manager, we will give you the tools you need to be well prepared.

1. A Recruiter’s Inside Guide
Written by Charlotte Flatley and Madeleine McCormack – Proresumewrite.com
The way to a successful interview

2. Table of Contents
Telephone Interview with the Recruitment Specialist ........................................................2
o Applying for a position with a company..................................................................2
o Standard questions the Recruitment Specialist will ask .........................................2
Interview with the Hiring Manager........................................................................................4
o Preparing for your interview.......................................................................................4
o Types of questions which could be asked in the interview ...................................7
Interview Behaviour and Etiquette......................................................................................10
Interview Do’s and Don’ts....................................................................................................14
STAR Technique......................................................................................................................15
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In this Interview guide we will walk you through the steps you will need to
take to ensure that; when you put the phone down or walk out of that
interview room, you are left feeling positive about how it all went and
whatever happens you did your absolute best.
From the first initial call from the Recruitment Specialist, through to an
interview with the Hiring Manager, we will give you the tools you need to
be well prepared.

3. Telephone Interview with the Recruitment
Specialist
Applying for a position with a company
Before applying for any position ensure you are happy with your resume. This
needs to be a professional document which truly reflects your skills,
experience, who you are and what you do. For each position you apply for
tailor a cover letter which addresses the job criteria and how your skills,
experience and attributes meet these requirements.
Once you have submitted your application, be sure to save a copy of the
advert. Online advertisements will be removed once the application
timeframe has closed.
Standard questions the Recruitment Specialist will
ask
When the Recruitment Specialist calls you in regards to a position you need to
ensure you feel confident that you remember; the role, company, why you
applied for the position and are able to articulate your relevant skills and
experience. However, if the call catches you off guard, do not worry. Simply
thank them for their call and request that you call them back shortly, confirm
a time and take their details.
Be prepared for the telephone interview by having a copy of the
advertisement and your resume in front of you and be sure to familiarise
yourself with them.

4. Now is the time to prepare yourself for the telephone interview with the
recruiter. This will be a short call, so it is important that you get across your
relevant skills and experience in line with the position criteria. The first thing is;
understanding what sort of questions they are going to ask you and what sort
of information they are hoping to gather. Some of the questions they may ask
will be –
 What are you working rights; are you on a VISA which enables you to
work in that country, do you have Permanent Residency or are you a
citizen?
 How did your hear about the position and have you previously
interviewed with the company?
 What experience do you have relevant to the role?
o The recruiter will want you to walk them through your career. Be
briefly descriptive yet focus on relevant experience, you will only
have a short time to do so.
 What qualifications do you have?
 What are your motivations for applying for the position and why are
you interested in working for the company?
 What are your future career objectives?
o Do not be afraid to say you are not sure yet, however, follow up
with; ‘but I would like to progress further and I would be open to
opportunities which allowed me to do so as I feel I could add
value to the organisation.’
 What is your notice period?
 Do you have any upcoming holidays?
 What is your availability to start if successful?
 Are there any conflicts of interest with your application i.e. do you own
a consultancy company on the side?
 Have you applied for any other roles?
o Be upfront it you have, they will respect your honesty. Be careful
though to only be open about roles that you have been
contacted about or think you might get contacted for. You do
not want to be seen saying - yes I have applied for many and
have not heard back from any.
 What is your current salary?
o It is now increasingly more prevalent that recruiters will ask for
salary information, this is so that they can understand where you
sit in the market and whether you would be open to negotiation
should the packages be different. You can at this stage ask if

5. they are able to disclose what the salary would be but if they
can't respect this and leave it, you do not want to give off the
wrong impression that you are purely money motivated. Whilst
money is important you should be driven by the opportunity.
It is imperative that you call the Recruiter back when you say you will! If they
miss your call it could be because they were tied up. Only call them once
and leave a message, they will call you back as soon as they can. Most
people have caller ID and needless to say when they see they have 15
missed calls from the same number it doesn't look the best.
Interview with the Hiring Manager
Preparing for your interview
Do not be afraid to ask the Recruitment Specialist relevant questions about
the interview process, for example;
√ How many people will be attending on the day?
√ How long will the interview go for?
√ Is there anything that I need to bring with me?
√ Would they mind sending you a copy of the advertisement with the
interview confirmation, so you may fully prepare beforehand? etc.
Questions which are not relevant and should not be asked are;
х How many people are you interviewing?
х What do you think my chances are?
х How much money are you paying? etc.
Again, at this stage it is too early in the process to begin asking questions
around remuneration and benefits. If you believe in yourself and your abilities,
have faith the company will pay in line with the current market rate. In many
large organisations the Recruitment Specialist will not know what money is

