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Careers & workplace advice from Hays

“So, what relevant skills do you have for this role?” You know that you’ll probably get asked this question, or something similar during your upcoming job interview. Yet, as a recent graduate with mainly academic knowledge and limited professional experience, you’re feeling concerned about how you will answer it in a compelling way.

Most other graduates in your position have the very same worry. Rest assured, hiring managers are fully aware that you probably don’t have a catalogue of experience and skills to your name just yet, and they, therefore, won’t be expecting you to list off endless examples of these during your interview. Instead, they’ll be more focused on assessing your potential during the interview, and more specifically, the transferable soft skills you’ve developed. These include the below:

1. Self-motivation and tenacity

Of course, being able to motivate yourself to do a good job is incredibly important to your day-to-day performance at work, and is a skill all employers look for when hiring. But beyond this, you may be set targets which impact the rest of the team and business. There will also be occasions that test your motivation levels – be it a heavy workload, a trying client or a difficult project. It will be down to you, and only you, to spur yourself on when faced with these challenges. Therefore, you may well get asked the below questions during the interview:

  • What motivates you to do a good job?
  • How do you stay positive when faced with a challenging situation?
  • What’s your proudest achievement?

The above interview questions might daunt you at a first glance, but just remember that you are a successful graduate who dedicated years to studying – and this takes some self-motivation! After all, university was a more hands-off experience than school, and the teacher wasn’t going to give you a detention for missing a class or a pat on the back for full attendance. Your parents weren’t there to check you were studying enough and getting the best grades. It was down to you, and only you to put the work in, and it can’t have always been easy – especially after weeks of writing a dissertation or hours of working late in the library for yet another exam. But you did it, and this is the kind of self-motivation and tenacity that you can reference in your upcoming interview answers.

2. Time-management and the ability to work well under pressure

Next, employers will likely be looking for assurance in the interview that you can complete tasks to deadline and manage multiple projects simultaneously. This is just part of everyday working life. As such they may well ask any of the below questions:

  • How do you prioritise tasks?
  • How do you manage your time?
  • How do you handle distractions when you have a lot of work to do?
  • How did you maintain a work-life balance at university?

I’m sure if you think back to when you first started your degree, you will remember how much you suddenly had to manage your own time. You will have been given lots of exam dates and assignment deadlines at once. What’s more, you needed to balance this with any university committees and sports clubs that you joined, plus any part-time work that you took on. It was up to you to work out how you would prioritise each piece of work so that it was completed to a high standard and on time. You will have developed tactics to help you do this and gained further understanding of how you can perform at your best when under pressure.

So, prior to your interview, think about how you managed your time and developed a routine that worked for you. Did you keep to-do lists and re-visit them throughout the day? Whatever you did, write down these examples and weave them into your answers.

3. A thirst for learning and self-improvement

Thirdly, the world of work is changing so quickly alongside technology that employers want to hire people who will proactively take ownership of their learning in order to keep up. So, they may ask you one or more of the below interview questions to gauge your approach to learning:

  • When was the last time you learnt something new?
  • How do you prefer to learn?
  • What do you do if you don’t understand how to complete a task?

As a recent university graduate who has spent the last 3-4 years learning, you are well placed to answer any of these questions using concrete examples. Think about it – when writing assignments or studying for exams, you had to dig deep, sifting through books and journals to find specific references. This required patience and an inquisitive mindset. What’s more, if you didn’t get the results you wanted in an exam or on a piece of coursework, you had to swallow your disappointment, ask the lecturer for some honest feedback and work out how to improve for next time – whether this meant changing your research methods or your writing style.

If you can talk about your commitment to expanding your knowledge outside of studying/the workplace and improving the quality of your work during your upcoming interview, this will assure the interviewer that you have what it takes to only keep growing within the role.

 4. Interpersonal and communication skills

Lastly, the ability to effectively build relationships with different kinds of people is incredibly important in the world of work. Employers are looking for candidates who are able to effortlessly adapt their communication skills in order to build a professional rapport with colleagues, clients and stakeholders. As such, they may well ask you the below questions:

  • Can you describe a time at university where you worked well with others?
  • Can you think of a time at university where you used your communication skills to achieve a result?
  • How do you build a rapport with people you don’t know?

