Employability Interview Skills

1.1 he type of questions I may be asked may include:
Tell me about yourself?
Why are you interested in the job?
What do you think the job role includes?
What skills do you feel you can bring to the job?
Tell me about your past experiences, have you worked in care before?
What difficulties did you come across?
How did you resolve these difficulties?
How flexible are you?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
How do you plan to travel to work?

http://jemchildcaresolutions.co.uk/childcare/wp-content/uploads/10-Interview-Tips-for-Nursery-Practitioners.pdf
1.2 There are various different ways I will prepare myself for the interview. The first thing I will do is to ensure I know the route to get there. I will look for routes that do not involve the motorway or busy roads as I am likely to get stuck in traffic. When I have figured out my route I will look at how long it took me to get there so I know how early to leave on the day. However, on the day I will leave earlier anyway to ensure I arrive early which gives a good impression.
I will also find something appropriate to wear. I will make sure that it is not exposing and that it looks professional. For example black trousers and a blouse. I will make sure that I wear minimal make up, am not wearing nail varnish and that my hair is tidy to give a professional look.
I will ensure that my body language is good. I will maintain eye contact and sit up straight.
Using the questions that may be asked I will bullet point a list of replies that I will say so I am prepared on the day. For example, I will bullet a point a list of my skills or a list of difficult situations I have come across in work. I will also write a list of questions that I could ask, such as what the hours are and whether further training is available.

1.3 During the interview I was very nervous, I quite often found myself looking away when talking to the interviewer due to nerves. To begin with I also was very quiet and made a lot of “ums.” I was worried that my nerves would show and this would put the employer off of me. However, once the interview started to look at me and my skills I was able to talk a lot more confidently as I knew my skills and knew this was something that couldn’t go wrong. I also used previous experience and my college work to relate it back. For example, I mentioned that I had studied communication so was aware of other ways to communicate with people, such as makaton. I also made sure I asked the interviewer a lot of questions to ensure that I seemed interested in the job. For example, I asked things such as what interested you in the job, is there training and further opportunities available. I also made sure that on my way in and out I made eye contact and smiled at other members of staff to show I was recognising them and to show friendliness.
2.1I feel that I conducted myself well in the interview. I made sure that I used appropriate language. I did not use any slang language, or swear. I made sure that I used the correct grammar and vocabulary . I also made sure that I spoke clearly as sometimes I know I can speak too fast, and when people are not used to the accent it can be increasingly difficult to understand. I also made sure that I was well presented. I had a blouse on that did not expose me at all. I also wore a skirt but wore tights with it to ensure that I was covered up as much as possible. I turned up to the interview about 15 minutes early to ensure I got there on time and to show that I was keen. As I had time to spare I had a look around the store to show that I was interested in what the business was actually selling. When asked about products and services offered I could answer the questions through promotions I had seen whilst walking around the store. I also made sure that when the interviewer was asking me questions that I made eye contact with him at all times to show I was listening to what he was saying. I also asked questions on what he had told me to show I was actually taking in what he had said.
3.1 I know I did well in the interview as I was offered the job. During the interview I was told that there were two different job roles going, both for optical assistants but working in different fields. One of the roles was to dispense glasses and the other was the clinical side where we carry out tests on people, teach them how to use contact lenses and talk to them about the health of their eyes and how to promote this. I managed to explain my skills and why I thought It was more relevant for me to work in the clinical side. When I was offered the job, this was the area that I was offered. I mentioned that I understood the importance of good hygiene and when it is appropriate to wash my hands and why I should wash my hands instead of using anti-bacterial hand gel. I also stated that I had learnt about effective communication that would help me to talk and work with patients from various different backgrounds. One thing that was mentioned was that I needed to relax. Whilst I could talk confidently I was sat quite straight and tense which showed I was nervous. I now know I need to work on my body language to show that I am as confident as I talk.
3.2 I feel this unit has been useful to me as it has allowed me to see where I can improve on my interview skills. This is particularly useful as I have an interview coming up in 2 weeks time for children's nursing. This unit has allowed me to be aware of my body language so my nerves don't come across as much and I then seem confident. I know that it helps to look at interview questions that I may be asked and prepare answers. By having an idea on what I will be asked I will be able to answer my questions a lot quickly, which should stop me using a lot of “ums”. I am also aware of how important it is to dress appropriately as it shows I have made an effort. By dressing appropriately it also appears to make me look professional. The first thing that will be noticed by the interviewer is my dress sense so it is important to get this right to make a good first impression.