6. being paid until they present an offer of employment. If you press on this
subject it can make the relationship awkward, just understand that if they are
able to share it with you they will.
Be sure to listen to the Recruitment Specialist when they are explaining the
interview process. A good Recruiter will talk you through what will happen on
the day of the interview. They should cover; who will be there, how long it will
go for and where it will be. They will then send you an interview confirmation
for you to refer to, but it is always a good idea to jot down the details just in
case.
Now remember all companies are different, including what sort of interview
structure and style they use. The Recruitment Specialist will describe their
particular method, it is very important that you understand and have clear
expectations of what is involved and what you need to prepare for. It is
highly recommended that you take lots of notes at this stage. A popular
method with large organisations which is now beginning to be adopted by
many smaller companies is; behavioural interviewing combined with
competency based questions, some specific positions may require you to do
a presentation also.
The best way to prepare for an interview of any kind is to ensure that you are
100% familiar with the information stated in the advert. The advertisement will
generally highlight;
 Brief description of the Company
 The function of the position
 The key responsibilities of the role
 The Technical and non-technical skill set the preferred candidate
should possess
 The companies values and preferred candidates personal attributes
Go through each point of the advert and look for synergies with your own
experience. Pose each of these points to yourself as a question and using
your experience answer it.
For example, if the position requires you to have written safety procedures then
ask yourself “What safety procedures have I written?” Then write down the
answer.
If the position requires you to have good communications skills, ask yourself
‘When have I demonstrated good communication?” Then write down the
answer.
For example, if the position requires you to have written safety procedures
then ask yourself “What safety procedures have I written?” Then write down
the answer.
If the position requires you to have good communications skills, ask yourself
‘When have I demonstrated good communication?” Then write down the
answer.

7. Follow the STAR technique included in this guide when practicing the answers
to your questions. This technique or ones similar are most likely to be used
during the interview itself, so it is important that you have taken the time to
remember the details of relevant events.
Be sure to research the company thoroughly; know what the business is
about and the recent ventures it has been involved in, is it a local or global
company, where does it sit in its specific market, how is it tracking with its
projects etc. You will not normally be quizzed on this in the interview but do
not be surprised if you are asked what you know about the company. The
last thing you want is to be caught off guard. It is important for you to know
this information for yourself as well, as it should form part of your reasoning
why you want the role and understanding of how it will influence your career
path.
The interview is going to be the perfect time for you to ask the interviewers
any questions you may have, do not waste this opportunity! Before the
interview, ensure you have a list of questions you would like to ask. This will
demonstrate to the interviewers that you have thought about the position in
depth, as long as your questions are appropriate this will be seen as
favourable by the interviewers.
The interviewer should introduce this section, however, if this is missed politely
ask if there is time for you to ask a few questions. Keep it brief, about three is
sufficient. Some standard questions which are appropriate to ask are;
 What do you see as the key challenges of this role?
 What would you be expecting of the successful candidate in the first 3
- 6 months?
 I feel I have a good understanding of the role but can you provide a
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be
a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line
with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match
with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a
question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line with
them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match with
theirs and whether you are a good culture fit for the company.

