The leading engineering training provider in the Yorkshire and Humber region
Preparing For An Interview
HETA’s Top 5 Tips Will Ensure You’re Interview Ready!
As you prepare to kickstart your engineering career with HETA, taking your first, tentative steps into the professional world and preparing for your first ever interview can be a nerve-wracking experience. As part of the HETA 6-step selection process, you will partake in a minimum of 2 interviews. Your first interview will be with a member of HETA’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), success at this stage means that you will be invited to our Employer Open Days and will ultimately lead to a second interview with your potential employer!
To help you make a positive first impression, we’ve compiled our top 5 tips for your first interview!
1. Do Your Research!
Leading up to your any interview, it’s important to research the company thoroughly, whether it be researching HETA or a potential employer, the knowledge you bring to an interview not only demonstrates your interest to the interviewer, but it will also ensure that you are well equipped to answer questions about the company’s culture, values and mission. Here’s a few ways you can go about finding the information you need:
- Visit the company’s website to gather information about its history, culture, products/services, recent developments and future ambitions! For instance, you can find out more about HETA's history on our 'About Us' page!
- Check their social media platforms to get a sense of their online presence, it may also provide some insight into what a typical day in your role may look like!
- Reading reviews on platforms like Glassdoor helps you to learn more about the experiences of current employees of the company.
As a young professional making your first steps into the world of engineering and manufacturing, you won’t be expected to have a wealth of technical knowledge, but having a solid understanding of a company’s culture as well as gaining an understanding of the types of skills you will need to develop as part of your progression will certainly leave a lasting impression!
2. Practice Interview Questions
Leading up to your first interview with HETA, our Recruitment Team will send you some resources to help you prepare, including questions you may be asked as well as the types of questions you may have for HETA or your employer.
Although each interview will vary, interviews will typically include a number of common questions, such as “Tell me about yourself.”, “What area of Engineering are you interested in?” or “What do you already know about HETA?”. Consider practicing your responses to these sorts of questions beforehand. Perhaps you could carry out a mock interview with a friend or family member and ask them to give constructive feedback.
Be prepared to discuss any relevant experience you may already have! Engineering related school-work, use of hand tools around the house or any relevant projects you may have been involved in are all great examples!
3. Look The Part
First impressions are everything in an interview and your attire plays a significant role in making a positive one! Dressing appropriately not only shows respect and appreciation for the opportunity that an employer is providing you with, but it also conveys that you, as a young professional, already have an understanding of workplace etiquette.
4. Remember it’s an interview, not an interrogation!
You can ask questions too!
At the end of most interviews, you'll have the chance to ask questions. Preparing questions for the interviewer demonstrates a genuine interest in the role and the company. Here are a few questions you might want to consider asking?
- What does a typical day look like at HETA/this company?
- How does HETA/the company support my development in the role?
- Are there opportunities for progression following on from my apprenticeship?
Asking questions not only helps you gather useful information but also demonstrates that you are proactive.
5. Politeness and Punctuality
Finally, it’s important to remember that making a good impression isn’t only about the things you say. We’ve got a few more suggestions to help you stand out in your interview:
- Ensure that you arrive on time to your interview, we recommend aiming to arrive 10 minutes early!
- Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and a smile.
- Maintain good eye contact and positive body language throughout the interview.
- Listen carefully to the interviewer's questions and answer them thoughtfully.
- Express gratitude for the opportunity at the end of the interview.
Preparing for your first interview as a young professional can be challenging, but the experience is invaluable and preparing thoroughly means you’re more likely to ace it first time around, but don’t worry if this isn’t the case! Each interview provides an opportunity for you to learn and improve, and whilst research and preparation is vitally important, there’s nothing like experiencing a real interview for the first time!
Good luck!
Haven't applied for a HETA apprenticeship yet?
A HETA apprenticeship is your ticket to a long-lasting, successful career in engineering and with a multitude of career paths available, there's never been a better time to kickstart your journey.
Apply for a HETA apprenticeship today by clicking the link below: