In this special episode, The Grad Guys welcome their very first guest to the show. Tina Rahman is the founder of HR Habitat - a company determined to shift the mindset and narrative of todays workplaces, tackling corporate taboo topics & workplace stigma. With her unique experience and expertise, Tina provides a practical, no nonsense insight into all things recruitment, HR and interview related. We tackle everything from interview nerves, what to do when finishing university, right through to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and explore how progressive companies are now changing their recruitment processes for the next generation of graduates.

So grab a drink, get comfortable and listen in for what is a fascinating, deep dive discussion…

Key Takeaways & Discussion Points:

• Researching your prospective employer is vital - not only to excel in interview, but to make sure your values align and they’re ‘the right fit’ for you.
• There are a number of government backed schemes designed to get graduates into work - these can be great opportunities, not only for employees but also employers, who can get a good look at candidates before they are offered a full time position: These can also help you build up your work experience in a real-world setting.
• Non-verbal communication plays a big part in how employers perceive you in interview.
• ‘Values’ are important, for both organisations looking to recruit, but also those who are applying for roles: Understanding not only what YOU stand for, but what an organisation does, will give you a greater chance of succeeding and ultimately working for a company where you feel valued and content.

How to Contact Tina:

Official Website: www.hrhabitat.co.uk

Email: info@hrhabitat.co.uk

Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/TinaHR

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

* Download our FREE interview skills guide - “The Secret to Interview Success” only at: www.thegradguys.co.uk *

# 11 New Year, New You?... Time to prepare for that job interview!

The Grad Guys welcome in the New Year with some important advice on how to use the New Year as the impetus to achieve interview success: Just how can you form those positive habits and keep momentum going? What practical steps can you take to give yourself the best shot at being successful? The Grad Guys delve into this and a lot more in today’s episode.

As always, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks so you too can succeed and Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Embedding positive habits takes time - Don’t give up at the first hurdle, successful people keep pushing, especially when things get hard.
• Self-reflection from the previous year’s experience is key to developing and learning what areas to improve on.
• If you’ve identified weaknesses, make sure you have a plan to tackle them!
• Focusing on things YOU CAN CONTROL is vital to reducing your anxiety around the job interview process.
• There are more job vacancies than ever, but this isn’t a reason to be complacent! Organisations still want competent candidates and would rather leave a vacancy unfilled than employ someone not up to the job.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

* Download our FREE interview skills guide - “The Secret to Interview Success” only at: www.thegradguys.co.uk *

A short, festive bonus episode from The Grad Guys this week; where they look back on the previous year, discussing why self-reflection is so important and how setting goals as part of a new year resolution can help you achieve interview success.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-reflection is vital for developing and improving our confidence in interview. Learning what worked well, as well as what didn’t is a key part of the process.

• Setting goals using the SMART method can lead to greater success and make you more likely to stick to your interview preparation plan.

• The January sales are a great time to grab yourself some interview prep bargains!

• The Grad Guys online learning platform will be available in 2022!

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

* Download our FREE interview skills guide - “The Secret to Interview Success” only at: www.thegradguys.co.uk *

In this episode, The Grad Guys tackle a subject that worries a lot of people when preparing for a job interview - the ‘left field’, ‘out there’ or curve ball questions. What are they? Why do interviewers ask them? And what can we do to make sure we’re getting across the best answer? 

As always, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks so you too can succeed and Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Left field interview questions serve a purpose - knowing what the purpose of the question is and what the interviewer is looking for is key to answering it well.
• Weaving in your values, skills and competencies to your answers will make you stand out, score higher marks and get one step ahead of the competition.
• Being prepared for a left field question will help reduce your anxiety and nerves on the big day.
• Sometimes employers inadvertently ask ‘illegal questions’ that may be discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010 - You can flip these to your advantage.

Links to further advice around ‘illegal interview questions’ and the Equality Act 2010:

• Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/discrimination-at-work/checking-if-its-discrimination/if-you-think-youve-been-unfairly-treated-when-applying-for-a-job/

• Government advice regarding questions around disability & health: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/84990/small-business-guidance.pdf

If you feel that you have been treated unfairly during a job interview, then we would advise you to seek professional, legal advice and support.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

* Download our FREE interview skills guide - “The Secret to Interview Success” only at: www.thegradguys.co.uk *

If you’ve left university and want to stop interviewing and start earning then tune into The Grad Guys podcast.

This week The Grad Guys do something a little different… no plan or structure just Ash & Pete talking off-the-cuff, all things interview related.

During this ‘fireside chat’ the guys discuss topics including:

• Interview anxiety - how common it is and what you can do to overcome it
• Transitioning from Uni life to the big wide world
• Importance of mentorship and learning from others
• Using previous failures as fuel for success
• How lack of preparation affects your chances of passing a job interview
• Why is climbing a mountain similar to preparing for interview?
• What do high performing athletes have in common with graduates preparing for interview?
• How prior preparation lets you ENJOY the interview!
• ‘Winging it’ simply isn’t an option!