8. brief insight into how you feel it fits into the bigger organisation/project.
 In regards to the team you manage can you provide an insight into the
size and make up of responsibilities?
 What do you think are the key challenges of this project and how can
this role help to make a difference?
Types of questions which could be asked in the
interview
Typical standard questions you may be asked in a face to face (or formal
telephone) interview are -
 Career overview and key achievements
 Safety - if it is a mining/resources/oil & gas company they will always
ask this.
 Technical questions related to the key responsibilities of the role
 Behavioural/soft skills questions related to the key criteria of the role
 Company values
 Role motivation and career aspirations
The career overview (although seemingly the easiest) can often be where
most people fall down. It is generally the first question asked, so it is likely that
you are going to be nervous when responding. To overcome your nerves
consider the below points;
 Go over your career in chronological order (either starting with your
current or most recent position and working back or working from past
to present – either way is appropriate)
 Focus on your relevant experience in line with the position
 Keep your overview to 5/10 mins - You will have many other questions
to answer in order to get your experience and skills across
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a
question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line
with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match
with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.
Definitely do not ask about salary and remuneration in the interview. This is not
the appropriate time to have that discussion and should always be handled
offline with the recruiter.

9.  Do not read from your resume, you should be able to highlight your
experience and tell the interviewers more than what they can read on
paper
 Describe a relevant career achievement
Your career overview is your chance to make a good first impression on the
interviewers. So practice providing a brief career overview that is RELEVANT
to that SPECIFIC role. Remember that the interviewers have read your
resume, so they do not need you to walk them through all of what you have
already included on there.
They do however want to get an idea of the career journey you have been
on but delve more into the roles that you feel are relevant. Explain why you
think they are relevant (using words such as “transferable skills include”,
“synergies with this position would be “etc.), then talk through what your
responsibilities were in each particular position. If you were involved in a
project do not forget to give the context such as; size, budget/scope,
timescales etc. (as long as it is not confidential). The Interviewers will
generally ask for a particular career highlight or key achievement, have a
relevant one in mind and keep it short and specific.
It is important that you do not go any longer than this, as you may not be
given enough time to answer all of the remaining questions, leaving you at a
disadvantage.
If you are applying for a role within a mining/resources or oil & gas company
then you can guarantee that there will be a question based on safety. A lot
of people stumble here if they have only been in corporate/office based
positions as they feel that safety is not as prominent. In the mining/ resources
and oil & gas industry organisations take office safety as seriously as field
safety, so make sure you do not show/demonstrate your indifference to it.
Office safety examples could relate to; ergonomics, being a fire warden, trip
hazards, kitchen hazards, heavy lifting and safe work initiatives. Often these
companies will also want to know about your personal safety, think; driving
(speed limits/seat belts/no drink driving etc.), DIY, gardening, hobbies/sports,
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a
question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line
with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match
with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.
Between the career overview and key achievement section it should take
around 10 minutes so make sure to practice what you are going to say
ahead of time.

10. home safety gear and children safety/swimming etc. They are assessing your
attitude towards safety and that you care, they do not expect you to be a
HES professional (unless you are one) but they will want to know you take it
seriously.
Another common question which is used traditionally to close out the
interview (but also has been known to start the interview after the career
overview) is about your motivations for applying for the role you are
interviewing for, why you want to work for the company and what your
longer term career aspirations are. Seems straight forward enough, but this
question can have the largest impact on the outcome of your interview. This
question tells the interviewers more about you, your drivers and your attitude,
than any other question, so be careful how you answer it. The simple rule is,
do not be negative or problem focused, instead be positive and solution
focused. The question is NOT "Why do you not want to work where you
currently are?" Do not waste the interviewer’s time by telling them why you
do not want to work for your current company and no time talking about
why you want their role with their company. So in addressing the true
intention of the question make sure you cover;
 Why you want the job (not the company, not any job, THAT specific
job)
 What do you think you can bring to the role and how can you add
value
 Talk about the company and why personally you are driven to work for
them (this could be because of their reputation within the market or
your interests in the projects they are involved in etc.)
 What you want to do longer term, do you have a set career goal you
are working towards? Talk about your shorter term goals to achieve
this. At the same time if you do not know which direction you want to
take be honest about that. Explain that you are driven and want to
progress but just not sure which path you want to take yet, that you
would be open to seeing what opportunities in the future and where
you can add the most value to that organisation.
In that question they want to get a real feel of you and what drives you but
also they want to hear what you think you will bring to the role. It is a two-way
street, it not all about what the company can do for you but what you can
do for the company, so recap how you would be of value to them.

