Interview Advice

An interview can be one of the most important events in a persons life because the thirty minutes to an hour spent with the interviewer may determine your entire future.

We know that for some candidates, interviews will be a really exciting opportunity but for many others it can be an extremely daunting and stressful experience. It may have been a long time since you have been interviewed so you simply have no idea what you are going to say and what the interviewer may ask you.

Many of these difficulties and concerns can be overcome by research, preparation and rehearsal so here at Prime Time your Consultant will work with you to plan how to make your interviews an easier and less stressful experience.

1. Do your research
There are a number of things you are certain to be asked during an interview and they tend to cover the following topics:

• The company - an online search on the company's website is the best place to start. As well as information about the organisation itself you'll get a feel for how they market themselves, maybe some key people within the organisation and often there will be a news page with recent stories and updates about them. Google news is also a good place to look for up to date reports about an organisation and it shows you have gone further than just the easy route to find information. If you are going for a position at a specific service then it is advisable to have a look at the most recent CQC report. This will show that you have taken a keen interest in that service and the level of service they provide.
• Client groups - know and understand which client groups they support.  Many organisations provide a range of services.  When researching their website look for any new projects that the company may be opening or recent events that have taken place that involved the people they support. 
• The job - your Consultant should be able to brief you fully on all aspects of the role you are being interviewed for so you should make written notes on how you perceive the job, the responsibilities and how you would go about doing it. Try to relate specific areas of your CV back to the job description. It will help the interviewer see clearly why you are right for the job. CQC knowledge and Safeguarding are important topics to be knowledgeable on.  Visit www.cqc.org.uk to read up and refresh yourself on these topics.  Also have a look at the CQC latest report for the home.
• The journey - plan the journey, check how long it takes online and then if possible do a dummy run. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early, late arrival for an interview is inexcusable.

2. Appearance counts
Your appearance is the first thing people notice about you and will leave a lasting impression so getting it right is really important. 

3. Prepare what you want to talk about
You can never guarantee what you will be asked at interview but your Consultant can help you prepare for some of the most common ones to come up. By having an idea of what could be asked and rehearsing your answers you will have greater confidence during the interview. Within the Social Care sector the format of an interview will often be competency based.   You may be asked to give examples of a scenario - such as:
'There is an outbreak of sickness that is effecting both residents and your team leaving you short of staff on that shift:  What would you do to handle the situation effectively to ensure you still deliver the highest quality of service'.    
'What would you do to improve or maintain the CQC rating of the service'. (ensure you have looked at the latest CQC report)

Lastly, smile, have positive body language and shake hands confidently with your interviewer. Good eye contact puts both of you at ease, builds a relationship and sets the scene for a great interview. You have done the preparation so you're set up for a great interview!