Interview techniques

[druiaghtagh]

After taking early retirement on Oct 26 i will have an interview for a job on same day at a major supermarket. I have not had an interview ever. What if im asked why i want job, what do i know about it etc, i am a complete novices so bear with me thanks

[william c]

You have got to blow your own trumpet and tellem how good you are. Also look at the job criteria and job description and mould your own experiences to the desireable and essential bits on them. If that makes sense.

[abstibus]

If it's any help, and to follow on from william c's answer, the short-listing is based on the essential criteria first and then the desirables. You are past the first major hurdle.
I won't tell you what age I was when I got my present post, but I went in to the interview with the attitude ' I know there are young Turks at the gate, but I'm better than they are.' And I was.
Review, review and review the job specs, so that you know what they're looking for. Suss out the supermarket (group) and its management structure, and try to identify what they offer in terms of any opportunities for training and advancement. This will be useful when they ask you if you have any questions at the end of the interview.
Don't be timid; wear something that makes you feel good (woman or man); believe in yourself; look confident and behave confidently with positive body language and a smile; if you don't understand any of the questions, ask the interviewer to repeat; take your time answering questions and expand on your answers, particularly by citing your skills and experience; maintain eye contact - be all the things you've ever wanted to be.
I have conducted lots of interviews, and one of the most frustrating things for the panel is the Yes/No interviewee. This is your chance to shine!
Good luck.

[Sasha13]

Common questions...

Why do you want the job.
Don't worry about saying that the immediate thing that appeals is the extra cash/flexible working hours or whatever it is that attracted you to this job. However, then back it up with some other stuff along the lines of I like working with people and that's why a job working for your company appeals to me.

What do you know about the company?
easy - research the company on the net and pull off some facts and figures

What do you know about the job?
You'll be doing something along the lines of: till work, stock replenishment and rotation (making sure the food with the shortest shelf life gets pulled to the front so that it sells first), customer service, both potentially working on the cust. serv. desk and also advising customers who need help, possibly light cleaning duties, stocktaking, etc.

What are your strengths and weaknesses.
Likely to get asked this one. Strengths - think of a few then think of examples to back up what you're saying. It's no good saying 'I use my initiative' if you can't then come up with an example of when you've used it. Weaknesses - slightly harder, but don't worry about telling them some. Mine might be I think very quickly so sometimes I might miss things, however I'm aware of this, so I take steps like writing lists to make sure that I don't forget to do something.

Dress smartly for the interview, shake the interviewers hand firmly, smile, and wait to be invited to sit down. There is something called the halo effect which means if you make a good impression in the first 30 secs the interviewer is likely to go easier on you.

[Sasha13]

Part 2

Most people who go for a job at a supermarket will not have done any research for the role and will appear scruffy as they think the interview is not that important. Make sure you're not one of them and you're likely to get the job.

Also, write some things down that you've acheived on a piece of paper and take it with you. An interview is not a memory test so it's not cheating to refer to this list if you're stuck on how to answer a question.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[EverClean]

Most supermarkets nowadays (and I've worked for most of them) interview on a competency basis. They will word questions in the form - "Tell me about a time when..." or "Can you explain how you reacted when..." This is all designed to test your abilities regarding customers and colleagues. As has been said before - do your research on the company in question.

Also, if you are being interviewed in a particular store, they like to gain comments regarding that store. How do you think it's run, what would you change if you were in charge, etc. Be constructrive, find some good points and mention some non-threatening improvements.

Good luck.