The Curve-ball Questions in Interviews

Written by: Chane da Costa

We all know that feeling of excitement of being short-listed and being called in for an interview. Following from my previous blog you have prepared yourself adequately for the interview and ready to show your potential employers you are the most suitable candidate for the position.

Most candidates only prepare for the most commonly asked questions that have been used for centuries and often get thrown off completely when the interviewers ask them questions they would never expect in an interview. Interviewers do this to not only step away from the common boring questions that have the perfect scripted answer but to understand how you think and how well you can think on your feet. 

The nature of the position may further determine why these unusual questions are asked. There is never a wrong or right answer to these questions; it is just another method to test how well you work under stress and pressure. 

How to handle these curve ball questions in interviews are important to creating a positive impression. If the interviewer does throw the ball in your court with a weird question it is important to stay cool calm and collect, think about the question and answer it in the most tactful way that you can. These questions often represent your character and personality or your analytical and creative skills.

Curve ball questions

1.       If you were an animal what would you be?

2.       Provide me with five uses of a stapler, brick or match stick.

3.       How many times in one day, do the clocks hands overlap each other?

4.       If we shrunk you to the size of a pencil and put you inside of a blender, how would you get out?

5.       If you were on an island and could only take along 3 items, what would they be?

6.       If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?

7.       If you could have any super power, what would you like?

8.       A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

9.       If you could wave a magic wand, what illness in the world would you solve and why?

10.   You have five bottles of pills. One bottle has 9 gram pills, the others have 10 gram pills. You have a scale that can be used only once. How can you find out which bottle contains the 9 gram pills?

11.   What do wood and alcohol have in common?

12.   What would you do if you woke up and found an elephant in your backyard?

13.   What did you play with as a child?

14.   How would you market a telescope in 1750 when no one knows about orbits, moons etc.

15.   Who has most influenced you in your life?

Psychometric Testing

Several companies are now using psychometric test to determine if the candidate are the right fit for their company or not. Psychometric tests identify the candidate’s aptitude, abilities and personality.

The aim of psychometric tests is to gain an accurate understanding of the candidate's cognitive abilities and personality/behavioural style.

A candidate cannot prepare for a psychometric test as there is no right or wrong answer to the psychometrics, they only determine if your personality is a fit for the position you would like to fill. There are two main types of different psychometric tests, personality test and Aptitude/Ability test.

Personality Test

Personality tests require no preparation and the candidate to be answer the questions as honestly as possible. Within an occupational context it determines the candidate’s normal behavioural tendencies and preferences. These test are often crucial is managerial or sales positions to determine whether the candidate does have leadership or sales qualities.

As there is no wrong or right answer in personality psychometric testing, a company will only use the results to determine if you are a perfect fit for the position. The only time a psychometric test will become a decision making tool is when they cannot decide between two candidates for the same position.

Aptitude/Ability Test

Candidates can prepare for aptitude test as these determine the candidates numerical and spatial reasoning. Depending on the aptitude test there are right answers. These tests provide key insights into communication, decision making, and calculated cause and effect scenarios that candidates make in work place. It also determines whether or not the candidate has the skills to fulfil the available position at hand and areas on which the candidate should improve on.

There are four types of Aptitude tests that assist employers in assessing a candidates reasoning and cognitive abilities:

-          Verbal Test

-          Numerical Test

-          Spatial Test

-          Job Specific Test

Below are links to several site that provide mock psychometric testing that candidates can practise on if they know they are required to complete a psychometric test.

http://www.testpartnership.com/psychometric-test.html

http://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/psychometric-tests/

http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/job-interview-tips/psychometric-testing/free-psychometric-test-samples/article.aspx

Interview Preparation That Wins

Written by: Chane da Costa

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail is a quote by Benjamin Franklin that will forever have meaning in life. In school when you are given homework it is preparation for your tests, test are preparation for exam, exams are preparation for the next grade. This is the same with sport or anything else you want to succeed and do well in. So a candidate can view an interview as a test in landing that perfect job.

If you get a job interview this means that all your effort that went into your resume, showed that you are perfect for the position available. This does not mean your effort to get the job should stop there. An interview is the deciding factor on whether or not you are suitable for the position. An interviewer creates the first and lasting impressions of you, they also see if you can communicate well and have the abilities to fulfil the job. It is also a platform for the interview to get to know you as well as a platform for you to get to know the business.

