"Companies generally want to know how you can cope with stress. Do you have the skills and abilities you say you do in your CV? They need to know if you will be easy to manage or high maintenance. Are you a leader or a follower? Can you work with their team? From the beginning to the end, you will need to tell the interviewer you can do the job, that you will do the job and how you are the right fit for the company."
Mr Stockdale said there were many different types of interview styles.
"One of the most common is asking behavioral questions during the interview. Behavioral questions are worded in a way to evoke a particular response. This gives the interviewers a good idea of how you may react or behave under certain circumstances.
"These questions can help the interviewer decide what your impact may be on others in particular workplace situations. A good method of response which I hear from some candidates is coming up with a situation, talking about the task that needed to be performed, stating the action taken and then the outcome. Stay calm and be honest."
If behavioral questions are associated with past events, situational questions are about resolving future ones.
"For example, you know one person out of the team you are managing is gossiping. How would you deal with that? Now is the time you need to demonstrate how successful you are at making things happen, resolving conflicts and problems."
Be courteous and concise, advised Mr Stockdale.
"Try to leave the interview having made a lasting impression. Tell the interviewer you want to thank them for the opportunity, you like what you have heard about the company and you are very interested in the job. Simple yet effective."
Five top regional employers - Zespri, ISO, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Scion and Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOP DHB) - were quizzed on their interview like and dislikes.
On candidate questions, an ISO spokesman said: "We like candidates to arrive with three or four constructive questions ... we want to see that they have given a lot of thought to the process. However we carefully scrutinise questions that give a clue to wrong motives ... ie. questions like, "is there lots of overtime?" may indicate the person will live beyond their means or "how quickly can you climb the ladder here" indicates the person thinks promotion is a time-related matter."
Common mistakes seen at Scion were "not researching the company", "not dressing suitably for the interview", "not asking questions at the end of the interview" and "not answering the questions asked in the interview".
For the BOP DHB what made a candidate stand out was suitability and personality.
"The person's fit to the job criteria required," said a spokesman. "But if there happens to be two or three who demonstrate that they align closely to that, the manner in which they conduct themselves at interview and how that may demonstrate to the panel such things as a team and organisational fit."
For the BOP Polytechnic "being able to clearly articulate their suitability for the position using real examples of things they have done" separated someone from the crowd. A Zespri spokesman advised applicants to "do your homework" and try to feel at ease when being interviewed.
"Employers are typically looking to answer three simple questions when they are recruiting: Can this person do the job? Do they want to do this job? And can we work successfully together?" he said.
Tips included thinking about "the competencies that the employer will be looking to evidence", articulating what attracted you to the job and making sure you leave with "a realistic preview of the job".
Max Mason, Tauranga Chamber of Commerce CEO, said nothing surpassed preparation in his eyes.
"I always say the three most important things are 'preparation, preparation, preparation'. I'm a big believer in that. Research the company, the industry, there's really no substitute. This knowledge will impress the interviewer but also gives you tremendous confidence which helps with the whole interview itself."
He said if there were gaps in a person's work history they should be honest and upfront about them.
"If you have big gaps in your work history you should have credible reasons as to why they're there. Employers are often a bit dubious about a candidate with lots of short-term jobs, they're looking for a stayer. If you do have gaps on your CV then have reasons for them."
Mr Mason said applicants should be aware of how they are portraying themselves.
"It is very illuminating when the candidate asks lots and lots of questions about terms and conditions. It suggests this is going to be a high maintenance employee. A lot of employers will run a mile before taking on a high maintenance employee."
Kunal Narsey
Tell me about some of your bad interview experiences.
Kunal's interviews have mostly been positive experiences and he felt comfortable with the answers he gave and the interviewer. This is great for him because his next interview experience will depend to some extent on how his last one went.
What do you think you do well in an interview?
Kunal feels his confidence levels and his type of personality work well in an interview. He says if you make the interviewer feel comfortable they might change their style of interviewing and even perhaps take a softer approach. As preparation he also thinks about what he would be doing in the role which helps him.
What do you think you need to work on?
Kunal wants the job and is motivated. He just needs to express that in an interview more effectively and aggressively. His biggest challenge is not to be too laid back. We talked about changing his posture and sitting forward when he answers some questions which portrays decisiveness and confidence. We decided he would ask interviewers what type of person they were looking for early in the interview, so he could develop his answers more in line with the company's vision.
Do you change your style depending on the person who is interviewing?
He hasn't as yet. The best case scenario for Kunal, or for anyone applying for a technical position, is if the IT or person with technical expertise is involved or leads the interview. This is the person Kunal will be able to relate to and they will probably feel a common bond. The worst case is if it is someone that has little experience in IT, for example, and Kunal is having to "dumb down'' his answers.
Do you arrive early or just on time?
