How to prepare for the interview

If your CV has worked and got you an interview, what do you do next? You must take certain key steps, says Cathy Holley of headhunters Boyden Executive Search - and be careful of those earrings...

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In my last column I looked at how to write a killer CV. So now we're at the point where you've written a fabulous CV and, after being knocked sideways by it, the headhunter, or indeed one of his or her clients wants to meet you in person - the interview.

To bowl them over you need to understand what a headhunter is trying to get out of an interview, so here are some tips on the dos and don'ts of what - and how - you present at that interview.

From a headhunter's perspective an interview has three dimensions:

• First and foremost we are trying to work out whether or not you can do the job to our client's satisfaction.

• We are taking the time, in person, to present the opportunity and organisation to you, in the hope that we will raise your interest and that you will want to take the process forward.

• We need to extract enough information at interview, not only to decide whether you are the right candidate to shortlist, but to write a comprehensive and compelling report covering the areas our client is interested in.

It is obvious to me that many candidates don't always understand this and it manifests itself during the interview in many ways - more of which below.

What a candidate should bear in mind is that headhunters are taking decisions on behalf of their client by proxy.

Some of these decisions are easy where the criteria are black and white. Others revolve around chemistry and preferences. Ultimately we're simply trying to answer the question 'Will our client be impressed by you?'.

That means whether or not you make it to the shortlist for the position depends simply on our interpretation of what you tell us and whether we think our clients would be delighted to hire you.

Careers advice on silicon.com

How to write a killer CV - and what not to include...

I do truly believe that all top-level headhunters want the same thing: for our clients to be delighted by their experience of working with us; to think our process has been thorough and fair and, of course, that ultimately we are presenting outstanding candidates who will deliver significant value to their organisations.

Please consider all of these points before you agree to explore an opportunity with a headhunter further at interview - otherwise you are wasting your time and ours.

Bear in mind that at the most senior levels in IT - that is at CIO and top team level - there simply aren't that many fantastic roles in fantastic organisations paying the right salary levels.

If a good one comes up and you have the opportunity to interview for the shortlist, then make sure you at least have the choice of whether to take the role or not.

Before the Interview

Any reputable headhunter will have written a thorough, and hopefully honest, candidate briefing document. It should contain everything the client believes you should know at this point.

That does not mean it tells the story in its entirety: some things are simply best not committed to paper.

We are occasionally told things by clients that we could not possibly put in writing but that does not mean they won't affect our decisions and judgement during the recruitment process.

Part of any top headhunter's role is to flush out the personal agendas of our clients and to take them into consideration when recruiting. Clearly there is no room for arbitrary prejudices involving race or gender, for example.

Similarly there is no point in interviewing candidates whom clients would simply not employ. For example it is not uncommon for clients to be prejudiced against people from certain organisations or who a lack a particular experience, regardless of the headhunter's opinion.

If you are not shortlisted for a role, there is always the possibility there are covert reasons that a headhunter is simply not at liberty to disclose.

Having read the candidate briefing document and honed in on key specific challenges, go back over your CV. Reflect on your career and think about the areas that match the document and identify, for your own purposes, any significant gaps.

To arrive at an interview without having studied the company's website and company report in some detail is foolish. It is vital to be able to demonstrate your understanding of the company's key challenges for at least the next 12 months.

Please keep in mind we are not simply interested in your ability to do your job, but are also trying to gauge your level of interest: are you serious about the move? Are you genuinely interested in exploring this role in greater depth? If you are, invest the time in preparation.

At this point, having done your homework, you should be totally prepared for your interview. But experience tells me there is one point I should mention before you arrive at the interview - and that is what to wear.

You might think that at this level it is obvious to all candidates what is or is not acceptable attire for a formal interview. But I could regale you with many stories of how candidates have got it very wrong, and so could each of my colleagues.

Gentlemen, if in doubt please wear a dark suit, smart shirt, tie and black shoes and socks. Ladies, elegant but professional attire. Ideally, it's best if we don't notice what you are wearing. Too much glamour or a poor sense of dress is distracting for an interviewer.

Overpowering aftershave or perfume is a no and of course there is my own personal dislike of too much jewellery, particularly cheap, dangly earrings.

If you need to attend the interview in casual clothes for any reason, please call in advance and check whether that's acceptable. Finally if despite all attempts to arrive punctually you know you are going to be late, call and give a sensible ETA and, of course, an apology.

So you arrive:

• On time.

• Well dressed.

• Well prepared.

• Ticking - more or less - the boxes outlined in the candidate briefing document

Well done, you are now one of probably about eight to 12 people being invited to interview from dozens - sometimes hundreds if the role was advertised in the press. In my next column we'll look at how to shine in the interview.