So in preparing for the Interview you are preparing to win over the position. Below are key points when preparing for an interview:

1.       Know the Company – Researching the company to know exactly what they are about and what they do is essential. As a candidate seeking a job, you need to ensure the company and industry that you are going for an interview at, aligns with your passion, morals and values. It also creates a favourable impression on the interviewer when you about the business and what they do.

2.       Research industry trends – Update yourself with the company’s industries trends and current events and happenings. This shows that you are actively involved in the industry and are able to add value to the company.

3.       Analyse the job title – By analysing the job title, duties and what the company seeks in potential candidates, you are able to determine which skills are important for the position. By doing this you can align the skills of the position and your skill set and portray why you are the best candidate for the position.

4.       Practise common interview questions – By practising answers to common interview questions, this helps to rehearse the perfect answer to the simplest questions without the pressure of have to answer right away. You can also Google interview questions to prepare for the unusual questions that may come up. It is also help to role play an interview situation with a family member or friend. Next week’s blog will be all about unique interview questions and psychometric tests.

5.       Dress for Success – if you are serious about getting the job, it is important to look the part.  Ensure you look professional by dressing in corporate attire. This helps the interviewer visualise you in the position available and ensures the image portrayed is one that is professional, neat and tidy. An image every company is looking for.

6.       Recap, finalise and get ready– Revise your resume and touch up on your skills that you have acquired during your professional career. Do a recap of your understanding on the company and have your interview clothes ready for the next day. Make copies of your resume, qualifications and ID, to take along to the interview and ensure you have a good night’s rest to be on you’re A-game.

7.       Always be on time – It is important to always be at least 10 minutes early for an interview. Rather be too early than late, this shows that you are serious about the position, so make sure you know where you are going and  leave enough time incase you get lost or an unforeseen happening occurs

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Preparing for Telephonic and Skype Interviews

Telephonic and Skype interview are often arranged for positions that are across provinces/State and in other countries. The preparations for these types of interviews are similar to that of interviews done in person. The preparation above should still be followed as the interview structure is standard.

The following Preparation tips will further help you prepare for telephonic and Skype interviews:

1.       Always sound enthusiastic and positive over the phone, your tone of voice will now be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.

2.       Ensure you have a quiet and neutral location to do your interview in. If you do a Skype interview rather be seated in the living room than in your bedroom.

3.       Skype interviews are conducted the same as interviews done in person, so make sure you keep your look professional in corporate attire.

4.       Doing a Skype interview creates difficulty when trying to keep eye contact with the interview. Try look into the camera and not onto the screen when speaking to the interviewer, and look at the screen when the interviewer talks. Ensure your sound and your internet is working properly so that complications don’t occur.

5.       Ensure that your cell phone battery or Laptop Battery is fully charged.

It is important to always let your interviewer end the call or Skype session, never drop the call or Skype session first.

Your 101 on Job Searching Made Easy

Written by: Chane da Costa

Job searching is a full time job. Finding a job in today’s economy is not an easy task for those who have experience as well as those who don’t have experience. Although, there are more challenges for those without experience, many job seekers don’t know how or where to apply for jobs. For first time job seekers, don’t get discouraged by rejection, it is important to keep optimistic whilst searching for jobs. During your search it is important to know what criteria you are looking for when you are searching for your job.

Criteria to keep in mind before searching for a job:

1.          Job location
2.          Industry
3.          Skill level
4.          Job description
5.         Growth prospects
6.         Salary and benefits

Searching for a job is very time consuming and it is important to know exactly where to apply -  one thing varsity doesn’t teach graduates. After graduating many graduates are clueless as where to even start their search and how to apply for suitable jobs. 

The digital age is taking over and with this, the old school ways of searching and applying for jobs have subsided. Although, taking your resume personally to your potential employee and introducing yourself is still considered an effect way to apply for a position, it is very time consuming and costly. Therefore, companies, recruitment agencies and job portals have simplified the process by creating online pages that allow you to upload your resume and apply for positions with a click of a button.

Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies might be in the candidates favour as submitting your resume to a recruitment agency may open many doors by dispersing your resume to various industries. A personal relationship is often formed with the recruitment consultant who may be beneficial to the candidate during the offer negotiation process and in future when seeking growth opportunities. Another benefit of using a recruitment agency is that by meeting you, a recruiter can sell your resume to a potential employer as the perfect candidate just by knowing your morals, values, goals and objectives.  To find recruiters you can search online or make use of online Job portals, and if you see a recruitment agency advertising their services you can rest assure if they can invest in marketing they will invest in you. At Electus you are not just another candidate or resume on a desk.

