Issue No 155 December 2005
Book Review
Interview skills that win the job: simple techniques for answering all the tough questions by Michael Spiropoulos
In today's volatile business world it is almost inevitable that we will have to attend interviews many times in the course of our careers. Over the course of 10 years in HR and recruitment Michael Spiropoulos has provided advice to hundreds of interview applicants. In this book he offers advice and strategies for dealing with typical interview questions.
After first clearing away some of the common interview myths such as 'the best person always gets the job' we quickly move into the main part of the book. Here we cover all the expected topics including the classic 'can I do this job' where you are presented with several tools for analysing your fit for a specific job outside your direct career path.
One area of focus throughout this book, which also has its own chapter, is what Spiropoulos calls the 'big five' questions that will crop up almost every time in one form or another. These are based around: being a good team player, organisation and planning skills, good interpersonal communication, change in the workplace and providing effective customer service.
The points in this book are well illustrated by examples of both average and outstanding responses with clear explanations as to why one is better than the other. Remember though that these are only examples to demonstrate the style of response that will get the best results, they should not be used verbatim in real interviews.
This is an easy book to read and the ideas are well laid out. However the lack of an index or a detailed table of contents make it hard to use if you are looking for guidance on a specific point. None of the ideas here are rocket science, but you are bound to find a point or two that you have not previously thought of.
Hadrian Taylor
Business and Computing Centre