Kunal arrives about 15 minutes early to give him enough time to gather himself. I wouldn't recommend any earlier than that. Familiarise yourself with your surroundings by all means, but if you arrive too early you are overstaying your welcome.
How do you end the interview?
Kunal says thank you for seeing him and shakes hands. Kunal needs to take a more proactive approach and even try to get an idea of where he stands with the company. Interviews are a two-way street, so why not ask if you are the type of person they are looking for?
It is a good question to see where you stand and hopefully the interviewer will sum up their thoughts. Be aware: ``Thank you for the interview, I'm really excited about this role and was wondering if I might be the type of person you are looking for?'' sounds better than ``Have I got the job?''
Have you ever not been able to answer all of the questions?
Kunal has normally not had too many issues with answering any questions.
Do you find that you are prepared enough?
He agrees there could some room for improvement in his preparation, questions and the way he presents himself.
Karolyn Timarkos
Tell me about some of your bad interview experiences.
Karolyn has been in an interview before for over an hour and the manager told her repeatedly he was concerned she would leave the job and go travelling. He was also discussing things with the other interviewer throughout, which can leave you feeling ignored. Be aware of signals that you may be going off track or the interviewer is losing interest. Get back on track as soon as you can.
What do you think you do well in an interview?
Karolyn is definitely well prepared and therefore is not overly nervous in the interview. She always has questions to ask which are relevant to the individual business and its future. This shows her interest and long-term vision with the company.
What do you think you need to work on?
Karolyn says she talks too much during an interview and can give too much information away. This is definitely her biggest challenge and something we worked on. We spoke about the 30-60 second rule and anything over that could potentially lose the interviewer and the focus of the conversation. Keep it short and to the point.
Do you change your style depending on the person who is interviewing?
Yes she does, she tries to gauge what type of person she is talking to. She has been in an interview where the interviewer has been nervous and she has had to put him at ease.
Do you arrive early or just on time?
Usually around 10 minutes early just in case there is some paperwork to fill in before the actual interview.
How do you end the interview?
Thanks them for taking the time to see her and asks when they would make their decision. That's a hard question for anyone to answer. Better to follow up in a week or two and ask how it is going.
Have you ever not been able to answer all of the questions?
A company asked her once about her weaknesses and she couldn't come up with an answer at the time. Try to think about how you can turn your weaknesses into positives. For example, `I am over pedantic which means that sometimes I don't leave work until late because I need to start the next day with a clean slate'.
Do you find that you are prepared enough?
Over prepared.
Christine Atkinson
Tell me about some of your bad interview experiences.
Chrissie had an interview once where she was put in a room and made to wait for 15 minutes. The interviewer wasn't into the interview and made her feel it as well. She asked what type of person they were looking for and they did not actively respond.
Chrissie felt she shouldn't have asked the question and had blown it. But it is perfectly okay for Chrissie to have asked that question and find out more about their expectations.
She also had a bad panel interview experience once when five people were sitting on one side of the table and she was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. She broke the ice by asking if she could go and sit on their side which softened the feel of the rest of the interview. Great tactic, bring some humour in where appropriate.
What do you think you do well in an interview?
Chrissie tries to really bring her personality to the interview. The first question is usually tell me something about yourself, she likes to talk about her hobbies, kids and sporting interests like big game fishing and clay pigeon shooting. I agree with Chrissie, get the interviewer interested in you but just make sure you don't reveal too much personal information or sensitive issues. These might lead the interviewer to make unfair judgments.
What do you need to work on?
Chrissie seems to be quite relaxed about interviews although if it was a position that required more technical answers, like a technical sales role, she might struggle a bit. She thought she could sometimes be too open and honest which might be taken as being opinionated. It's good to have an opinion but be careful in this type of forum and remember your responses are being compared to other candidates.
Do you change your style depending on the person who is interviewing?
Chrissie doesn't change her style. She wants the interviewers to see what they are getting. This may or may not be the right approach depending on what opportunities you are applying for. If she was applying for more corporate or technical roles, I would suggest adjusting your style to suit the interviewer and the role.
Do you arrive early or just on time?
Chrissie tries to arrive a few minutes early, or just on time, because the interviewer might still be with someone or she might have to sit awkwardly in the foyer. It's a good tactic but make sure you don't cut it too fine.
How do you end the interview?
Once all the serious questions are over Chrissie tries to go back and talk a little more about the light-hearted topics she started with. This is so she ends up on a more personable note with the interviewer.
It is a good idea to finish with some questions or on a lighter note. If not, you may leave the interviewer thinking you had less interest or couldn't wait to go.
Have you ever not been able to answer all of the questions?
No.
Do you find that you are prepared enough?
Chrissie usually goes away feeling she had prepared enough and is probably more nervous afterwards, in anticipation, than before the interview.
