Questions to ask yourself before stepping into an interview

After over a decade of experience in construction recruitment, our close working relationships with clients and job seekers alike have helped us understand what clients are looking for when seeking the perfect person to fulfil their vacancy and also what's important for you as a candidate to understand about yourself before you go into interview.

Here are the important questions to ask yourself before stepping into an interview.

1. Why do I want this job?

Why you want a job is one of the most commonly asked questions by interviewers and very probably a question you ask yourself on a regular basis if you are particularly unhappy in your current work situation. The clearer you are about why you want the position you are interviewing for, the more ‘real’ you will appear to your potential employer. This not only gives them a better understanding of the person you are, but also what motivates you which may influence the package you are offered if you are successful.

Some primary reasons to start a new job search:

• There is a problem with the ethos of the business you are working for
• You have worked hard for the past 2 to 3 years and your potential has not yet been spotted
• You and your boss do not get along and you need to escape their reach in order to move forward in your career
• Your circumstances have changed or you need more money
• You have lost your ‘eye of the tiger’ and need a new challenge

These are just a few of the reasons people decide to job search. We find understanding exactly what motivates you in your role allows you to make a pre-empted decision on the best move forward.

Why is this so important?

• It gives you confidence in your interview
• It will establish what you need to look for from your potential employer
• It will help you refine what positions aren’t right for you from the start, saving you time
• It will help our recruiters match business personalities that can mutually grow

2. What value do you hold that the business can grow from?

List your greatest strengths that your potential employer could need.

Everyone has a unique selling point… Whether it is the humour that you bring on site or your specialist knowledge of industry changes such as the implementation of BIM.  What is yours?

• Is it the experience you hold in your sector?
• Is it your qualifications that set you above all others?
• Is it the specific skill-set that you have?
• Is it your passion for the construction industry?
• Is it the relationships you have with key figures in the industry?

We recommend writing the answers to these down and keeping them at the forefront of your mind as you walk into the interview room.

Why is this so important?

• You will be able to confidently relay the value that you bring
• You will know what makes you stand out from other candidates
• You will have confidence in the answers you give
• Self-analysing allows you to strategically showcase yourself when asked a difficult question

3. Think about your potential employer and research them

Before stepping into the interview room with some of the business’ key decision makers, do your research on understanding the ethos and direction of its people.  Use a search engine to see what other pages they have on the web. Do they have any reviews or case studies for example?  Look at their social media platforms in detail. Businesses share a lot of internal information through social media... see below for how to connect with ours.

Read news and articles about the business as this can give you a good insight into what issues they support and the latest issues affecting them. For example, the ‘Construction industry skills shortage’ is a real issue affecting us.
Spend some time going through your potential employer’s website, this will give you a firm understanding on the type of projects they work on.

Why is this so important?

• It will help you understand the company culture before the interview
• It will help you get an understanding of the projects they work on and what areas they specifically like to specialise in
• It helps you anticipate and prepare you for the type of questions you may be asked
• It will help you in deciding if you see yourself fitting into the business and the ways in which you can personally help them

We hope that these 3 questions help you prepare yourself when heading into one of our clients' interview rooms. Don't forget that we specialise in helping all candidates, whatever level, through every stage of their career and are always happy to chat.

PSR Solutions are market leaders in recruitment for the construction industry in the UK and Dubai 2016. They can assist with filling your vacancy or finding short and long term contracts for candidates of all levels. We have over 10 years’ experience in the industry and are a Recruiter Hot 100 company with Investors in People status.  

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