MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 19 August 2003
For immediate release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
HOW TO HANDLE AN INTERVIEW - FREE ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS
Hints and tips available from INFOmatch at www.cilip.org.uk
Interviews can be nerve-wracking but with a little practice everyone should be able to cope with the situation. According to INFOmatch, the recruitment consultancy run by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the secret lies in good preparation - and both the mental and physical approach should be considered.
"Few people enjoy the interview scenario," says INFOmatch recruitment consultant Rose Panter, who has developed a set of hints and tips especially for INFOmatch clients. "Try to treat the interview as a meeting between two professionals who respect one another, rather than a question and answer session with one person in control."
It's just one of a myriad of tips available free to jobseekers on the CILIP web site. Some are self-evident - such as researching the organisation carefully, knowing the job description and person specification inside out, and making sure your knowledge of developments in the sector is up to date. But others are less obvious; for example, eat a good breakfast on the day. "Dieticians advise that scrambled egg on wholemeal toast is good for boosting confidence," says Miss Panter. "The carbohydrate makes you feel bright and cheerful, and a small amount of protein ensures energy levels remain consistent."
Sitting in the interviewer's chair, on a recruitment panel or in a managerial role, can sometimes be just as stressful, and the guide also includes advice on how to handle an interview from the opposite perspective, to help interviewers refresh their existing skills.
Telephone interviews are also covered, with special advice on coming across confidently and avoiding distractions during the phone call. There's advice on appraisals, internal interviews for promotion or secondment, and the growing use of exit interviews. For interviewers, there's also guidance on planning, practicalities, questioning techniques and post-interview decision-making.
"If you do get the job - well done!" Miss Panter concludes. But if not, she adds, it's essential to get feedback on your application, as the best way to improve is to learn from your mistakes. "Practice makes perfect, and as you go to more interviews you will become more impressive and your technique will improve."
'How to handle an interview' is available at www.cilip.org.uk/jobs_careers/infomatch/interview.html. And to keep up to date with library and information issues and deal with those awkward interview questions, CILIP members can sign up to receive the Institute's Daily News Bulletin and Weekly Information World, emailed direct to desktops. For details go to www.cilip.org.uk/info/bulletins.html and be ready to quote your CILIP membership number.
Contact: Rose Panter, INFOmatch.
Tel: 020 7255 0575. Email: [log in to unmask]
Notes to Editors
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers, with well over 20,000 members working in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries.
CILIP's goals are to: position the profession at the heart of the information revolution; develop and enhance the role and skills of all its Members; present and champion those skills, together with new ones which will be acquired through continuing professional development; and ensure that individuals, enterprises and not for profit organisations have ready and timely access to the information they need.
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