Interview Preparation

Having reached this stage of the selection process, you need to ensure that you do yourself justice - and preparation for your interview is the key to achieving success. Your interview is your chance to demonstrate to us that you have the right personality, qualifications, experience and relevant proven track record for the role.

Preparation

It is essential that you prepare yourself as much as possible for your interview to make sure that you make the most of your opportunity. Preparation not only increases your chances of being successful; it will also help build your confidence.

• Be punctual - the key is to plan ahead so that you know how you are going to get to the interview and how much time to allow for the journey. If it helps, do a dummy run to the interview location to ensure everything runs smoothly. On the day, leave home or work early and give yourself plenty of time. If, due to unexpected circumstances, being late suddenly becomes unavoidable, call one of our Recruitment Executives so that they can inform your interviewer and explain the circumstances


• Research Our Company - view our website for information. You will need to have a good, solid understanding of the expansion plans, goals, values and history of DENTISTICO. Demonstrate to the interviewer that you have taken the time to study our website. This will enable you to ask informed questions at your interview and show you are genuinely interested in learning about DENTISTICO.


• Know your CV - make sure you can clearly discuss your career history in 10 minutes, and be prepared to describe your roles, responsibilities and key achievements without waffling. Be clear and concise using specific examples


• Practice questions and answers - take some time ahead of your interview to think about the types of questions you may be asked and also, to prepare some questions you might want to ask about DENTISTICO and the position for which you are applying

First Impressions

Remember: " You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

Don't underestimate the importance of making an impact in the first few minutes of meeting your interviewer. Remember that your first impression may also be to the receptionist or other staff - in fact, all the people you meet when going for the interview will be assessing how well you would fit in their company. So here are some general guidelines to help you make the right impression at the right time.

• Make sure you know the correct name and title of the person interviewing you. If you are unsure about pronunciation, ask one of our Recruitment Executives for verification - and save yourself from an embarrassing mistake.


• The smell of stale smoke can be off-putting, so if you are a smoker try not to smoke just before the interview - no matter how nervous you may feel.


• Dress to impress and dress appropriately. Our general dress code is smart formal attire. Ensure your clothes are clean and well ironed - and pay attention to your personal grooming too. Dirty nails and unkempt hair will be noticed by the interviewer, for example, as will any problem with personal freshness. And no matter how stressful the interview, you don't want to get yourself noticed for the wrong reasons.


• If you want to convey confidence, keep an eye on your body language throughout the interview. Start with a firm handshake, sit comfortably but avoid slouching, place your hands on your knees - and remember to smile.

Interview Approach

A crucial way to have a successful interview is by ensuring your manner is positive & that you are polite, bright and enthusiastic throughout. You need to demonstrate that you are a motivated individual & one who can show passion for the role.

• Be natural - ensure you maintain good eye contact throughout the interview. Look interested, listen actively and give the occasional nod of agreement or understanding - and remember to say please and thank you wherever it is appropriate.


• Make sure that if you are being interviewed by a number of interviewers, you speak to the whole of the room whilst focusing the answer on the individual who asked the question.


• Build a relationship with the interviewer, use the time for you to ask questions to ask them why they enjoy working for DENTISTICO, try to identify your potential manager and develop a connection with them.


• Sell yourself - this is your opportunity to explain what you have achieved in your career, so ensure you are factual and concise in your answers and always back achievements up with solid examples.


• Listen to the questions and if you need further clarification ask for them to repeat it, then take a deep breath and think about what you are going to say. It is far better to take time to answer a question than to waffle on or miss the point altogether. Remember to answer the questions you are asked, rather than answer to your own agenda.


• Try to avoid talking about salary and benefits; if you have questions regarding this talk to one of our Recruitment Executives who will know the answers. This will save you appearing to the interviewer as though this is your main focus rather than the opportunity. Use the interview time to demonstrate what you can offer, rather than putting emphasis on what package DENTISTICO can offer to you.


• Don't be negative about your current or previous employer. If you are asked why you want to leave your current role, avoid the temptation to be critical and instead talk about the reasons why you want to join DENTISTICO.
  

Interview Questions

You will be asked many different questions at your interview. Some will be standard questions you can easily predict - but other questions may be more unexpected. However, the better you prepare, the better your position, and the greater your confidence. So focus your preparation around what you believe to be the key competencies and skills of the job for which you are applying.

Write down some of the questions and think about how you would approach the answers. Try rehearsing with your friends or family, but don't fall into the trap of repeating your answers in parrot fashion. Keep it natural. Try writing out your answers too as this will help you commit the information to memory.

Competency Based Questions

A competency or behavioral interview question is one whereby you are asked to provide an example of a past situation to demonstrate you have a particular skill. We will seek to obtain information about your past behavior as we believe this is the best predictor to future behavior.

We will be looking for you to provide specific examples about exactly what you did in such situations, not what others did or what you would do hypothetically. You will be asked to discuss your answer in detail, you will often be probed on the example and you will need to ensure you can qualify your answer. We are often particularly interested in the outcome of the situation. Examples of topics covered include:

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Customer Service
• Planning and Organizing

At the End of the Interview

Be prepared to ask a number of questions, as we will give you an opportunity for this at the end of your interview. Asking informed questions at this point shows you have a genuine interest in the position.

If you feel confident and you have built a good rapport with the interviewer, you can ask them when the next stage of the recruitment process will be. Don’t be afraid to say you have enjoyed meeting them and make sure you thank the interviewer for their time - then smile and leave with a strong hand shake and good eye contact.