Category: Job Interviews

Most people find psychometric assessments intimidating when they encounter them as part of an interview selection process. However, there is good preparation work that you can do. This preparation work starts with finding out what kind of assessment will be involved. So, well in advance of doing the assessment, call the HR people that you are dealing with, or the recruiter, for a chat.

Seek to establish what attributes the employer is looking for in candidates. The person you are dealing with probably will mot tell you what assessment tool is to be used – but ask anyway – just in case that information is available. You may also find clues (about what attributes the employer is seeking) from the job description and job advertisement.

3. The Key to Success
5. As daunting as psychometric assessments sometimes are, the key to success and to achieving a top score is practice and preparation. Research the company that you are sitting the Psychometric Tests for. Identify their culture, values and the calibre of employee they’re searching for. This will help you in the Personality Tests. And then practice, practice, practice! Practice answering the Psychometric Tests online to build your confidence.
7. Get to know the types of aptitude test questions 
8. 
   Familiarising yourself with the typical content and format of psychometric tests will give you an advantage. Verbal and numerical Aptitude Test questions are generally multiple choice questions which must be completed in a very short time. These questions can include topics like social sciences, physical or biological sciences, and business-related areas like marketing, economics, and human resource management.
10. The Abstract Aptitude Test is a non-verbal test that uses shapes as test questions. Generally, no specific knowledge of these subject areas is required. Familiarity with the type of test questions will get you a competitive edge.

4. Practice the Psychometric Tests online 
   
   Prepare for and practice the Psychometric Tests just like you would for any exam or test. Practicing test questions and training your brain to identify frameworks for solving problems will significantly improve your results. The majority of Psychometric Tests are administered online, therefore it is important that you train or prepare for your Psychometric Test using the same medium as the real tests – online.

5. Find out the type of Psychometric Test questions you need to practice 
   
   Not all jobs get the same test questions. The level of difficulty and complexity of Psychometric Test questions changes based on the job you are applying for. A test for a management position is likely to have more difficult questions than that of an entry role. Ensure you are practicing the right type of test questions for your test.

6. Plan your time and set milestones 
   
   All Aptitude Tests in the Psychometric Test are timed. On the other hand they are also designed in a way that only 1 – 2% of people who take such a test can actually finish it. Here’s the good news, you don’t have to complete all the test questions to get a perfect score, and easy questions score the same as hard ones. The best strategy is to set milestones and if you don’t know the answer to a question, go on to complete others. If you have time left, you can revisit the harder questions.

7. Use any tools that are allowed 
   
   Most Numerical Aptitude Tests will allow the use of a calculator and will advise this upfront. If you haven’t used a calculator for a while, familiarise yourself with the different types of operations well ahead of the test. Brush up on reading tables and graphs as well.

8. Read and increase your English vocabulary 
   
   Start reading a broader section of the newspaper or any industry specific information regarding the job you are applying for to increase your vocabulary. It will help you to grasp Verbal Aptitude Test questions quicker, answer them faster and therefore improve your score.

9. Be sure not to trigger a lie or fake good scale in the Personality Test 
   
   Most Personality Tests are designed to indicate whether you were consistent in your answers and to what extent you tried to portray yourself in an overly positive manner. It’s fine to make yourself look good. We all do it when we want to get a job. However, ensure that you don’t overdo it as it will cause inconsistency in your answers. Just be yourself and know what set of your strengths you want to highlight.

When you attend interview you want to impress the people you meet – as a positive person who is likely to fit well into their team. There is no better way to do this than by managing body language and ensuring that the impression you leave (through how you carry yourself) is positive.

It is estimated that over 70% of what we communicate to other people is not through what we say but through body language. The more natural you appear at interview, the better. This is good body language at its most basic. Building on behaving naturally, you can consider how you do on eye contact and posture – and can then go on further.

Eye Contact

Maintain good eye contact with the people you are meeting. However, don’t go over the top and end up glaring at them. Avoid looking down, up, or to the side of people you are talking to. At best, this suggests lack of confidence. Look at the person in the eye, in a friendly way. 

