Second Interview

Zoton

Hi folks, looking for some advice for the "second interview".
I had the initial interview about 2 months ago and it went pretty well, it was a kind of technical interview, but there were standard interview questions too. The follow up one is more of a HR and Psychometrics one.
Any advice on preparation?

I already work for the company by the way, its just a better postition that i'm going for.
Appreciate any help/advice ye can give.
Thanks

koneko

I've found in internal interviews (well interviews in general but particularly internal ones) it really helps to do all the research. Talk to the people doing the job at the moment (if they're leaving), talk to your potential boss, talk to lots of people and find out as much as you can. If you're prepared, you'll feel more confident aswell and that definitely helps in interviews.

I know it sounds really obvious, but it's always helped me

WhiteWashMan

talk to the people that you would be reporting to.
ask them about the position and what is involved. it will show them that you are interested, that you do research and that you prepare. if they are making the decision, then you will rise in their estimation.

have never done a psychometric test (whatever that is) but i don know there are hundreds of books out there on the subject. a little light reading would not go amiss.
i know a lot of people are loath to buy a book and read it just for an interview, but if you dont do your research and probably dont desearve the job.
unless you work in mcdonalds.


HR will not be looking for deep down answers with regards the role, but overall impressions on your character and a surface knowledge of the job. have a read over the sticky that deals with interview questions. print it out and try and write answers to each point (and there are hundreds. i know, i did it!)
oh, and go over your cv and make sure you can answer any questions that can be asked about any point on your cv, from where you live, to where you went to school, to why you decided to do geography in school and your present job.

oh, one last thing. do out a matrix on what qualities the best candidate for the role should have.
then put in what your qualities are. be truthful. the more you can match your skills to what they need, the better you will be able to talk about it, and tell htem this. otherwise, youa re going to have to do a lot of talking on how you think you are going to try and make up the difference. but at least know what they need.

leeroybrown

Also, bear in mind that it could possibly be a behavioural interview where all the questions ask you to highlight from experience how you performed in a particular style of situation. Having sat one (unexpectedly) at 10am after 5 hours sleep and over 4 hours of travel, I'd suggest that being fully alert/awake is important for these. Luckily the coffee dragged me through and I got the job.

Zoton

Thanks for all the help.
I've already spoken at great length with everyone who currently works in the department, especially the people who i would be working with/for, but unfortunately they don't get to decide who gets hired.
The guy interviewing/interrogating me is renowned as being a bit thuggish, not a very good sense of humour etc, and gives no time for answering a question after asking it. There could also be other people there too. So it'll be tricky.

(The psychometric thing is bull**** and can probably be fooled if needs be.)

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Zoton
Thanks for all the help.
I've already spoken at great length with everyone who currently works in the department, especially the people who i would be working with/for, but unfortunately they don't get to decide who gets hired.
The guy interviewing/interrogating me is renowned as being a bit thuggish, not a very good sense of humour etc, and gives no time for answering a question after asking it. There could also be other people there too. So it'll be tricky.

then you should talk to the people that are making the decisions.

as for the person who is interviewing, you will just have to try and take control of the interview. read up on stress tests or stress interviews.

as for sense of humour, youa re not interviewing for stand up comic, so what does it matter. you have to convince him that you are the person to do the job you are going for, not that you will be able to wile away the hours telling jokes to your colleagues.
no idea why you wont have time to answer questions. or what having other people in the room means? other interviewers? whats the problem there? at some stage you will have to do things that are outside your comfort zone. get used to it, and try and control the interview.

you sound like you have given up before you even go in.

if you have a second interview its becasue the like you, not because they need to amuse them for anhour inthe afternoon.

Zoton

Originally posted by WhiteWashMan
then you should talk to the people that are making the decisions.

Can't they aren't here.

as for the person who is interviewing, you will just have to try and take control of the intervew. read up on stress tests or stress interviews.

Not stressed at all. I'll be nervous tomorrow beforehand but thats all

no idea why you wont have time to answer questions.

This is from talking to other people who have been interviewed by this guy in the past. He tends to aska a question and as they opened their mouth to answer, he butted in and asked another unrelated question, and so on. It seems really bad on his part cos he's not giving himself an opportunity to find out about the people.
Also heard that he tends to stare out the window, not listen and put his feet up on the desk. A bit strange methinks :roll:

or what having other people in the room means? other interviewers? whats the problem there?

No problem there, done it many times before.

you sound like you have given up before you even go in.

Well its over 2 months since the first interview and there's only about 4/5 candidates, so i had pretty much given up on it, only to hear about it again tuesday morning.

Ah, sure i'll do me best.:)
Thanks again folks

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Zoton


[/b]
Not stressed at all. I'll be nervous tomorrow beforehand but thats all
[/b] [/B]

i didnt mean you were stressed, i meant you should look up stuff about stress interviews.
its a method of interviewing by putting the candidate under pressure during an interview to see how the cope. it can involve not letting a candidate answer proporly, not seeming to be interested, asking questions such as 'why do you think you would be good at this job, you are clearly unqualified?' and so on and so forth.
it might be worth looking up some of these, becasue it can help you control the interview if these tactics are employed.
mind you, i dont understand why someone would give an interview like that.

Originally posted by Zoton


[/b]
Well its over 2 months since the first interview and there's only about 4/5 candidates, so i had pretty much given up on it, only to hear about it again tuesday morning.
[/B]

ive just gone through 11 interviews (yes, eleven) over 4 months to get my new job.
im guessing then if you havent heard about the situation in over 2 months, you actually havent bothered to ask whats going on and looked for feedback.
push back on them. after all, you are interviewing them as well. if you think they are screwing you around, tell them.
of course, this usually only works if youare going to a new company
but you do need to push back on perspective employers sometimes. i actually chased up 2 of my interviews and told them when theywould see me. some people are just busy.

Zoton

Actually i asked them a couple of times a week for the first month, and a few times after that, but then gave up.

Will look into the stress interview thingy. Cheers

Zoton

Did second interview, and then did 3rd interview as the sole remaining candidate, and then management decide to change the job description and offer me a temporaory copntract that might might become permanent, and of course a much lower salary than was stated in my expectations. Bunch of kunts. What a waste of my time.:mad:

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Zoton
Did second interview, and then did 3rd interview as the sole remaining candidate, and then management decide to change the job description and offer me a temporaory copntract that might might become permanent, and of course a much lower salary than was stated in my expectations. Bunch of kunts. What a waste of my time.:mad:

I feel for you m8. I went to the UK for interview a few years back and got down to the last two, but lost out. Then they offered me a much junior role, with a reduced which I couldn't have lived on in London.