When job hunting, there is not much that is quite as exciting as receiving a request from an agency representing a company you’re interested in for an interview.

An INTERVIEW!

A world of possibilities has just opened up, and you, of course, want to do your absolute best to impress the interviewer so that they can make all your dreams come true and get you all the money and benefits your heart desires and become your best friend and…
Let’s slow down this train of thought and start at the beginning.

Receiving an invitation for an interview is a fantastic opportunity – and one that can definitely lead to further possibilities on the path to employment.
However, it is important to manage your expectations during this process so that you can be adequately prepared for any potential eventuality.

The first interview is commonly known as the ‘screening interview’.
Usually, only an agent from the recruiter’s office will be in attendance with you.

The purpose of this interview is for the agency to get to know you as a candidate on a basic level, obtain insight into your career history, (specifically with relevance to the current vacancy), clarify and correct details on your resume, discuss salary expectations and provide clarity regarding details about the company and vacancy.
This is accomplished by adhering to a formalized schedule with a set agenda and structured meeting plan for each interview.

Pre-Meeting Preparation:

Before the interview is conducted, the recruitment office peruses the candidates CV to ensure that you are, in fact, suitable to apply for the role in terms of their education and experience.

Next, the layout of the candidates CV is adjusted to promote uniformity in candidate submissions to the hiring company.

Finally, missing points of information are highlighted for the interviewer to query.

In The Meeting:

The interviewer’s main goal is to assess the candidate’s suitability for the role, but also your level of professionalism. Everything about you says something about you.
While the interviewing agent does not have the final say on whether or not you are chosen for the position, their input in the process does carry enough weight to foster a respectful approach when communicating with them. To put it plainly, don’t be rude to the person interviewing you.

Also, present yourself in a way that projects professionalism; the way you dress and speak matters. Arrogance is immediately off-putting, don’t mistake it for confidence.
And of the utmost importance is your time-keeping ability; do not be late, and do not waste your own time and the interviewers by derailing the conversation with irrelevant topics and office gossip about previous employers – this is of no interest to the agent interviewing you.
You will be asked a series of questions based on your resume, such as

• “What Code is your Driver’s License?”
• “Do you have your own vehicle?”
• “Where are you based?”
• “Are you willing to relocate?”
• “Why did you leave company X?”
• “What is your reason for looking for a new position?”
• “What is your starting month and year date for this role?”
• “What is your end month and year date for this role?”
• “What year did you complete your studies?”
• “What was your title at Company Y?”

The reason for this line of questioning refers back to my earlier point: these are your missing points of information.
The hiring company needs to know certain details about you, pertaining to your ability to do the job. E.g. A sales representative is expected to have a driver’s license to do their work effectively.

The timeline and of your professional history and reasons for leaving also matters, as they are a strong indicator of the type of employee you are, what you value in your career and the experiences you have had with previous employers.
Again, everything about you says something about you.

Lastly, with the advances in technology and increased usage of technological tools in the interviewing process, profile videos have become quite popular in screening interviews.
You will be asked to state your name, age and where you live.

You will then be asked 3 questions:
1. Tell me about your current employment – the best way to respond to this question is by stating the name of your current company, your title, and a brief overview of your duties (preferably in relation to the role for which you are applying.)

2. Tell me about a previous employment – you will answer this in the same format as the first question. It is best to choose a role that is most relevant to the role for which you are applying, to speak to your experience in that particular field.

3. Why should the company hire you – this is your chance to stand out as a candidate. Answer this with your skills (to do the job well), experience (existing knowledge of the field and role), and character (the kind of person you are that makes you an asset to any company.) It is important to note that this isn’t the type of interview you research to prepare for.
Your preparation needs to be a refresher course of your own career history so that the interviewer can submit a completed and polished version of your resume that represents you in the best possible light.