Whether you are typically a very outgoing person or more of an introvert (read more on what to do if you fall into the latter group here) – your interpersonal skills will have been put to the test during your time at university. After all, being put in an unfamiliar situation where you have to live with a group of strangers and work with new course mates is enough to test anyone’s social adaptability. It might have been difficult, but no doubt you graduated having successfully worked with others, diversified your social circle, expanded your interpersonal skills, and made some lifelong friends along the way.

It’s also worth noting that your interviewer will be able to gauge your interpersonal skills from the way you interact with them during the interview. With this in mind, here are some tips for building a strong rapport with your interviewer:

  • As the interviewer talks, make eye contact, nod, and refer to the interviewer’s question in your answer to show you were paying attention
  • Keep your body language open and positive – sit up straight, uncross your arms and smile as you talk
  • Ask the interviewer professionally phrased questions, both about the job itself, and their own journey at the company – for instance: “What’s your favourite aspect of working here?”
  • Thank the interviewer for their time and send a follow-up note via the recruiter after the interview, reiterating your interest in the job

Bear in mind that the above transferable skills are not an exhaustive list, and I’m sure you will have also learnt many others along the way, such as problem-solving, analytical skills and emotional intelligence. And, if you can think of examples of these skills in action, examples which you think are relevant to the job you are interviewing for, then be sure to highlight these to the interviewer as well.

Hopefully, at this point, you realise that you have more to offer an employer than you originally thought and are feeling more confident about your upcoming interview. Because if you can showcase all of your transferable skills, and give examples of these in action – then no doubt you will be applying these skills to the working world in no time, whilst learning more and more along the way.

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You know what your best interview performance looks like, and that wasn’t it. Despite all of your careful interview preparation, the points that you wanted to make just didn’t come across in the right way. You felt nervous and uncomfortable, you went blank when asked questions, and you struggled to build a rapport with the interviewer. It may feel as if all of your best efforts have gone to waste, and a bad interview can certainly throw your confidence. But rest assured, all is not lost.

Of course, there’s always a chance that the interview may not have gone as badly as you thought. But if it did, you may well be able to salvage the situation, or at least make the best of it, with the below advice:

Write down an honest account of how you felt the interview went

First off, I’m sure your head will be swimming with worries over where exactly you think you went wrong. While this might not feel like the most appealing task at the moment, try to write an honest account of this bad interview while it’s still fresh in your mind –  from the beginning to the end. This will allow you to offload your many thoughts and feelings about the interview so you can recollect more clearly how it went.

What mistakes did you make?

Now you have written everything down, it will be easier to pinpoint what mistakes you made during the interview. Try to answer this question honestly. For example, did you forget to prepare questions to ask at the end? Did you ramble too much with one of your answers? Did you accidentally speak negatively about your last employer?

Crucially, also consider why you think you made these mistakes. For instance, you might have forgotten to prepare questions for the interviewer because you were so concerned about the questions they would be asking you. Or you may have spoken negatively about your last employer because you were caught off-guard by a question asking why you want to leave your current company. Whatever it was, identify how the mistakes happened so you can avoid them for next time.

Could the interviewer have been more welcoming?

It’s key that you make the distinction between your mistakes, and what the interviewer could have done differently – after all, they are only human. Your interviewer might have unknowingly come across as hostile – for instance, by asking you questions in quick succession without smiling or commenting on your answers in between. Or perhaps their body language was closed off, which made you feel nervous and lose your focus. While it’s not ideal, you may be faced with less than perfect interviewers again in the future. Therefore it’s worth learning how to deal with these types of interviewers now and not let yourself get flustered in the moment.

Now you have a clearer recollection of this bad interview, I would advise that you pick up the phone to your recruiter. They will be awaiting your call to see how the interview went, and you should come back to them that same day.