It’s OK to look away for a few seconds – especially when you may need to think about a response to a tough question. If you feel uncomfortable holding eye contact with people, look at the forehead – just above their nose.

Posture

Maintain proper posture at interviews. Slouching and leaning down in your chair reflects laziness, lack of interest, and a lack of confidence. On the other hand, being too rigid and tense will convey inflexibility and nervousness. Aim to be comfortable.

If there is any barrier between you and the people you are speaking to, such as a vase of flowers, ask can it be moved. Likewise do not create a defensive barrier between yourself and interviewers – by, for instance, keeping a bag on your lap.. Don’t lean on the interviewer’s desk or otherwise invade their personal space.

Gestures

Gestures, such as use of hands, eyebrows, etc., can enhance your message but don’t overdo it. Raising your eyebrows at something interesting or exciting and using your hands to express a point and relay a story, all add to your presentation. However, don’t overdo gestures.

Mirroring

With mirroring, you listen to tone of voice, speed, and volume of the person speaking to you. If they speak slowly and softly, you then should not to communicate in a loud and/or rapid way. Doing that will only overwhelm them.Likewise, if they speak loud or fast, you should do similar.

At Interview

During the interview itself, don’t stress yourself about body language matters. Consider them beforehand and practice if necessary. At the interview concentrate on more immediate matters – such as what you’re being asked about.

When invited to interview you need to find out the following:

• Where exactly the interview will take place.
• Who you will be interviewed by and what their position is within the organisation.
• Whether there will be any psychometric or other type of assessment involved.

Larger organisations often send out an information pack after inviting people to interview. This may contain information such as a job description and company details. If you’re not provided with all information you require, contact the employer and request it.

Making Arrangements

If they do not send you a copy of the job description, request one. You want to know about the job so that you can prepare well. If you have the opportunity to choose the time of your interview, seek a slot as late as available. That way you maximise the chances of an effective interview and of standing out in the interviewer’s memory.

Confirm by email the interview place, time, day and date – to avoid any mistake, as a courtesy and to make a good impression. It is also often worthwhile telephoning in advance of the interview. For instance you might call beforehand to obtain exact directions to the venue.

Getting Ready

A good start is to re-read the advertisement and your application correspondence. Consider what you have to offer by way of experience and strengths. Maybe, memorise your five or six most important points. Do not assume the interviewers will have read everything in detail – or that they will be able to remember your career details. 

Getting ready should include a thorough analysis of your motives and interest in the specific appointment. Taking into account what you know about the job role for which you are being considered and the organisation, think through your responses to the following questions:

• What qualifications, experience and achievements do I have that are relevant?
• What other unique selling points do I have in relation to this opportunity?
• What are the areas where I do not seem to fit the job description?
• How will I deal with questions about these shortcomings?
• Why am I interested in this role and in this organisation?

If you do good preparation ahead of an interview, you dramatically increase your chances of success. Plan carefully for the interview and get started at preparation as early as you can. Don’t wait for an interview invitation. You might receive short notice.The best preparation that you can do revolves around mining down and gaining a really good understanding of yourself – of what you are looking for career-wise and what you have to offer – and of the job that you have applied for.

Self-Appraisal

The key to successful interviewing is to be clear on what you want to do in your next job, where you want to go career-wise and what you have to offer the employer you’re meeting.

Objective and Strategies

Decide what your message to the employer should be. Then consider how you can communicate that message in clear and easy-to-remember terms.

Research Employer and Job

You’ll need to demonstrate that you have research the employer and have a well thought-out response to the question ‘Where do you think our sector is heading…?’

Prepare for First Question

At the start of most interviews you’ll be asked to, ‘tell us a bit about yourself’, ‘talk us through your career to date’, or some such open-ended question. You’ll need a concise summary.

Your Strengths

Think about and document what you have achieved in your career to date. Use stories about these achievements to back up claims you make regarding the strengths you have.

Transferability of Your Skills

High performers appreciate what the interviewer is looking for. They talk about related experience that they have and explain how they can acquire other experience they don’t have. 

