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1. The Way to A
Successful
Interview
A Recruiter’s Inside Guide

2. 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. Applying for a position with
a company
Your Resume Should….
• Be a professional document which truly reflects your skills, experience,
who you are and what you do
For Each Position you should….
• 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.

4. The Telephone Interview
Prepare yourself…
• Be sure to convey your relevant skills and experience in line with the
position criteria.
• Understanding what sort of questions they are going to ask you and
what sort of information they are hoping to gather.

5.
Standard questions
When the Recruitment Specialist calls you in regards to a
position you need to ensure
You feel confident that you remember:
• The role
• The Company
• Why you applied for the position
• Be able to articulate your relevant skills and experience
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.

6. Standard Questions
• 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? (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?
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.

7. Standard Questions
• 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? (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.)
• What is your current salary? (this is so that they can understand
where you sit in the market and whether you would be open to
negotiation. At this point you may ask if they are at will to
disclose the salary, if not don’t push. 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. 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.

8. Interview with Hiring
Manager
You may ask the recruiter these relevant questions
√ 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

9. Interview With the hiring
manager
At this stage it is too early in the process to begin asking
questions around remuneration and benefits.
• A good Recruiter will talk you through what will happen on the
day of the interview
• Who will be there
• How long it will go
• Where it is
The Recruitment Specialist will describe a company’s
interview structure and style
• 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.

10. 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.
• 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.

11. Star Technique
Follow the STAR technique included in this guide when
practicing the answers to your questions.
• 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
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

12. Highly Advised
preparation
Research the company thoroughly
• Know what the business is about and the recent ventures it has been
involved in, is a local or global company.
• Where does it sit in its specific market, how is it tracking with its
projects etc.
• 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.
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.

13. The Interview
This is the perfect time to ask questions. Make sure you
have a list of questions prepared.
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 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?

14. 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
o Focus on your relevant experience in line with the position
o Keep your overview to 5/10 mins - You will have many other questions to answer in
order to get your experience and skills across
o Describe a relevant career achievement
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

15. Safety
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
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.
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.

16. Motivations
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.
• This question tells the interviewers more about you, your drivers
and your attitude, 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?"
• 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
• 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.)

17. Interview Behaviour and
EtiqueBe
1. Try to be flexible with interview times:
Try to be flexible as this shows that you are keen for the
opportunity and can be adaptable
2. Research the interview panel:
Once you have the names of the interviewers, 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 worked for.
4. Note taking prior and during the interview:
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

18. Interview Behaviour and
EtiqueBe
5. Language used including the universal “we”:
It is very important that you consider the language that you use during
an interview.
“WE” 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.
6. Listening - Be sure you listen to the interview questions
carefully:
When the interviewer is asking a question and pull out the key criteria
you need to address.
If you feel that you haven't got a grasp of the question, ask the interviewer to
repeat the question.

19. Interview Behaviour and
EtiqueBe
7. Engage with everyone in the room and make eye
contact:
Make sure to make eye contact when talking to people, don't
look at your hands or feet. Be interested and show it.
8. Time Keeping:
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. Being brief is really all about practicing
and making sure that what you are saying is relevant, on point
and follows the STAR technique.
9.Asking questions of the panel:
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.
Close out the interview by thanking them for their time and the
opportunity to meet with them.

20. 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.

21. Interview Do’s and Don’ts
Don’ts
• Do not ask the Recruiter or panel inappropriate questions about
remuneration, benefits or about other candidates.
• Do not be late for your interview, always arrive early to the general
interview location and approx. 5 minutes early to the actual interview.
• Do not attend the interview in non-appropriate clothing, if unsure ask the
interviewer if it is smart business, business casual or casual.
• Do not make jokes, you never know the full background of the panel and
who might be offended.
• 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.

22.
Pro Resume Write wishes you all the
best for your interview!
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Let our team of specialists conduct a free resume health check by simply emailing
your resume to info@proresumewrite.com or review our website
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