Companies with Job Portals

Candidates can apply on a company’s online portal. These portals allow candidates to register and submit their resumes online. This process also ensures that the companies keep candidates resumes on a database to review them if a suitable position becomes available in future.

Job Portals

Online job portals can be seen as the middle man where candidates and recruitment agencies/companies find each other. In South Africa there are many online job portals available where candidates create an online profile and upload their resumes for companies and recruiters to search.  These companies and recruitment agencies can also advertise job posts that candidates can apply for using their personal profile, therefore reducing the hassle of submitting your resume to a different company each time.  Below is a list of the most popular job portals in South Africa:

1.  Pnet
2. Careers 24
3. Jobs.co.za
4. Career Junction
5. Best Jobs
6. Jobmail
7. Linked-In
8. Jobvine

For more information on how to Jump start your Job search with online job portals, one of our 2013 blogs Jump start your Job Search by Tiffany Lynn provide you with detailed information on these portals and why they are beneficial.

7 Top Tips for Job Seekers

1.       Always apply to positions with a recently updated resume, ensuring that all your info is correct. It is also beneficial to know how to use wording correctly to ensure your CV is found at the top of the pile when recruiters conduct their searches on online database portals

2.       Only apply to positions that are relevant to your job title, level of experience and skill set.

3.       Have all your supporting documentation ready and available to save time and speed up the application process.

4.       It is important to remember that when you have applied for any positions to always keep your phone on standby, and keep an eye on your inbox for recruiters who might contact you via email. Also ensure you have provision in your schedule for interviews.

5.       Always prepare to land the job in your interview. An interview is where you make your first personal impression. Read up about the company, what they do and recent information on the industry to impress your interviewer. Prepare a list of questions you can ask about the organisation and position to show your interest in the position.

6.       Networking – contact and reconnect with friends and trusted professionals, inform them you in the market. They might just have the job you have been looking for, or if something comes up you will be top of mind and can be referred. A good reference from someone trusted by the potential employer is always positive.

7.       If you stuck GET HELP!!! Utilise inexpensive services that provide career counselling and assistance in the job search process. In months to come Electus will be offering such a service, empowering our candidates through providing insightful advice and a platform on which to develop your personal brand. 

The golden Do’s and Don’ts of writing a resume

Written by: Chane da Costa 

As an active job seeker marketing your personal brand correctly to the potential employer is an important aspect in landing your dream job.  A resume is your opportunity to make a good first impression and differentiate yourself from other candidates in the running for the position. You could have a great resume, but tiny errors could potentially land your resume in the bin. It is not all about your qualifications, experience and correct structure of your resume, what your resume looks like represents certain characteristics and personality traits that you may have.

Your resume is a tool to move you from application to interview, it speaks your first words to your potential employers so rather put in that extra bit of effort and ensure it is perfect, rather than rushing it and you cost yourself your dream job. The golden do and don’t guidelines for every resume might seem logical but you will be surprised how many candidates have these errors on their resume and what tiny errors you have missed.

The Golden Do’s

The following Golden Do’s will ensure that the most obvious and obscured details of your resume exhibits you as the perfect candidate. Do:  

1.  Be honest and truthful, in this modern age it has become easier for potential employers to attain information about you.
2. Customise your resume and closely as possible to the job description that you are applying for.
3. Ensure that your resume is updated regularly, you do not want to miss out on providing information that your most recent opportunities have provided. This will also help in ensuring that you do not forget about these details.
4. Use spell check, often potential employers discard resumes because there are silly spelling errors. These errors often represent your carelessness or that you lack attention to detail.
5. Ask a person experience in formulating their resume, to proof read your resume for any mistakes.
6. Make use of reverse chronological order. Start from the most recent qualifications or employment history down.
7. Always ask your selected references for permission to list their contact details in your resume.
8. List your job title, duties and reason for leaving with your employment history. Candidates often only list the company they worked and the duration period they worked at the company for.
9. Use the correct formatting; it is easiest to formulate your resume in Microsoft Word. You can also PDF your resume to ensure everything stays in place.

