It’s normal to feel nervous or even anxious during an interview process. At Northrop Grumman, we we’ll support you through the process to help you feel comfortable and showcase your skills and individual strengths.
Here are some helpful tips if you are undertaking an interview or attending an assessment centre for a group interview:
Research the business and role
Before attending an assessment centre or interview, ensure you research the organisation and take a look at their services, mission, values and culture. It’s a good idea to research the role you are applying for and identify how your skills align..
It’s a good idea to convey why you want to work for the company outside of just wanting a job or experience. If not, your application is unlikely to show sufficient excitement or interest for the role you are applying for.
Preparing for interviews or assessment centres
In an interview or an assessment centre, you will be asked to answer questions to demonstrate your experience and behaviours to give a snapshot of who you are.
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses are required in behavioural-style interviews to determine past behaviours and how you handle challenges.
Firstly, outline a situation and the task you completed, for example, who you worked with or a problem you encountered. Next outline the action you took to get a result, such as how you solved a conflict or collaborated with peers.
Lastly, detail the results of your actions, such as the impact on your colleagues or the company. We recommend preparing 2 – 4 scenarios for your assessment centre or interview. Your responses should detail the challenges you have encountered within the workplace and how you overcame them. However, refrain from using personal scenarios as workplaces are assessing your skills in a professional environment.
If you’re invited to an assessment centre, you may find that you’re asked to participate in an experiential activity to test out your skills and abilities in a different way. Don’t worry, you won’t be asked to do push-ups or a beep test (like defence!), but you may be asked to put your other skills such as teamwork, communication and comprehension to the test! The best advice to prepare for an assessment centre is to be yourself and try to have fun!
How you are assessed
When attending an assessment centre or interview, you are assessed from your first interaction with others. It’s important that you participate during group activities and contribute to group discussions as you may be assessed on your ability to work collaboratively with peers. In direct interviews, do not interrupt other people and make sure you consider the question asked before answering. Be confident and sure in what you want to say.
Dressing professionally
First impressions are important, interviewers understand that most people seeking an internship or graduate role likely won’t have a complete corporate wardrobe. However, it is important that you dress appropriately for the position you are interviewing for. It’s a good idea to avoid wearing casual clothing such as ripped clothes, jeans, inappropriate footwear, etc. These are professional positions, so you need to dress for the role. Dressing to impress also puts you in the right mindset, can boost your confidence and help you conduct yourself professionally.
Phones
When you enter an interview or assessment centre, it’s a good idea put your phone on silent and pop it in your bag. Make sure that you bring written notes or questions you have prepared before the interview, and a notebook and pen to take notes along the way.
Arriving on time
If you are entering a face-to-face assessment centre or interview, make sure you are allowing yourself enough time to travel and reach the destination. If you are driving, have a look at where it is possible to park before you leave. It’s a good idea to arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time to show punctuality and ensure any forms or information needed can be done before the allotted assessment time.
If you have an online interview, be set up in a quiet space with no distractions 15 minutes before starting so you are ready to go whenever the interviewers are available. It’s important that you have downloaded any relevant software (Zoom or Teams) and test your video and microphone before the session.
Interview the Business
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the company and interviewers and see if what they are doing aligns with what you expected, and what you want for a position.
Prepare some questions ahead of time, maybe about team dynamics, what success in the role looks like or the future endeavours of the company. If you are interested in the position and you consider you are a good fit, let the interviewers know following the session, and if it’s not the right fit for you (which is ok!) you can also provide feedback to the interviewers afterwards. Good luck!