Killer interview ta CAREER With your skills as a top level PA


landing an interview is often the easy part – excelling at interview is where it gets tricky. Karen Glaser speaks to the experts


LANDING YOUR DREAM JOBhas never been easy, but these days it is arguably harder than ever. In these uncertain times, companies are simply scared stiff of appointing the wrong PA. That is the bad news. The good news is that while there is


not much you can do about the economic climate, there is cer- tainly much you can do to land your dream job. And it all starts days before you step into the interview room “Do lots of thorough research about the company and the boss


you hope to work for,” says Hays executive assistant Victoria Dar- ragh who also judges the Executive PA Magazine | Hays Awards. “Too many candidates do what I call soft research – they look at the front page of the company’s website and not much else. Drill deeper. If your would-be boss is a financial director, get hold of the company’s latest annual report – how good will you look when you pull out the organisation’s latest figures at the interview? “You should also read the company’s latest press releases,


and find out if they use social media – if they do, make sure to read their profiles. And if you know anyone who works for the company, quiz them. The more varied your research, the more impressive you’ll sound,” says Victoria.


42 JULY/AUGUST 2013 | WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.COM


AIM TO IMPRESS You will also impress if you turn up with a smart copy of your CV and any written feedback from your projects, she says. Jason Constant, managing director of Purely PA Recruitment, agrees. “Even if they already have it, some clients will ask you for your CV. They are checking to see how prepared you are.” Put all the documents in a presentation folder, and pop it


in your bag or briefcase which you should then close. The only other thing you should have on your arm when you stride into the interview room, is your coat. “You want to look as unclut- tered as possible,” says Jason. You should also look as smart as possible, but – and this is cru-


cial – your outfit must match the company’s aesthetic. In the cor- porate world, this means a sombre suit and freshly pressed shirt for him, and for her – well, the sartorial brief is actually quite open. “If you can carry off a slick, black suit, then wear one. If you


can’t, wear something stylish and individual with colour,” says Attic Recruitment director Sarah Culshaw. Victoria agrees: “A strong colour can help you stand out from


the other candidates. I have interviewed women in red dresses and jackets, and they look very elegant indeed. For my own inter- view at Hays, I wore a grey pencil skirt and short-sleeved cream top with a rose in the corner. And they hired me.”


AVOID MISTAKES Earlier in her career, however, the wrong wardrobe choice cost Victoria a job. “The interview was for a PA at a digital and mar- keting agency and fully integrated as I was in the corporate


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