The Golden Don’ts

The following Golden Don’ts are critical to check before finalising your resume and applying to your potential dream job. Don’t:

1. Repeat the same information already mentioned once in your resume.
2. Write excessive detailed sentences, a resume should be a summary not a story.
3. Stress about the length of your resume, if you are short and concise with all the relevant information and your resume exceeds the narrated two pages, it is ok.
4. Be tempted to shrink the font or reduce the margin size to fit all your information in. Stick to one font type, Headings 14pt and normal text 12pt.
5. Use various colours and graphic, your resume should look professional and not like a birthday invitation.
6.  Provide unusual nicknamed email addresses, try keep your resume as professional as possible.
7. Don’t lie on your resume, if you caught lying on your resume, this will affect your reputation negatively and forfeit your chances of landing the job.
8. Bad mouth current and previous employers when providing a reason for leaving the company.
9. Use social network links unless it adds professional value to your job application, although this may provide a sense of transparency it could also allow intervene with your application with regards to posts being contrary to that of potential employers opinions.

Should you put social media links on your resume?

 Written by: Chane da Costa

Mashable reported that 10.9% of resumes have links to social media profiles, and this continues to grow. However there is a big debate amongst recruiters as to whether or not resumes should have links to social media profile.

Although social media profiles provide a sense of transparency and help potential employers become more comfortable when it comes to hiring you, it can however have a negative influence on your application if you have inappropriate posts that can be viewed.

This does not mean that if you don’t have links to your Facebook and Twitter page that potential employers won’t seek and view your profile. For those active job seekers, I cannot stress enough how important it is to monitor your profiles and ensure that your posts are decent and appropriate in case potential employers search your name.

There are 3 main social media platforms used on resumes. To determine whether or not you should use them, I have discussed each one with guidelines on how to use them.

1. Linked-In     

For those who don’t know what LinkedIn is, it is a social networking website for people with professional occupations.  It is mainly used for connecting with and growing a professional network as well as job searching. 

Linked In’s personal profile is in a similar format to that of a resume, which allows your networks and potential employers to view your qualifications and experience without requesting your resume. This will also allow potential employees to view your professional network, projects, skills and endorsements as well as recommendations from former colleagues and employers. It is however essential to constantly keep your profile updated so that it reflects all your recent information.

Often the LinkedIn profile URL’s are long and can make your resume look untidy. To shorten and personalise your URL, follow the steps below:

1.       Go to your profile

2.       Click the edit tab

3.       Under your name will show your URL, with an edit button next to it.

4.       Edit and  personalise your URL

2. Facebook 

Whilst Facebook is the most popular social media network in the world, whether or not to add your URL onto your resume is a difficult decision. Although it creates a sense of transparency for the potential employer, the purpose of your resume is to market yourself to the employer considering your applicant and Facebook might do the exact opposite. We generally use Facebook as a more personal platform to connect with family and friends about our comings and goings as well as our own personal thoughts and opinions. These thoughts and opinions could be contrary to that of what the potential employer associates with and could potentially intervene with your application.

So when deciding whether or not to add your Facebook URL, you can ask yourself if your Facebook page adds value to your job applications or not. If it would not add any professional value do not add a Facebook URL. However as stressed earlier this does not give you reason to relax and not monitor your profile, as potential employers can still do a search and view your profile.

3. Twitter

Twitter, like Facebook is an online social networking platform where users can send and read “tweets”. Twitter differs slightly to Facebook by being able to read and receive tweets about a specific professional industry. By tweeting with your industry specific influencers, you are able to get a foot in their network and this could show your potential employers your knowledge about the industry and your professional networking skills. This could create a good impression.

The correct way to put your Twitter handle on your resume: @ElectusRecruit - Never use the URL link.

The employee transparency subject that was brought up will come up again with Twitter. However, if you are not interacting with your industry/influencers of choice and are using Twitter for personal use this will have no benefit for your potential employers to view your Twitter profile.

As social media recruitment slowly becomes as an integral part of our lives, slowly the distinction between professional and personal social networking platforms will fade. It is of utmost importance for social media users to maintain a reputable online presence whether they are job seeking or not. Remember even if you do not include social media links this does not mean your potential employers won’t search your name.

How to Identify the Correct Employment Agency to Work With

I have noticed that in the business world, recruitment agencies are categorised along with property agents as consultants who are just there to chase the sale and rob client companies of their money.

According to rumour, agents have the ability to paint you this beautiful picture of your Top Billing dream white-picket-fence house in the perfect town where your kids will grow up playing in the streets and you will wake up every morning to the smell of home-made bread and fresh brewed coffee hearing nothing other than the birds singing their cheerful songs, just to make the sale and to get their cut of commission.

