INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Ten tips for a successful interview
Ten mistakes you should avoid in an interview
Dress for Success

Possible interview questions about:

Recommendations from the Experts

Ten tips for a successful interview 

  1. Be prepared: Learn as much as you can about the company before the interview.  This shows the employer that you are interested in the job.
  2. Do practice interviews. Go through sample interviews with family or friends and answer possible questions. Remember: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
  3. Arrive on time (be there a few minutes early). Find out how long it will take to get there and allow plenty of time to get to the place before the interview.
  4. Dress for success. Plan in advance (several days before) what to wear and make sure your clothing is clean and pressed, your shoes are shined, and your hair and nails are well groomed.
  5. Bring extra copies of your CV, references and application form (if applicable). Carry your documents in a neat, professional folder.
  6. Keep eye contact.
  7. Speak carefully and clearly and don’t be afraid to pause a moment to collect your thoughts.
  8. Be honest and be yourself. Don’t try to cover up mistakes or blame other people, but instead focus on what you learned from them.
  9. Think about how your experience in work, classes and activities can relate to the job you are seeking. (e.g. leadership skills as class rep. captain of a team, etc.)
  10. Don’t forget to listen; don’t just talk. It should be a dialog between you and the interviewer, not a monolog.

    ...and don’t forget to thank the interviewer for taking the time to see you.
    Ten mistakes you should avoid in an interview
    1. Come late for the interview.
    2. Be arrogant. There is a thin line between being self-confident and arrogant.
    3. Come to the interview unprepared. You then risk saying something that goes against the policies of the company.
    4. Look unprofessional. Dirty clothes, hair, nails, etc or clothes that are too provocative or trendy.
    5. Smoke heavily before the interview, chew gum during the interview, or letting your mobile phone ring; this shows the employer that you are not taking the interview seriously.
    6. Be dishonest, e.g. give the interviewer information that is not true.
    7. Criticism of the company. Most companies like individualists with independent opinions as long as they are not too different from their own. If you have done a lot of research and have a lot of good ideas for the company, the interview is not the place to play the boss.
    8. Ask about the salary at the beginning of the interview. Be careful when talking about money and use common sense.
    9. Ask a lot of questions. It is good to have a few questions prepared, but not too many. Wait until the end of the interview to ask them.
    10. Talk to much or too little.  An interview should be a dialog between the interviewer and the interviewee, not a monolog. Try to answer more than “yes” or “no”, but do not take over the interview and talk “non stop”.
    “Dress for success”

    Interviewers have limited information on which to base their final decision and how you look will have a tremendous influence on your success rate.

    The Basic Rules:
    The interviewer is usually the first person to see you from the company when you are seeking for employment; therefore, good appearance is very advisable. Here are some basic rules for dress:

    Possible interview questions

    Your career intentions

    1. Tell me about your career aspirations
    2. Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years time?
    3. What attracted you to the hospitality industry?
    4. How do you think will your studies support your career?
    5. What are you looking for in a career?
    6. Describe your ideal employer
    7. Tell me about your ambitions
    8. How do you work in team?
    9. What contribution do you make to a team?

    Personality and Interests

    1. How would you describe yourself?
    2. How would your friends describe you?
    3. What are your strengths?
    4. What are your weaknesses?
    5. What do you look for in a good manager?
    6. What are your interests outside your studies?
    7. How do you spend your spare time?
    8. What motivates you?
    9. Tell me about any sport activities you enjoy
    10. Apart from your studies, what will you remember most about your college days?

    Your knowledge about the potential employer company

    1. How much do you know about our organization?
    2. Why should we select you?
    3. What do you have to offer?
    4. What do you suppose are the main challenges facing our industry?
    5. What do you think you can bring to this position?
    6. What do you think you can bring to this company?
    7. What questions do you have for me/us?

    Your Diploma or Degree studies

    1.  Why did you choose hospitality management?
    2. What did you like the most about your courses?
    3. Which courses did you like the least?
    4. How will your studies relate to your work?
    5. Tell me about a group project you have undertaken
    6. What have you enjoyed most at college/university?
    7. What developments in hospitality have taken your interest recently?
    8. Tell me about a conflicting team experience. What happened and how did you deal with it?

    Your prior working experience

    1. Did you regularly work 40 hours a week?
    2. Tell me about your worst guest interaction
    3. Tell me about a time when you successfully managed a difficult situation at work
    4. When your supervisor insisted in teaching you a task in a certain way and you knew there was a better way. What did you do?
    5. If we asked for a reference what would it say about you?

    Recommendations from the Experts

    More interview questions to ponder in terms of how to respond them:

    Q: How do you work under pressure?

    A: Walk a middle-ground here, do not sound like pressure is the only the only thing that gets you to do the work, and do not sound like a wimp. You must convey that you can work in such a setting because of the pace at which the business world works.

    Q: Tell me about the positive/negative aspects of your past jobs

    A: Say you liked your past job(s) even if you did not. Always keep negatives as neutral as possible and do not bring up money as a downside of a job.

    Q: Salary questions

    A: Find out about the employer’s expectations and target range before you divulge your own. Before you state your expectations, first make your value clear to the employer by summing up the responsibilities of the job and your qualifications. Also, it is better to state a salary range than a specific figure because if gives you more room to negotiate. If your actual zone is $25-30,000, tell the employer $28-33,000.

    Q: Tell me about your last boss

    A: Never say anything negative. Instead, focus on their positive qualities (even the worst bosses have positive qualities) and leave it at that.

    Q: What makes you qualified for this job?

    A: Avoid mentioning experience that is irrelevant to the job you are interviewing for, it will make you sound unfocussed.

    If you do not have professional experience, you can speak about the skills learned in classes, e.g. team work, decision making exercises, critical thinking applications, etc

    Q: What do you do in your spare time?

    A: Demonstrate outside interests that define you. Take advantage of the opportunity to stand out in the employer’s mind and show long-time commitment to an interesting pursuit.

    Q: What did your education prepare you for?

    A: Take the opportunity to show some practical work skills, and demonstrate the knowledge that translates directly to the workplace. Demonstrate your ability to learn.
    E.g. “I have learned that it is not possible to know everything and that it is more important to think creatively in order to figure out how and where to find the information needed”
    “College has taught me many things, I have learned to know who I am and to depend on myself to get things done”
    “In the majority of my courses, I learned how to work on group assignments and projects with diverse groups of people”
    “I learned how to set goals for myself and reach them despite difficulties and obstacles”