Interviews take many different forms. Always ask the organisation in advance what format the interview will take. Most interviews are face-to-face in front of a single interviewer or a panel but you may also come across telephone interviews (often used as an initial screening process) or those conducted with a group of candidates where you are observed taking part in a discussion.
The most common types of interview are:
Competency/capability-based interviews
These are structured to reflect the competencies or capabilities that an employer is seeking for a particular job (often detailed in the job specification).
The organisation determines the selection criteria based on the roles they are recruiting for and then, in an interview, measures whether or not you have these and evidence to back it up.
Chronological interviews
These work chronologically through your life to date and are usually based on your CV or a completed application form.
Technical interviews
If you have applied for a job or course that requires technical knowledge (e.g. positions in engineering or IT) it is likely that you will be asked technical questions or have a separate technical interview to test your knowledge.
Unstructured interviews
Sometimes an interview will have no clear structure and feel more like an informal chat about you, your interests and your career ambitions.
Portfolio-based interviews
If the role you’re applying for is within the arts, media or communications industries then you may be asked to bring a portfolio of your work to the interview. You will be asked about the pieces you have chosen to present in your portfolio.
Case study interviews
These can range from a straightforward brainteaser to the analysis of a hypothetical problem. You will be evaluated on your analysis of the problem, how you identify the key issues, how you pursue a particular line of thinking.
Sequential interviews
You may be expected to attend several interviews with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer will ask questions to test different sets of competencies.
Some employers use other means of recruitment as well as interviews.
You may be asked to attend a series of selection activities at an assessment centre. These usually include:
Social or informal events - where you could meet a variety of people, including other candidates, the selectors, recent graduates and senior management. This is presented as an opportunity for you to find out about the organisation and to ask questions in a more casual setting.
Information sessions - which provide more details about the organisation and the roles available.
Tests and exercises - designed to reveal your potential. Selectors at assessment centres measure you against a set of competencies and each exercise is designed to assess one or more of these areas.
It’s worth remembering that it’s not ’The Apprentice’. The assessors aren’t looking for how well you perform at the expense of other candidates; they are looking at your individual performance.
Another common method of selection is psychometric or aptitude testing which can be either online or at an assessment centre. These are timed tests, taken under exam conditions, designed to measure your intellectual capacity for thinking and reasoning, and particularly your logical or analytical ability.
Accuracy is more important than speed. Most tests are multiple choice and designed so that very few candidates both finish and get the correct answers.
We’ve got psychometric tests you can practise online. But whether you’re practising or it’s the real thing pay careful attention to the instructions, work as quickly and as accurately as you can and get used to working without a calculator as you may not be allowed one. You should revise basic mathematics if you haven’t practised these skills for a long time.
Some employers will ask you to prepare a short talk or presentation to give to other candidates and/or the selectors. You could be given a topic for discussion or have completely free choice. You could be asked supplementary questions so you need to know more about the subject than what’s covered in your presentation. The subject matter is not necessarily important – the organisation wants to know that you can structure and communicate information effectively.
A session with one of the careers and employability advisers can help you prepare for interviews and other selection procedures and will tell you more about the different types of interview you may encounter. See also tips on interviews, and take some time to read through the applications and interviews section of the Prospects website. It’s got lots of detailed advice and some very good planning tools.