Shortcomings and Complications

Many people have something that can impact on their ability to do a job. If you have, consider how you should respond to related questions. Then, do lots of practice around this.

Mock Interviews

Doing a mock interview is the very best way that you can prepare for a job interview.

Here are last minute tips that you can consider as you get ready to attend an interview.Make sure you know where to go and how you are going to get there. Consider visiting the interview site a day or two before in order to ensure that you are familiar with the location on the day.

Eat a while before you attend interview. Sometimes interviews are delayed or go on longer than expected and there may be no opportunity to snack.

• Allow yourself lots of time for trip to the interview location – in case there is an unforeseen delay in your journey.
• – Aim to arrive with time to spare, so that you can be as relaxed as possible.
• – Bring along a mint to freshen your breath before going in.
• – Switch off your mobile phone.

Things to Bring

• – Copies of all correspondence received and spare copies of your CV.
• – Notebook with any questions you have listed.
• – A pen and something to read (in case you are kept waiting).

Arriving for Interview

Get to the general area well ahead of time. Spend some time outside in advance and arrive at the reception area 7 to 8 minutes before the appointment time. Be friendly with the receptionist – but not over familiar. Remember that some facilities are large and it may take quite some time to get to the place you have been asked to go to at a location

Waiting to Go In

Do not accept a drink within 5 minutes of your interview time. You don’t want to be burdened with a drink just as your interviewer arrives. Keep calm and keep your cool even if you are kept waiting. Ideally, leave your overcoat, umbrella etc. in reception. Do this and you won’t need to worry about them in the interview room.

Visiting the bathroom can be a good idea.  Walking to and from the bathroom will often take you past working areas from which you can indirectly glean a great deal about a company, e.g. atmosphere, friendliness, efficiency, etc. While you are in the bathroom, check how you look.

Be prepared to shake hands. Make sure your hands are dry. Interviewers prefer a firm handshake. It can reflect your confidence level and some personal qualities. Be up-front in initiating handshakes ang in saying hello to people (greeting them by name if you can).

Here is a the most valuable tip that you will ever get regarding how you should deal with negotiations over salary and benefits when being interviewed for a job: the best time to negotiate salary is after you have been offered the job.

I know that sounds crazy – but you are in the strongest possible position to negotiate when other people are out of consideration and the employer has decided that you are the person for them. OK – you may not be able to defer negotiations to this late stage but – please – understand that your interest is best served by deferring salary and benefit negotiations for as long as you can during an interview selection process.

Employers will usually ask about salary early on in an interview process. This is because they don’t want to proceed with an applicant who will eventually turn down their job offer because of pay/benefits.

You should avoid discussing salary in as far as you can, for a whole assortment of reasons. Pitch too high and they’ll lose interest in you; pitch too low and they may also lose interest in you.

It is important to note too, that the employer’s plan for the job can change. And, this may open up the possibility for higher pay.

Deferring Negotiations

Rather than respond with a figure you are better to say something like:

• ‘I’m really interested in working with your company and I’m sure that whatever you offer is going to be a reflection of the job and my skills and abilities’.
• ‘I’m glad you are bringing up salary, I want to discuss this, but first of all can we see if I am right for the job, and what value I can bring?’
•  ‘I’d like to earn what other people of my calibre are earning here. What’s the salary range?’
• ‘Can I ask you to take the lead on this, what is the salary range for the job?’

Handling Enquiries

You may be asked your current salary. If this is not relevant, don’t be afraid to say so. Don’t lie. If you disclose, make sure to include all benefits and perks you enjoy. Avoid telling people (including any recruiter involved) the minimum salary that you will accept. If you give out this information you may find that you are not offered any more than that figure.

When You Negotiate

If an interviewer asks you how much you want, try steering around it by saying, ‘I’m really interested in working with your company and I’m sure whatever you offer is going to be a reflection of the job and my skills and abilities’. You can then ask them what they have in mind. 

When you do negotiate, seek a ‘win-win’ outcome – ‘I really want this job and I want to work with you, so let’s see if we can work this out’. Try to make sure that you are negotiating with someone who has decision making authority. If they don’t, you can only sell yourself short.