ATA Recruitment

​How to get the most out of an interview

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The ongoing skills shortage in UK engineering and manufacturing has seen the recruitment landscape shift massively post Brexit. With companies relaxing their recruitment policies and with demand out stripping supply, candidates are seeing unrivalled levels of interest and a massive variety in types of opportunities available to them. As a result, this has provided some brand new challenges as well as a number of existing challenges for any engineer entering in the market. Here’s some hints and tips to help you navigate your way through what can still be a very stressful process.

Decide on what you are looking for
With so many opportunities available it’s vital that you think about what you are looking for in your next move. Salary, benefits, shift, working hours are always important, but give time to think about the non-hygiene factors such as company culture, ethos, training, development and progression. Once you have these, what are your essentials and nice to haves? Once you have this the whole decision making process will become much easier.

Research
Once you accept an interview make sure you do you preparation. Research the business, if you are going through a recruiter make sure you read and digest all the information supplied and benchmark how close it is to what you think you are looking for.

Route plan, leave yourself enough time to get there
Pre plan your route, allow plenty of time for traffic and getting yourself booked in at reception. Arriving late not only creates a poor first impression, but also creates stress that can impact your interview performance.

Create the right impression
A warm handshake and a good smile are a great way to start an interview and create a good impression. Good eye contact throughout the interview is important too, it shows the interviewer you are engaged. Also turn off your phone or at least put it on silent, likewise do the same if you have a smart watch, both can be a massive distraction.

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Listen to the question, be succinct, don’t waffle.
Interviews are stressful situations and when the adrenaline is pumping it’s so easy to go off on a tangent when answering questions. Make sure you listen to what you’re being asked, take your time and think before you answer, then deliver your response in a succinct manner. If the interviewer needs more detail, they will always ask.

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Pre plan your questions
A good interviewer will always give you time to ask questions, and if you have none, then that may leave the interviewer with doubts over your level of interest. It’s good practice to have some questions ready, think about the information you need to assess if the opportunity is right for you, make sure you write them down so you don’t forget.

Sell yourself
Engineers aren’t salespeople and quite often don’t feel comfortable selling themselves, and sometimes don’t know here to start. Prior to the interview try writing down what an employer would get by hiring you. Qualifications, type and length of service is a good place to start. Then add in what engineering skills you have and finally what they would get in hiring you the person? What are your values, motivations, and aspirations? All these things are important to employer so make sure you get them across at interview.

Make sure they know your interested
If you think the role is for you then make sure the interviewer knows. An interview is a two way process and they’ll want to know that they’ve done a good job selling their opportunity to you.

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Navigating the interview process successfully requires a combination of preparation, self-awareness, and engagement. By clearly defining your goals, researching the company, and making a strong first impression, you can position yourself as a confident and capable candidate.

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Get in touch

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At ATA, we take great pride in our commitment to the ATA Way, a guiding principle that drives our core values. One of these values is "Adding Value." Through our extensive industry expertise, comprehensive research, and deep understanding of our clients' needs, we are uniquely positioned to support you in securing the ideal role and ensuring you are fully prepared for the interview process. Reach out to us today, and let us assist you in taking the next step in your career by filling out the form below.

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