11. Interview Behaviour and Etiquette
Now you are prepared for you the interview questions, it is important that you
understand the expected interview behaviours and etiquette. Through all of
your engagements with the company you must ensure you make a good
impression. In this section we will go through what is acceptable behaviour
and what is not.
1. Try to be flexible with interview times:
You will normally have a good couple of days to prepare. That said
sometimes things can happen last minute so if you do get a call asking you to
come in for interview in a day or two's time try to be flexible as this shows that
you are keen for the opportunity and can be adaptable.
2. Research the interview panel:
The Recruiter should provide you with the name and job titles of all the
people who will be interviewing you, however, if they do not it is ok to ask
them to share this with you. Once you have the names of the interviewers,
take a look beforehand at their experience on LinkedIn or depending on the
seniority see if there is a blurb on the company website about them and their
experience. It is helpful for you to know who you will be meeting and where
they have come from as they may be things in common and you will know
how to better present information to them.
3. Name dropping mutual contacts only:
If you notice that you have a mutual contact then you can casually drop a
name during the interview if it links to a relevant example or company you
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be
a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line
with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values
match with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.
Be careful and tactful in your approach, for example; do not just come out
with "you studied at UWA and I did too". This is likely to put them on edge as
they do not know why or how you know this information. Instead try "I was
doing some research beforehand and saw on LinkedIn that you had
previously attended UWA which is the same university I went to", this is
much less invasive.

12. worked for, but do not continually name drop different people. You also
want to be careful of who you mention, as you do not know the interviewers
feelings of that person and you could be considered guilty by association.
4. Note taking prior and during the interview:
This is an undecided point with both Recruiters and Hiring Managers if it is
favourable or not for candidates to use notes during and interview. The best
thing to do is; prepare and have notes which you can refer to if there is an
opportunity to, but know them well enough that you do not need to rely on
them if they are not permitted. Bring them with you to the interview but
check with the Recruiter if it is ok for you to use them. Many will feel that it
demonstrates that you are organised, prepared and keen to make a good
impression. However, it is critical that if you are given the opportunity to refer
to your notes, that you do just that, refer only! Do not get caught up on
reading from them verbatim, this will not go down well.
The notes should be prompts only, dot points or visual aids, not long
sentences that you read from. You should know your own experience, so a
reminder should be all you need. If you get nervous and start to waffle or
stumble, you can then refer to these prompts. Before you interview you
should have already noted down specific examples that you think are
relevant and have practiced beforehand, so you should not need to check
your notes. An example of a prompt is; Safety Procedure – Warehouse
Supervisor – X company.
5. Language used including the universal “we”:
It is very important that you consider the language that you use during an
interview. This is a time to sell you skills and experience, but there is a fine line
between selling and coming across and arrogant. The purpose of the
interview is for the interviewers to get a good understanding of you have
done during you career. Many people find themselves referring to ‘we’
throughout their interview. Whilst the word ‘we’ implies that you are team
oriented, which is a positive attribute, it does not tell the interviewers what
you particularly did and what you are capable of. On the other hand, those
who refer to ‘I’ throughout the interview can be perceived as egotistical and
not someone who recognises the value of their team members.

13. 6) Listening - Be sure you listen to the interview questions carefully:
Not actively listening is surprisingly a very common mistake. When you are
nervous you may find that you will only listen to one part of the question and
not the rest of it or you will hear what they want to hear and end up giving an
irrelevant example. Do not be afraid to jot down notes when the interviewer
is asking a question and pull out the key criteria you need to address, for
example;
“Tell us about a time you have been busy and pressurised at work and still
ensured the safety of yourself and others was not compromised.”
The key things you need to address;
 Provide a busy/ high pressured situation (do not say every day is busy,
give a specific example which is over and above your general duties).
 What did you do (your actions) to ensure the safety of yourself and
your team.
 What was the result of the situation due to your actions
If you feel that you haven't got a grasp of the question do not start waffling in
the hopes it might come to you or you might strike it lucky and get the topic.
Ask the interviewer to repeat the question, this will not look bad as the
interview panel prefer you to give a relevant example rather than waffle.
Remember do not be general or theoretical (avoid I would do this) and
remember to be specific i.e. “I am busy on a day to day basis however one
specific example where I was busy and under pressure was...”
The best way to communicate your answer is by first stating whether or not it
was a team effort. For example you could say; “it was a team project and we
were tasked with delivering X, however, I was responsible for Y. I did a,b,c to
contribute to the project and we then won an award for the work we
produced”.
7) Engage with everyone in the room and make eye contact:
Make sure you engage with everyone in the room, not just the hiring
manager. Everyone at the end of the interview will provide their thoughts and
feedback to come to a general consensus on how they felt it went. Although
the manager will make an overriding decision, if you have ignored anyone in
the room they will not comment favourably on your interview. Make sure to
make eye contact when talking to people, don't look at your hands or feet,

