Top Tips for interviews and assessment days
Becoming a lift apprentice: how to stand out from the crowd
If you know there’s a cracking good lift engineer in you, you need to make it happen — and this means preparing well for your interview and any assessment days.
Get it right from the word go and you will stand out from the crowd. Make the most of your chances for a bright career in the lift and escalator industry.
PHONE OR VIDEO INTERVIEWS
These interview methods are great ways for a prospective employer to prescreen you, so make sure you have a good attitude and desire for the opportunity. It’s not a test, but an opportunity – to tell them who you are and what you are all about.
Remember to be punctual, friendly and put a bit of effort in to be clean and tidy in your appearance. Above all, communicate well—speak clearly at all times and don’t rush.
Here are some more top tips:
Do a little preparation
Don’t get caught out by questions like: What do you know about our company? Why do you want to join our company as an Apprentice? Do you have any questions for us? It always pays to do a little reading up on your potential employer, this shows you are keen, proactive and prepared for the interview. You can always have some notes to hand to help you on a phone or video call.
Think about yourself
It’s not always easy to talk about yourself openly to strangers. Grab a copy of the job description or job advert and think about your personal strengths and weaknesses against what they are asking for. Remember to be honest – an Apprenticeship is all about helping you to grow and develop, you won’t be expected to be a superstar with no areas for improvement already!
Location
It’s best to call from home or somewhere that will be quiet and with minimal distractions. Make sure the people in your home know what’s going on so they don’t disturb you. Put pets outside, shut doors and windows and make sure you get the lighting right so people can see you if it’s on screen.
Make time
This is an important first step, so don’t rush. Give yourself plenty of time to get set up, test the video call tech is working and be patient. Don’t have somewhere else to be, allow some spare time for a longer-than-anticipated call and/or timetables that are running late.
Answering the call
Respond with a respectful greeting and use your name. It helps to smile, even if no one can see you, as this positively affects how you speak. Your voice loses energy in transmission so speak clearly, slowly and ramp up your enthusiasm.
Mind your body language
Your body communicates too. Think about sitting upright, smiling and making eye contact with who you are talking to. Keep any fidgeting under control too.
The rule of silence
It pays to put all your gadgets on mute. There is no room for random noises when on a phone/video interview and you don’t want to be distracted.
Saying goodbye
Before you hang up, do you know what happens next? Remember to be polite and finish with a thank you. You can also follow up with a thank you email too, this can reaffirm your interest in the position and wish to meet the interviewer in person.
ASSESSMENT DAYS
This is your chance to prove all the great things you have said about yourself—that you are an ideal candidate for a lift apprenticeship. Again, be punctual, presentable, personable and communicate well.
In an assessment day, you will take part in a range of activities and tasks designed to assess your suitability – these can be group tasks, individual ones or written. Tasks can include:
- Psychometric tests (to understand your reasoning and behavioural traits)
- Basic maths and English
- Critical thinking
- Adaptability
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
- Negotiation
Don’t be put off – these days can be energising and entertaining. Your potential employer just wants to see how you approach challenges and communicate with people. Above all, this is your opportunity to shine.
Come prepared
There’s a lot you can do to prepare for an assessment day. Not only can you get a good night’s sleep so you are fresh and full of energy, but make sure you know where you need to go and how long it takes to get there!
Make sure you understand everything that has been asked of you in any preparation activities or requests – and give enough time to them before the day. Don’t hesitate to contact the lift company if you have any questions. Above all, don’t try to bluff it.
On the day
Be confident and assertive (not aggressive) and stand out, particularly in group exercises. If you make a mistake… take it well, take responsibility for it, be proactive and move on.
Be positive. Be passionate. Be yourself.
This will reflect well on you as assessors will be monitoring you all the time. Focus on yourself and don’t worry what everyone else is up to.
Show your thinking
Ensure that your thought processes are clear to your assessors. This will help them see how you think and appraise the way your approach challenges and problems.
What next?
Congratulations! You’ve made it. The assessment day is over. You will be told when to expect the results and whether you have been accepted onto the lift apprentice training scheme.
If you don’t get selected first time round, ask the assessors for feedback. They will be happy to tell you what you need to work on. Then try again. It all depends how much you want to be a cracking good lift engineer…
Good luck!
More resources to help you:
See what should be included in your CV
Find employers
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