Download your free job interview guide from Hays

Give balanced and professional feedback to your recruiter

When you speak to your recruiter, it is worth saying from the get-go that you don’t feel the interview went as well as it could have. When feeding back about your own performance, it’s important that you’re honest, but also that you aren’t too negative in the language you use, or cross the line from self-aware to self-deprecating. Be sure to also highlight the lessons you have learnt. For example, instead of saying:

  • “This was a really bad interview. I completely messed up one of my answers. I wasn’t expecting the question, so I just rambled and talked absolute rubbish.”

You might say something like:

  • “One of the interview questions caught me off-guard. Having never been asked this in an interview before, I rambled a bit. Next time I’ll draw a few deep breaths and perhaps ask for a couple of seconds to think about my answer.”

If feeding back to the recruiter about the interviewer’s behaviour, then once again it’s vital that you avoid negative language, and try to keep this feedback balanced and professional. For example, instead of saying:

  • “The interviewer was blunt and aloof. They asked me quick-fire questions without trying to build up a rapport or make conversation in-between my answers.”

You might say something like:

  • “Whilst the interviewer was very professional and structured in their interview technique, they had a tendency to ask all of the questions in quick succession without much conversation in-between. Therefore I struggled a bit to build a rapport.”

Following this, I also think it’s worth telling your recruiter that you would really appreciate another chance to meet with the interviewer and prove your suitability (if this is something you are willing to do). This will show initiative and determination on your part. The recruiter can then run this idea by their client on your behalf and come back to you.

Take your recruiter’s feedback on board

Once you have fed back to the recruiter, listen to what they have to say. They have plenty of experience in coaching candidates for interview situations and gathering feedback from their clients, and they will be able to provide you with some advice.

The recruiter might also have some feedback from their client, so remember to listen carefully. If the client picked up on some of your slip-ups, as well as some that you weren’t aware you were making, don’t panic. Let the recruiter know the reasons you think you made these mistakes, and how you will avoid them in the future. This shows self-awareness and honesty – both valuable traits, and both of which can be fed back to the interviewer. Remember to take note of positive feedback, and don’t be too hard on yourself. The interviewer isn’t expecting you to be perfect, and your good points may well have outshone of a couple of innocent mistakes.

Keep calm and carry on job searching

Now comes the limbo period between interview feedback, and hearing about the next stages. This can be quite an emotionally stressful time, and it’s important that you keep calm and positive and avoid certain pitfalls.

Firstly, don’t contact the interviewer directly or connect on social media – this can sometimes be perceived as invasive and presumptuous. Instead, send a thank you note to the interviewer via your recruiter. In this note, don’t overstate where you went wrong or over apologise. Simply reiterate your interest in the role and thank the interviewer for their time. Leave the rest to the recruiter.

Secondly, don’t give up on your job search whilst waiting to hear back. By all means, take some time to recharge after a bad interview. After all, interviews can be draining enough as it is. Relax, spend some time with family and friends who can boost you up, and then get ready to bounce back and carry on looking for new roles.

As I said, a bad interview experience shouldn’t knock your confidence. Best case scenario – the interviewer will be understanding and see that your overall positive attributes outweigh a less than perfect interview performance. And if worst case scenario, you don’t get the job – then you can treat this as an opportunity to refine your interviewing technique for next time. Just as long as you take all you can from this situation and remember everything you still have to offer an employer, then your interview performances will without a doubt only go from strength to strength from this moment on.

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Anyone can suffer from mental health problems regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, nationality, or socio-economic status.

However, men traditionally find it more difficult than women to acknowledge their own feelings and any mental health problems they may have. This is often related to macho assumptions about what it means to be a real man, particularly in cultures where the open display of emotions from men is not historically valued. However, in my experience, this is beginning to change, and more men are recognising the strength that comes from being emotionally authentic and open about mental health.

Continue reading Why men need to speak up about their mental health at work →

The limbo period following a job interview can be stressful for many job seekers. Once the interview is over, you might be left second guessing how it went and if there is anything else you should be doing to increase your chances of being hired.
In this podcast, I discuss the best and worst things you can do after an interview, and how you can ensure you are remembered for the right reasons: Continue reading Podcast 14: What to do after a job interview →

“So, what are your salary expectations?” You know you are going to get asked this at some point during your job search – it’s a key piece of information for both the recruiter and hiring manager. And yet for many, being asked this question is still enough to make you shift about uncomfortably in your seat.

