5 things you should go through and know before going to an interview with a perspective employer with the facilities management and building maintenance industries.

Here are 5 things you should go through and know before going to an interview with a perspective employer.

1.  Know the job description and the key competencies of the organisation like the back of your hand:  Job descriptions are written with a lot of thought and care and although some maybe generic, it should still have the key drivers detailed within.  The job description will give you a lot of hints about what you need to prove to your interviewer.

2.   Research the company and use every resource you have: That means more than reading a company’s “about us” page.  It also means checking their twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn page etc.  A lot of effort is put in by companies these days to show off their brand and culture through social media, so make sure you are paying attention to it also a good recruiter will also send you as much information about the company in your confirmation email, some recruiters may even schedule a face to face to give you a thorough briefing.

3.  Know your interviewers The fact that almost every working professional uses LinkedIn means you actually can get to “know” your interviewers before the interview.  Take advantage of this and get to know their background, their career path, their skills & interests.  By doing this, you have insight into how you might be able to connect with them (based on what you have in common)

4.  Know how to blow your own horn  This part of interview preparation will never really change that much.  You always have to know why you are great for the job you are interviewing for, if you understand the competencies etc. you will know how to sell yourself, research is key his is something you should think of ahead of time.  You may have many different strong qualities, but which of those are the company looking for? Those are the ones you want to really highlight in your interview so again research is key and ask yourself the question “ how much do I want this job”

5.  Know how to show your achievements and that might mean you show more than what you have on your CV. This part of preparation isn’t relevant for every type of interview, but it is always good to show tangible evidence of what you’ve accomplished e.g. presentations, switching schedules, space planning layouts, examples of previous bids, staff development plans etc., if you do have these things to show, consider bringing them on an IPad or something similar.  Then if the opportunity comes up to show the interviewer.

Prepare yourself for some common interview questions – This is where you need to be honest and have a good think about your answers.

·  Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your background” or “Walk me through your CV”

·  Why are you suitable for this job?

·  Why do you want to work at this company” or “What do you know about this company?”

·  Why are you looking to leave your current job?” or “Why did you leave your last job?”

·  What are your strengths and weaknesses?” 

·  “Where do you see yourself in X amount of years?”

·  “What are your salary expectations? “

·  “Tell me about a time when you’ve worked with a difficult person” or “Tell me about a challenging situation you’ve had and how you dealt with it.

These questions WILL come up and it’s always better if you’re not put on the spot.  So read through them and really prepare your answers. So there you have it, the most important steps in preparing for an interview. Know the job, the company, the interviewers, yourself, bring some examples along to showcase your achievements, and be prepared for the common questions.

Of course there are varying degrees of how much you can dive into all of the above – and (after you meet the basic qualifications) that is what will differentiate you from other candidates in the process and  there also has to be cultural “fit”, but after that, how much you prepare will directly correlate to how successful you are in the interview. 

I hope the above has made good reading and myself I wish you the best at your interview, should you require any additional information or interviewing tips or couching don’t hesitate to contact us at M8 Recruitment, as professional recruiters it’s our duty to assist job seekers in the best way possible.

Good luck interviewing

Regards

Paul Stephens