How to succeed at your next interview: PFL Hub Job Interview Guide for Kids
As part of the Ministry’s Summer Fiesta 2024 the PFL Hub conducted job interview training for school children in IMCG I-10/4 in Islamabad. The simple, practical training developed is shared below.
Preparation Stage
Do you research: learn about the company you want to work, what it does and what the role is you are applying for
Test yourself: get a friend or family member to do ‘mock interviews’ with you
Practice common interview questions (for example: https://www.themuse.com/advice/interview-questions-and-answers)
Research the location of the interview and how long it will take to get there
On the interview day
Get up early
Dress smartly
Eat a good breakfast!
Get to the interview venue early (15 - 20 minutes before) - allow time for traffic!
In the interview room
Sit with good posture
Talk strongly and calmly
Eye contact is important: don’t stare through window or at the floor, meet the interviewers’ eye
Try to be confident and relaxed. Even if you are nervous - fake it!
Pause and take a breath before you answer - this gives you time, and calms you before making a response
Introducing yourself
Try using the 3 W’s : Who - what - where // 3 K’s : Koan - Kya - Kahan
Who are you? State your name and your current position and location
What do you do? State the key things you are studying / working on & what you interests are (it’s good to have interests and sound curious about the world)
Where are you going? State some of your goals & where you want to get to in life.
Why do you want to work here?
Lots of jobs / courses ask this. Practice your response at home, and do your research into the company / job and why it interests you.
Interest - say why the job interests you.
Skills - say how you are ready to do the job well, and how your skills fit the job
Passion - say why this opportunity excites you
Describe a challenge and how you overcame it?
Lots of jobs ask this. The most important thing is not which example you choose, but how you structure your response. You can use the S.T.A.R technique…
S - Situation - describe a challenging situation (usually a relevant example to work)
T - Task - describe the task you had to do to solve the challenge
A - Action - describe the action you took
R - Result - describe the positive outcome / result of your action
Extra Tips:
Language matters - be positive, sound excited in your language, not bored, unhappy, or too jokey / informal.
It’s a formal setting, be professional and polite and calm
Be yourself - you’re not a robot! Let them get to know you, your unique personality and what makes you special
Finally, and most importantly, believe in yourself! You’re a good candidate, you deserve the job, walk talk and be proud of yourself!