You’re not alone – many candidates find discussing their salary expectations a daunting prospect. More often than not, this is because they aren’t clear on:  A. Who this conversation will be with – is it the recruiter, the interviewer or both? B. When exactly they will need to have this conversation – is it during the first meeting with the recruiter or during the interview with the employer? C. How much money should they ask for, and how should they negotiate this figure if needs be?

To help you prepare for these conversations and confidently ask for the salary you want and deserve, we have shared the following advice:

1. Know your worth and your priorities

Determine your ideal salary before meeting with a recruiter or hiring manager. How do you put a numerical figure on your skills, experience and potential? There are a number of factors to consider here. Think about your desired job title, location, industry, company size, skills and level of experience. Then consult a salary guide to ensure your salary expectations are in line with current market rates.

Next, consider how flexible you are willing to be with this figure, taking into consideration your other key criteria for your next role, such as flexible working, bonus schemes, training courses and so forth. Some organisations may not have the resource to pay you your desired salary, particularly if they are a start-up or a not-for-profit, but they could meet your other career needs in terms of progression opportunities or work-life balance. The key is to assess your list of “must-haves” for this role, and identify where salary sits on this list.

2. Work with a recruiter

Next, arrange a meeting with a recruiter who can put you forward for suitable roles. In your meeting, your recruiter will ask about your salary expectations. When they do, it’s best to be completely open and honest with them. After all, even though you have done your own research, your recruiter also knows the market rate for your role and level of experience. Furthermore, they know what their clients are able to offer. You may be asking for too little or too much – and it’s best you find this out sooner rather than later.

Rest assured, the recruiter will keep salary information confidential, and only disclose this to the client who is going to be interviewing you, which takes me onto my next point.

3. Get ready to talk money during the interview

The next step in the recruitment process is to attend interviews that your recruiter arranges with employers who are hiring. The hiring managers you meet with will be aware of your salary expectations, but very rarely will they try to discuss this directly with you in the interview. Instead, these conversations typically happen via your recruiter. However, be prepared to discuss your salary expectations on the rare chance the hiring manager raises the topic with you directly.  Go into the interview with a clear idea of your salary expectations, based on your discussions with your recruiter. If they want to discuss salary further, particularly if they want to negotiate and lock in a figure, you can advise them to speak to your recruiter who will negotiate on your behalf.

Make sure you communicate confidence (read our advice on that here) in your salary discussions by sitting up straight, making eye contact and answering simply, avoiding filler words such as “just”, “might” “like” and “um”. For instance, rather than saying, “I feel like I want X amount ideally, just because of Y and Z. But what do you think?” it is better to state, “I am looking for X amount”.

4. Prepare to negotiate via your recruiter

If the interviewer wants to make you an offer, they will do so via the recruiter. When you hear the offer, whatever you do, don’t accept a verbal offer there and then if you are not happy with it. Talk to your recruiter about the offer and ask if there is room to negotiate. Your recruiter can negotiate on your behalf without jeopardising the offer, so make sure you fully utilise their service.

You could also give your recruiter some bargaining chips in case your salary expectations can’t be met. For example, perhaps you would consider flexible working or training and development opportunities.

Being clear on when and how to talk salary is essential to your career, whether this is when you are applying for new roles or asking for a pay rise in your current one (read our blogs on negotiating a pay rise subject here). It takes practice, but you will soon find yourself able to confidently and assertively ask for what you deserve both now, and throughout your future career journey.

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By the age of 12 I had attended seven schools including an international school in Bangkok and a public school in Sydney. I was born in Taiwan, raised in a number of countries across APAC and currently live in Singapore. I look Chinese but I speak with an Australian twang. I say twang because it is mixed with some strange American-like accent that is sported by most international school children – yes, even those who went to a British international school like me. I am a child of expatriate parents, and I am what you would refer to as a Third Culture Kid (TCK).

Continue reading How can businesses engage the adult “Third Culture Kid”? →