Traditional job interviews are formal meetings in which the examiner, usually the HR (Human Resource) Manager or someone of their staff, interviews the candidate.
The interview generally follows a script previously agreed by the HR staff and, after the greetings and a little conventional small talk, includes the following steps.
| Topics | Typical questions | Suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Motivation | Why do you want to work for this care home/residential home? Why are you interested in this job? | Say something positive, show interest and explain how the position fits you. |
| 2. Job Experience | Have you done this kind of work before? How long have you been working in healthcare? What jobs have you held? | Refer to: - past work experience - education and training related to the job - volunteer work that may relate to the job - any transferable skills - your ability to learn quickly. |
| 3. Education, Training and skills | What kind of training or qualifications do you have? What about your school career? Can you speak any foreign languages? | - If you have a lot of experience, but no formal qualifications: I didn’t get formal school training for this job, but I have ...-year experience in the field. I’m willing to learn new skills and get a formal qualification if I’m offered the job. - If you have just completed a training course: I took one year training program in ... at ..., which is related to the job I’m applying for. I look forward to working in the field and putting into practice what I learned. |
| 4. Personal Qualities | Tell me about yourself. Why should we hire you? | Do not refer to personal issues, state your best qualifications for the job and provide examples to support your statements, e.g., I’m punctual, reliable, precise, patient ... |
| 5. Work Habits | What do you think of working in a group? Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? How do you react to instructions and criticism? How well do you work during an emergency? | - Outline the advantages and provide specific examples. - Say that you appreciate constructive criticism. - Provide examples of past experience, both at work and school. |