Advice on job interview

[Mark1985]

Hi everyone

I've got an assessment day with laing o'rouke to start on there apprenticeship program..any one give any advice on what to expect?

So far i know ive got to give a presentation on why ive chosen this trade,an interview and psychometric tests. I've reasearched the company alot and passed a phone interview..

I'm just completing my level 3 2330 at college at present so i think this stands me in good ground..

I'm 26 so if get through i'll be the oldest apprentice on site,haha

Any other advice?

Thanks
Mark

 

[KFH]

In theory you cannot fool a psychometric test and if you did you may end up as a square peg in a round hole, assuming the people setting and evaluating the test have done it properly. Just answer the questions honestly.

Prepare a good presentation on why you have chosen this career, rehearse it and be prepared for interruptions, be yourself, dress smartly, shake hands firmly, do not be too familiar. Do not be too worried if someone appears negative, it may be their interview technique.

You seem to have done most of the work already.

Good luck, let us know if you succeed.

 

[cogsey133]

Some questions they may ask will be designed to put you on the spot so never be afraid to say "sorry i dont know...but i will ask someone to find out". Psychometric tests can be fooled (4 years studying them at university has shown me this) however you need to know what you are looking for. As Kfh says dress smartly, shake hands firmly and dont be too familiar. Just try to be yourself and get over any research you have done. Try to think of a question you may want to ask them as they nearly always ask this near the end of the interview; if you cannot think of anything to ask then give a good response such as "no you have been informative in the information you have given me" and thank them for being so.

Good luck, and be sure to let us know

 

[Top Cat]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^as above but i would make sure you do have a few questions to ask.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[alarm man]

read up on h&s policys,zero harm etc,understand it and bring it up before they do,its the biggest thing these days for large companies..

 

[oldtimer]

Psychometric tests are designed to give you the people you want and not the people you need sadly our management in this country is pitifull and when they pick employees they do it based on their ego so you can fool the system but you can also buck it I was interviewed years ago when one of the managers decided to apply his killer question that he had used for years that left the individual a bumbling wreck the question was "If we find you are no good we can and will get rid of you so how do you feel about that" Well i said thats a 2 way street if I find that you and this company is no good I will vote with my feet. Well there was a moment when the room fell silent and he was mumbling for a reply.

After I got the job he was kind enough to buy me a beer and had the humility to say I was full of myself and you pulled the rug out from under my feet so much so I will never ask that question again because I have never felt so small in all my life . I said yea but what about the poor guys you pulled that stunt on how do you think they felt

 

[Mark1985]

Thanks for the replys..ive got a few weeks before the big day so in the mean time im gonna crack on and prepare myself..

 

[Top Cat]

Make sure you let us know how it goes.

 

[Mark1985]

I will do.. i feel pretty lucky to be given the chance ..especially at my age and seeing that apprenticeships seem soo hard to come by..anyways ill let you all know how it goes..cheers

 

[mehulchamp]

This site educates job seekers in specific areas such as Quality Analyst and Manual Testing in software industry. It offers some free material and my own experience as a Tester in different domains as banking, finance and healthcare industry. It also helps in preparing for jobs by giving important testing interview questions and answers.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Question for the end of interview "So then MATE, when do I start" :thumbsup

 

[Engineer54]

Oldtimer is right, the only reason they have these Psychometric mumbo jumbo tests, is because the managers and senior managers no longer have a clue, on how to interview a potential candidate. A lot has to do with the lower age and therefore the lack of real world experience of these managers. Many these day's, are looking for candidates that will pose little to no potential technical threat to themselves, rather than hiring the best candidate for a given position.

 

[vaughant]

Oldtimer is right, the only reason they have these Psychometric mumbo jumbo tests, is because the managers and senior managers no longer have a clue, on how to interview a potential candidate. A lot has to do with the lower age and therefore the lack of real world experience of these managers. Many these day's, are looking for candidates that will pose little to no potential technical threat to themselves, rather than hiring the best candidate for a given position.

So true,I was basically told years ago you never employ or promote someone that makes you look bad,really poor way of doing things I think.
One question I could never get my head round when I went for my ford apprentice interview was "what job does your father do?is it an engineering role?".
it wasn't,the old man worked in the dvla.
I didn't get through the first year,i was told afterwards it was because I came across as too perfect,although over the subsequent years I made sure I proved that not to be the case!!!
he asked me this same question again,obviously I gave the same answer to which he got a bit annoyed and replied "see,your giving me the wrong answer again".
rightly or wrongly I got a bit annoyed back and asked what bearing this has on my career choice?he genuinely couldn't understand why I wasnt following in his footsteps.form filling and going to mindnumbing meetings about number plates never really appealed!!!
I got the job and soon realised where this question came from,there was nobody there that hadn't come from either a technical family or didn't have a relative working there or some with a combination of the two.
My first taste of nepotism!!!!

 

[Mark1985]

thought id update this thread...i got knocked back a couple of weeks back an didnt get the job,was pretty gutted..from the interview i got a feeling as though they felt i was goin backwards as ive already compleated my 2330 level 2 an level 3...oh well onwards an upwards..ill get there in the end...

Cheers for all your advice tho
Mark