14. don't fidget in your chair, don't lean back in the chair etc. Be interested and
show it.
8) Time Keeping:
Interviews are normally only one hour in length and compromise traditionally
of a minimum of 6 questions but can go up to 9 or 10. Therefore it is important
to be clear and concise with your answers, on average you will only have
approximately 4 - 5 minutes to respond to each question. It can sound like
plenty of time but you will be surprised how quick it goes. Practice responding
to one of the standard questions and time it, chances are you will go over.
Being brief is really all about practicing; not waffling, not getting caught up in
detail and making sure that what you are saying is relevant, on point and
follows the STAR technique.
9) Asking questions of the panel:
At the end of every interview there should be time allocated for you to ask
questions of the interviewers. Be sure that you always ask a couple of
questions, you should already have these prepared but you may find that
you have through of some others throughout the interview. By not asking a
question it can give the impression that you feel you know the job already
which let's face it no one knows the job fully until you are in it. Again you want
to come across as interested in the position and not over-confident.
Most importantly remember to close out the interview by thanking them for
their time and the opportunity to meet with them.

15. Interview Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s:
√ Be prepared for the telephone interview with the Recruiter, have a saved
copy of the advert and your resume at hand
√ Ask the Recruiter for a better time to discuss the role if you are not in a
position to speak with them, but be sure to call them back at the exact
time you say you will
√ Ask the Recruiter appropriate questions about the recruitment process
and nature of the interview
√ Prepare for your interview thoroughly, using the information provided by
the recruiter and the description of the position on the advertisement
√ Consider the STAR technique when preparing your examples which you
may use in the interview
√ Prepare notes for your interview but do not be reliant on them, you may
not be able to use them in the interview. Ask the recruiter if it is ok if you
refer to them.
√ Be sure to listen to the interview question, jot down notes and consider the
main criteria
√ Be engaging, make sure you engage with everyone in the room not just
the hiring manager. All of the interviewers will be provided their thoughts
and feedback on your skills, experience and culture fit.
√ Practice your examples and time them, remember; do not waffle, do not
go into too much detail, be relevant and consider the STAR technique
√ Be honest and respectful at all times during the recruitment process, no
matter who you are liaising with
Don’ts:
х Do not ask the Recruiter or panel inappropriate questions about
remuneration, benefits or about other candidates
х Do not be late for your interview, always arrive early to the general
interview location and approx. 5 minutes early to the actual interview
х Do not attend the interview in non-appropriate clothing, if unsure ask the
interviewer if it is smart business, business casual or casual
х Do not make jokes, you never know the full background of the panel and
who might be offended
х Be aware of body language, this can speak louder than words so make
sure to sit upright and be present and engaging with the room

16. STAR Technique
This is one of the most common interview styles used by companies today.
This acronym lays out the structure that interviewers are looking for you to
follow when providing your specific examples to their questions. It stands for;
When addressing the situation, keep it to a high level overview. The
Interviewers do not need to necessarily know all the ins and outs of what
happened, they just need a feel for it.
Detail the task you were working on and your particular actions; what did you
specifically do (be careful of saying ‘we’) to help rectify the situation.
Most importantly highlight the result of the situation and what difference did
your actions make to it.
It is always an extra value add if you can also provide a lesson learnt from the
example i.e. something you would do differently if given the chance again or
in the future. This helps to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of
reflecting back and utilizing previous learnings to help better future
outcomes.
Pro Resume Write wishes you all the best for your
interview!
It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be
a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line
with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values
match with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.
Situation – Describe a particular work related circumstance.
Task - Describe the particular task you were undertaking.
Action – Describe your actions
Result – Describe the outcome of your actions and the overall result of the
situation