As always, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks on how you too can Interview with confidence.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

NEW: * Download our FREE interview skills guide - “The Secret to Interview Success” only at: www.thegradguys.co.uk *

In this episode, The Grad Guys explore what ‘core values’ are and why they are so important in the hiring process and why more and more organisations are now including interview questions based around these. You’ll learn how to find out what your individual core values are, and those of the organisation you are hoping to join. They also discuss how aligning both individual and organisational core values can give you that ‘edge’ over the competition in interview. As ever, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks on how you too can Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Core values are a key part of any modern interview or hiring process, do NOT ignore them!
• Understanding your own, individual core values and how these align with the organisation you’re applying for will give you an edge over the competition when it comes to the interview.
• Being prepared to answer a question around values, and having a ‘go-to’ answer in your back pocket will help reduce those interview nerves and anxiety, meaning you can focus on enjoying the interview and succeeding!

Download our FREE guide ‘The Secret to Interview Success’:

Available now at: www.thegradguys.co.uk

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

#7 Getting to know your prospective employer

Just why is it so important to know as much as you can about your prospective employer when going for a job interview? Find out in this weeks episode with The Grad Guys. They’ll explain how a little insider knowledge can give you that much needed ‘edge’ in interview. They'll show you how to research an organisation effectively and the kinds of things interviewers will likely ask you. They’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks on how you too can Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Interviewers will expect you to know at least the bare minimum of what the company/organisation does - it’s mission, values, ethics and structure.
• Knowing where the role you’re going for fits in with the wider structure of the company/organisation is key - after all, you may be questioned on this!
• A little bit of research can go a long way and give you that ‘edge’ in interview, setting you apart from the competition.
• Being prepared to answer questions about the company/organisation will reduce your interview nerves and anxiety.
• There are a number of free resources out there to help you start your research. Check out the websites mentioned in the Podcast at: www.glassdoor.co.uk , uk.indeed.com , https://www.thejobcrowd.com/

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

In this episode, The Grad Guys discuss that all too common, uneasy feeling of ‘lacking direction’ that surfaces after graduation. Just why is it so hard to find which direction to take? Where do you even start?! How can you boost your chances of employment post uni? As always, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks so you too can succeed and Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Feeling like you lack direction is VERY common, many graduates experience this after leaving university.
• The lack of structure post-uni and being taken out of your comfort zone is what’s causing this feeling.
• There are a number of simple ways you can gain a clearer direction, that will give you a greater chance of interview success.
• There’s two types of people when it comes to graduate job searching - those that ‘wait’ for jobs to come to them, and those that use their initiative, grit and determination to get where they want to be: Be like the second person!

Links to the free quizzes mentioned in the podcast:

• Take the prospects skills & personality quiz at: https://prospects.ac.uk/
• Take the national careers service skills assessment here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/skills-assessment

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

In this episode, The Grad Guys delve into why we get nervous during job interviews, what interview nerves are and how to overcome them. They also explore the power of visualisation and how vision boards can assist with achieving success. As always, they’ll also be sharing some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks on how you too can Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Interview nervousness & anxiety is completely normal: It’s linked to the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response, everyone experiences it BUT it is totally manageable with the right preparation.
• Understanding why we get nervous is key to being able to deal with it.
• Nervousness and anxiety can actually be beneficial to achieving interview success if channelled correctly.
• Visualisation and the use of vision boards can be a very powerful way of helping you achieve success.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

The Grad Guys return for another packed episode, full of tips, tricks and techniques to help you achieve Interview success. This time they tackle the age-old, catch-22 scenario of how to obtain relevant 'work experience' to help you structure those dreaded job Interview questions. 

Key Takeaways:

• There are MANY ways to gain 'relevant experience' - think outside the box!
• Gaining experience will boost your employability and make you a more attractive candidate.
• Recording your skills and relevant experience is VITAL and will make preparing for interview much easier.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

In this episode, The Grad Guys discuss how Mindfulness can be hugely beneficial when it comes to Interview preparation, particularly around reducing nervousness and anxiety. 

Through positive thought, and by making subtle changes to your daily habits, you too can Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Preparing your Mindset is just as important as preparing your interview responses.
• Mindfulness need not take up much time - just a little each day can have HUGE benefit to your success.
• Embracing Mindfulness can really help reduce Interview anxiety and nervousness.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

In this episode, The Grad Guys break down The STAR interview method, explaining what it is and how it can help YOU get the dream job you deserve. They also delve into just what exactly a 'competency' is - and how by learning what competencies you'll be interviewed against, can really help you gain the upper edge.

Key Takeaways:

• The STAR method is the best way to structure your interview responses.
• Learning what competencies you may be interviewed against can be a powerful tool to success.
• Collating 'evidence' of your skills & competencies NOW will mean you can reap the benefits later in interview.
• The STAR method can help reduce interview nerves and anxiety.

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/

In this episode, The Grad Guys introduce themselves, and explain the top problems graduates face when going for a job interview. They also share some of their own personal experiences, whilst giving important tips and tricks on how you too can Interview with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Interview nervousness & anxiety is completely normal - everyone gets it, but it IS manageable.
• Preparation is KEY!
• Mindset is everything

Contact The Grad Guys:

Official Website: www.thegradguys.com

Join our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thegradguys

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegradguys/