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Interview & CV training with Salvation Army Housing Association Residents. Back

Date published: February 15, 2022

15 Feb

Hankinsons Head of Social Value, Jeremy Hankinson recently conducted interview and CV training with residents from Salvation Army Housing in Newhaven, this training was to help the residents prepare, conduct and feel confident during an interview process. Most of the residents had not had an interview before so hopefully this process gives them the best possible chance of a career.

to celebrate National Apprenticeship week, we thought we would share the on the day Do's and Dont's from that training, and also some questions that you may get asked, with some sample answers.

Do's.

•Set an alarm, aim to arrive early Take (CV, Notes, Certificates)
•Enter room with confidence
• Dress appropriately
•Be polite
• Maintain eye contact
•Shake hands (if appropriate)
•Show a genuine interest in the role/organisation
•Pause to think when you need to
•Give full answers and avoid simple yes/ no answers
•Seek clarification, if needed
•Be truthful
•Speak clearly and be positive
•Provide examples, use ‘I did...’ examples
Have questions prepared

Don'ts

•Fidget or slouch, try to sit up straight
• Fold your arms, remember body language is key
•Swear or say anything rude, keep positive
•Over criticise past employers, keep focus on new role
• Interrupt the interviewers, wait to be asked a question
•Over emphasise your weaknesses, focus on the positives
•Lie or exaggerate, you may be tested
•Worry (They are showing a potential interest in you)

 

What is your greatest strength?

What They Want to Know: When answering questions about your strengths, focus on the abilities you have that are key to success in the job for which you're interviewing. Don't be too humble. It's important to make the hiring manager aware of your qualifications.

Sample answer:

My greatest strength is my ability to learn new processes quickly. When placed in a new environment, I actively observe how other people do things so that I can easily pull my weight on the team. I’m also open to testing new ways of doing things in order to optimize our efficiency.

What is your greatest weakness?

What They Want to Know: There are different ways to tackle questions about weaknesses. One is to turn a negative into a positive by sharing an example of how something you considered to be a weakness actually helped you on the job. The other is to speak about additional skills you now have because you worked on those that needed an upgrade.

Sample answer:

I’m an introvert, which I used to regard as being a weakness because I was always shy about reaching out to people. However, part of being an introvert is that I’m a great listener, and I find this has really helped me as a Help Desk Technician. I’m able to focus on our customers’ issues, ask the right questions to elicit information, and resolve their tech issues.