How to Succeed at: Interviews (FutureLearn)

Overview

This free three-week course provides the tools you need to succeed at interviews and land your dream job or course place. Being offered an interview is exciting but can be quite daunting. On this course, our experts from The Careers Service here at The University of Sheffield will make sure you are prepared for the big day.

If you’re still at the stage of writing your CV and submitting applications for a job or course, join our course How to Succeed at Writing Applications.

Perfecting your interview preparation

In the first week, you’ll receive handy hints to get you thinking about yourself and the recruiter in more depth, and how to anticipate the topics you might be asked about at an interview.

You’ll learn how to carry out research beforehand, so you feel fully prepared when you meet the interviewer. We’ll also discuss how to deal with nerves, so you can stay calm and confident at interviews.

Answering interview questions successfully

We’ll look at the different types of questions interviewers might ask, and give you strategies to deal with them, along with a chance to practice some answers.

Making a good first impression is also important, so we’ll discuss what to wear and how to use your voice in a way that makes you appear confident and capable.

Mastering video and phone interviews

Technology means interviews often take place by phone or video. In the final week, we’ll look at top tips for handling interviews when you and the selector aren’t in the same room at the same time.

You’ll also learn how to master group interviews and exercises, from presentations to role play. There can be more to interviews than answering questions, and you’ll end the course feeling able to tackle all the different potential scenarios.

Syllabus

Week 1: Preparing for interviews

Week 2: Dealing with interviews

Week 3: Handling different types of interview

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to,

• Improve your chances of success in getting a job or securing a place on a university course
• Apply best practice techniques to enable you to tackle interviews for jobs, apprenticeships, placements, and university courses more effectively
• Identify what recruiters are looking for by researching an organization or institution thoroughly, and identifying what skills and attributes recruiters might be looking for
• Identify what questions you may be asked at the interview, and how to approach answering different types of interview questions
• Develop a better understanding of your strengths, skills, and key selling points to tackle interviews with confidence
• Develop an understanding of different types of interviews, from telephone and video interviews to non-standard interviews, and how to tackle them

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone applying for jobs or courses. It will be of particular interest to those in the early stages of their career, or those who are out of practice and need to update their skills. No prior knowledge or expertise is needed.

Teacher

• Hilary Jones
• Pamela Hafekost