Job Search – Tips for a skills interview

1. Be prepared to offer examples of the work you’ve done: have you worked on logical or physical design or data conversion/migration projects? Have you ever lead a project? Similarly, you should think about the software and systems you know how to use, such as Siebel, SRM Organization, or SQL for a technology consulting role, or social media tools, content management systems or Big Data programs for Digital. To help focus your preparation, make sure you understand the role requirements and then focus on the technologies related to that role.

2. During the interview, try to answer the questions you’re being asked as accurately as possible. You want to make sure the interviewer gains a good understanding of your experience and your level of expertise. Also, don’t fence yourself in and present yourself as a specialist in a single technology; demonstrate your willingness and interest in additional technologies.

3. That said, never exaggerate what you know. Eventually it will show, and you don’t want the interviewer to distrust you, or even worse, you don’t want your employer to find out you misrepresented yourself. Don’t sell yourself short, but be honest. Employers not only want to know about what you can do, but also about what you have potential and are willing to do, and that you are open to learning.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask your interviewer if the information you’re providing is enough or if he or she would like to have more information.

via Interview Tips: Getting ready for The Skills Interview.

Skills interviews are usually conducted by phone. It’s a 45 min to one hour conversation done with a manager or senior manager and they’re just really looking to test your skills and your experience based on what you’ve written on your cv. One of the top tips I give someone coming in for a skills interview is to prepare some examples that can bring to life what you’ve written down on your cv. Make sure that they are fact based that they focus on the outcome and what your particular role was within them. This helps me evaluate the candidates suitability and also to make sure what they’ve written on paper is the truth which isn’t always the case.

For Accenture it’s incredibly important that you can talk about your skills in the context of a client. That you can talk about how your skills relate to the potential client that you’re going to be working for, whether an external or internal client. How can you add value in a given situation and how have you given, added value in a given situation that’s very important.

If you don’t have an answer to a question, firstly I would clarify with the interviewer. Maybe by rephrasing it you will have something relevant to say. If you still don’t, then it’s really not a big deal. We don’t expect you to know absolutely everything, so just be honest with the interviewer and explain that’s not something you’ve come across before.

When I evaluate a candidate for their fit for Accenture, there are a number of different things I am looking for. First of all, I am looking to see that the skill they bring to the table can be applied to a business context. And by saying that what I really mean is, I want to make sure that the candidate can really understand the types of problems our business clients face on a day to day basis. Once we get beyond that, I am looking for a candidate to demonstrate their confidence in their own ability to take on new challenges and to work in a team successfully. To not be too arrogant, to not be too introverted but to really try and find a balance and I really recognize people who do that in very different ways and that’s all part of the strength of Accenture and that we have some people who are more quiet and some people who are more animated.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Insights Into Skills Interview