By John Challen

Two courses have been added to CIHT Learn, the Institution’s e-learning portal that helps industry engineers and professionals gain skills and build professional development. Both written by recruitment specialist Carrington West, the courses look at the importance of interviews, that vital first chance that both sides have to make a strong impression. 

For job candidates ’How to land your dream job in highways and transportation’ provides proper preparation for interviews and a detailed understanding what to expect when people get in front of an interviewer.

“It doesn’t just cover what they might ask about your CV, it's about the different styles of interviews, whether that be technical, portfolio-based interview, or a panel interview,” explains Adam Butler, Department Manager, Highways, Transportation & Infrastructure at Carrington West. “We have to be mindful that some candidates, particularly junior ones, may only have had one or two interviews in their entire lives. They're going into something they want to help progress their career, so these are the sorts of things that might throw them, and they need to be prepared.”

Other elements covered in the course include what questions to ask the interviewer, and preparation for interview processes.

Adam Butler - Carrington West

Sitting on the other side

Meanwhile, for those interviewers who need to get the right answers and details from a candidate, there’s the ‘Introduction to conducting a job interview for the highways and transport sector’ course.

“One piece of feedback we get from managers is that the interview process can leave unanswered questions, or it doesn't drill down enough into a candidate to get the information they want,” explains Butler. “Because we do that every day when we speak to candidates, we know how to get that across and can advise on what a strong interviewer might ask and how they might ask it, as well as how they might sell their organisation.

“From different surveys we've done, we can tell them that, for example, 60% of candidates want to know about hybrid working, so, if you offer that, make sure you mention it.”

Butler says he and his colleagues often get comments about soft skills – communication, presentations – because employers want a well-rounded individual: “They are looking for someone who can do the technical aspects of the role but also be a good team player and be able to contribute.”

Butler’s advice for both groups who might be looking for help in and around the interview environment is, understandably, twofold.

“Employers, make sure you have a good understanding of your business and your unique value proposition. There is a skills shortage, and therefore competition for candidates. If you're not clued up on what makes your business tick, you're going to find it very hard to compete against those who do,” he concludes.

“For the interviewee, at the end ask the question: ‘If I was to join your company, how can I guarantee I would be involved in the most important projects that this company is working on?’ That question instantly gets across to the interviewer that the candidate really listened and engaged, but they still want to be able to demonstrate that they've got the skills and experiences that's going to take them further forward with this business.”

Discover more information on ‘How to land your dream job in highways and transportation’ and ‘Introduction to conducting a job interview for the highways and transport sector’.

Newsletter image: concept of successful job interview; credit Shutterstock.