Get that job

• Putting together your showreel
• Tips for making a showreel
• How to succeed in a group interview
• Top 10 group interview dos and don'ts
• Nailing a phone interview
• Telephone interview dos and don'ts
• How to resign gracefully
• Dos and don'ts of leaving
• Facebook your way to a fabulous career
• Writing a resume for an executive position
• Cover emails: what you should know!
• How to Write a KILLER Resume
• Resume writing tips
• General sample resume
• General sample cover letter
• Resume writing tips for teens
• Sample 'my first resume'
• Sample 'my first cover letter'
• Romancing your job
• Top 10 interview dos and don'ts
• Tricky interview questions
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What’s your biggest weakness?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• How do you handle criticism?
• Nail that interview
• Interview tips

In a job interview, it’s important to get it right. To avoid making any mistakes, read some more of our interview tips.

Feature, example, benefit

Make sure that you answer every question rather than ramble on about everything but the question. The easiest way to prevent you from losing your train of thought or getting sidetracked is by using the ‘feature, example, benefit’ approach. Whenever you start talking about one of your ‘features’, use an ‘example’ as evidence. Then explain how your experience will ‘benefit’ the organisation.

If you are asked ‘what is your greatest strength?’ This is the ‘feature’. You might give an ‘example’ that you have been playing team sports for years. Explain how these teamwork skills will ‘benefit’ the company because you know how teams work, that compromise and support for other team members is important to getting the best results. Mention that you can bring these skills to the job.

Answering the questions

Tell me about yourself?
The interviewer wants to know how your background relates to your job. This is about your skills and experiences. For example you might say that you have lived overseas and this means you can establish yourself quickly in a new environment.

Why do you want this job?
You can answer this by asking yourself what drew you to the position. Why did you apply for it? What was it that made you think ‘this job is for me’? What can you bring to the job?

Why should I hire you?
What does the organisation want most from its employees? You should know the answer to this question from your research. Use an example here that demonstrates how valuable you will be to the company should you be hired, and show that you’ve done your research into what the company is all about.

What’s your biggest weakness?
This is a bit of a tricky question. You don’t want to say that you have an irresistible urge to raid the stationery cupboard and regularly take pens, rulers, erasers and other paraphernalia home. You also don’t want to say that you don’t think you have any weaknesses. And please, don’t say that your weakness is ‘perfection’ – that’s so clichéd. Read about how to answer this tricky interview question.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Another tricky question particularly if you have no idea where you’re going. Don’t forget that the interviewer is interested in your future plans only with regard to how it affects the company and your future in it. Answer honestly but think about what they want from you and it’s probably more than three months until you go on your great overseas adventure! Read about how to answer this tricky interview question.

After the interview

Even if you don’t get the job, you should ask why this is and what you need to work on. With enough experience, interviews will become easier, but that doesn’t mean the preparation, presentation or performance stages become less important.

Read about group interviews
Tricky interview questions
Top 10 interview dos and don’ts

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