October 16, 2013, by Nottingham Advantage Award

Coca-Cola presents skills workshops that can help you land your dream job

Article written by Louisa Redfern on behalf of Coca-Cola Enterprises.

So you’ve landed an interview for one of the (undoubtedly many) jobs that you have applied for. Congratulations! That’s all the hard work done then, now just for the interview which is the easy part right!? No?

Coca-Cola Enterprises will be talking to students about how to perform well at interviews, both on the telephone and face to face. All of the graduates we hire go through a phone screening followed by an interview which is part of a bigger assessment day. We’ve seen it all – from exhausted graduates arriving straight off the plane from a holiday, to candidates who provide text book answers, look the part, have a great personality and therefore give us no reason not to give them the job!

At our skills workshops, we will give you:

• Practical advice for the interview day (what to wear, body language etc)
• How to prepare in advance
• Being aware of competencies
• Different types of interview questions and how to respond
• Using the ‘STAR’ method to answer questions

This advice will not only help you prepare for the stressful and challenging experience of interviewing for your first job, but it will also give you advice that you will be able to use for the rest of your career. CCE employees at all levels of seniority have to go through internal interviews when they want to move roles so keeping your knowledge of interviews fresh is vital for giving a good impression. With several other candidates interviewing for the same role as you, you will need to show that you are the most worthy candidate for the role!

Most candidates let themselves down by lack of preparation or being over-confident and not able to back this up with strong examples. Everyone needs their big break and you need to show how much you value the opportunity by preparing some killer answers and wowing your interviewers. Most companies post their company competencies online however for those that don’t, it’s easy to think of the areas you might get quizzed on. Communication, adaptability, team-working and improving processes are all areas that you could be questioned on so make sure you think of some good examples before you go to avoid being put on the spot. You never get a second chance to make a first impression! Look up interview questions on the internet and practice with family and friends. Think of situations from your past that could be used for answers and what employers will want to hear. Did you ever have to work with people who you didn’t get on with? Have you ever taken on extra responsibility at short notice? Delivered on a deadline? Volunteered? By simply thinking of times when you had to go the extra mile will give you lots of ammunition.  And don’t forget to research the company! Incredibly we still meet candidates, at all levels of seniority, who have not researched the fact that we are Coca-Cola Enterprises, the manufacturer and distributor for Coca-Cola Company products – two completely different businesses. Fail to prepare – prepare to fail!

We hope you will join us at one of our skills workshops to learn more about perfecting your interview performance. For more info, contact your careers team.

For more help on applying for jobs, CVs, covering letters, application forms, interviews, and more visit our Careers and Employability resource section on the website.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn