Preparing for Interviews

Remember your interview is the first time to make a good impression - dress accordingly.
• Research the company you are meeting - read any company literature you have (ring and ask for some to be sent to you if necessary), check out their web-site or visit the Chamber of Commerce or local library. Who are their competitors?
• Plan your route carefully, take the full name, address and telephone number of the company with you and make sure you have clear directions before you set out. Allow time for traffic hold-ups or train delays.
• Make sure you are familiar with your CV - you will be questioned on it. Take a copy with you.
• Pre-empt and plan for the interviewer's questions.
• Expect to be challenged.
• Prepare relevant questions.
• Aim to arrive fifteen minutes early rather than exactly on time.
• Make sure you know who you are meeting and their position. Ask for them by name.
• Greet the receptionist pleasantly and professionally.

Your Interview
Remember first impressions count
• If you feel good about your appearance you will present a confident professional image. Make sure you are smart and well presented. Check your shoes are clean and polished. Ideally wear a business suit.
• Make eye contact, smile and give a firm handshake on greeting (not a knuckle cracker!)
• Take any supporting evidence you can with you, e.g. client testimonials, commission statements, achievement awards, training certificates, etc.
• Make notes during the interview - it proves you are listening and you will need them for a second meeting.
• Relate your knowledge and experience to the company and the role - use their language.
• Make your questions count - the right decision can only be made with full information.
• At the end of the meeting, thank the interviewer for their time and if you liked what you heard, tell them, and tell them why.
• Make sure you leave on a positive note - a smile and a firm handshake.

Your Negotiations
After carefully considering your career move and your motivations for leaving your current employment. You are about to resign from your current employment. Be prepared! GRS Recruitment provides you with some advice to guide you through the next steps: -
Handling counter offers
A counter offer is an offer from your current employer to rival the one you have received from your future employer, to convince you to stay. Counter offers come in many shapes and forms. Generally an increase in salary to match or beat your new offer, additional company benefits such as a company car, a promotion or a promotion disguised as a new job title, added responsibility etc.
Be warned though, most people that accept a counter offer have subsequently left their jobs anyway within a period of 6 – 12 months.
Reasons your employer should keep you
Logically a counter offer is usually the best option for the employer. It can be a real headache replacing an employee not to mention the cost and time involved with recruiting a new employee. Your employer may not even have time or indeed the budget to recruit a new employee right now. You may be leaving unfinished projects or business. Again, this will add to the pressure that your employer will face if they lose you. Your employer may not have the time to train someone new and overall a loss of an employee generally reflects badly on your immediate manager and not to mention staff morale.
If faced with a counter offer scenario rather than accepting the flattery of the offer all of the above reasons should be taken into account as well as your initial reasons for seeking new employment when deciding whether to accept or decline the counter offer.

Reasons to stay / Reasons to go
You must transport yourself back to the time when you decided to leave your current employment and search for another opportunity. Ask yourself what the main reasons were for prompting you to start the job search. You set yourself criteria in terms of the type of job you were seeking. You’ve been through the recruitment process, been successful and have now secured a position that meets your criteria.
Stay or Go?
• Will your loyalty be questioned in the future if you stay with your current employer?
• Will the issue of loyalty with your current employer be an obstacle in the view of future promotion?
• Why is your current employer offering you what you so rightly deserve now, rather than before your resignation?
• Don’t forget the real reasons behind your resignation. Have these been addressed with your current employer and if you stay will they really improve?
• Will you feel the same around your colleagues if you stay?

Your CV
Remember your CV is your sales tool - your chance to make the right impression.
• Ideally a CV should be no more than two pages long.
• Make sure it is well presented and easy to read - use bullet points where possible.
• Include your address and telephone number.
• Check for spelling or grammatical errors before you submit your application.
• Ensure the information is current and up to date.
• Present your employment history in reverse chronological order - with your current employment first.
• Employment dates should be clear and give month and year.. Any gaps should be explained.
• Make sure your CV is relevant to the role you are applying for.
• Highlight your key achievements in each role.
• Use clear language which is easily understood - avoid jargon.
• Always send a covering letter with the CV, highlighting your relevance to the role.