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Interviews: The good, the bad and the ugly

Ever wondered what recruiters really want from an interview?

A recent reed.co.uk survey of over 200 recruiters highlights some notable examples of how not to go about conducting yourself in a job interview. It includes the story of one jobseeker who arrived for interview without having ever seen his CV - ‘because his sister had written it for him’.

An applicant’s lack of preparation is the biggest barrier to interview success – and this includes knowing your own CV back to front. Arriving late and talking too much also feature high on the list of things to avoid.

But if you do manage to arrive well prepared and on time, make sure you look smart too: over 17% of recruiters won’t even consider an applicant who gives a bad first impression.

You’ll also need to be prepared for the unexpected, as recruiters are likely to ask some more unconventional interview questions, such as:

• When did you last lose your temper at work? What happened?
• How would your current boss describe you to me?
• If I was in a room with your best friends and family without you there, they would all say you were a great person - but what would the "buts" be?

For tips and guidance, read our interview advice page and for sample interview questions of a more conventional nature, why not try reed.co.uk’s interview questions quiz.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on April 26, 2007 10:53 AM.

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