Meanwhile, a month later when you have moved in you notice that your kids can’t play in the streets, the bread is stale and the coffee cold. And opposed to the homely aromas you wake up to the stench of the paper mill that is just situated behind the hill. The bird’s cheerful songs are replaced by the hum of traffic and to top it all off you have to redo the whole house’s electric wiring, costing you a fortune. Since you’ve broke the bank, in summer the only gifts you can afford is scuba gear for your family because the roof is leaking and your perfect house has become the local swimming pool after the first rain. 

Sad but true, most recruitment agencies are in the business simply to make money. However, on the brighter side there are still a few agencies out there that really have a passion for what they are doing and who’s biggest motivation is to make a difference in someone else’s life while generating an honest profit.

The big question still remains. How do you identify the correct agency to work with?

For any business a recruitment agency must be a lot more than just an expense, they must be a business partner and someone that adds value to the organisation and whom you can trust. Trusting an agency with the recruitment process is almost the same as trusting them with your organisations future because when you employ new personnel you are not trying to fill your organisation’s organogram, you want the right people that shares in your common goals and values.

A Candidate must be able to trust a recruitment agency with not only their future but their family’s future. You do not want to accept a promising position just to find out 2 months later that you are worse off.

I can carry on for days about the negative impact choosing an ill-fitting agency  can have, resulting in devastating effects for client companies and a candidate’s future.

Below are five pointers to consider before appointing your recruitment partner.

1)      Eligibility & Credibility

Candidate – Ensure that the company you are entrusting your career path to is eligible and credible; just as recruiters require references and certifications from you, just so you have the right to request their references and certifications. Do a bit of research on your recruitment agency e.g. Visit their website and Google their name

Client – Ensure that the company you intend to entrust the recruitment process to is also both eligible and creditable. As an example fly by nights often do not possess BEE Certification, are not VAT registered and are not affiliated to a professional body. Just as a candidate has the right to request certification and references you as a client reserve that exact same right.

2)      Personal Interest and Relationships

Look for a company that values client / candidate relationships. A good indicator in this case would be a company that takes the time and ensures to conduct proper face-to-face interviews and on a regular basis avail themselves for client visits. This value almost always indicates the intention to build long term and lasting relationships be it between client/recruiter, client/candidate or candidate/recruiter.

3)      Corporate Values with a Sense of Urgency

Ensure that the company you intend on using understands corporate values such as feedback and turnaround times and that they also share in the same sense of urgency as you or your company does, time is money and in the fast paced world we are living in it is important that the company you work with can produce the desired results, on time, on standard and within budget.

4)      Advice and Constructive Criticism

Recruitment agencies that feel comfortable in giving advice and constructive criticism show that they are specialists within their profession and industry.

Candidates – Search for an agency that is willing to give you their honest opinion about your career history and your skills shortage in the market. They will also be able to give you advice on how to improve your CV to a CV that Sells!

Clients – Recruiters that are not afraid to give their opinion represent an agency you definitely need to consider working with. A good consultant should be confident enough to provide advice the job spec should be adapted to make it more ‘place-able’ and give indications to clients who may have unrealistic expectations.

5)      Recruitment fees:

Candidates – Be aware of agencies that is charging you a fee to market your CV or who charge a fee to upload your CV onto their database. According to South African law recruiters are not allowed to charge a recruitment fee to a candidate.

Clients – Look for a recruitment company that is charging a market related fee, anything between 12,5% - 18% of the Candidates annual cost to company. Recruitment agencies charging a fee higher than 20% on a candidates annual Cost to Company are only in the business to make money. Be aware of agencies that are charging less than 10%, normally these agencies are desperate for work. Therefore, they lower their fee. Think about it, we all are in the business world to make a profit and to work for a turnover lower than 10% is not profitable for any recruitment agency, there must be a reason why they are rating their own service worth less than 10%. It is astonishing how much it costs to keep an agency running and on 12.5% the N.O.P. is around the 25% mark.


If you are looking to partner up and build a good working relationship with a recruiter, take the time to select the right one. Time spent selecting the right agency will not only save you time and money in the long run but ensure you the best for your career or company.

The number 1 reason you should form a relationship with a specialist recruitment agency

If you have been following our recent Blog posts you would have noticed that there was no post made last week – yes, that was my fault. Being faced with the realities most working individuals experience on a daily basis, balancing a 9 to 5 working day with a personal life, I understand the time constraints that any individual faces.

Save time by building a good business relationship with a specialist recruiter

While sitting in the infamous William Nicol traffic last night, I found myself wishing for more time or simply a better means to manage my flooded inbox without the prospect of a fender bender. It made me consider what I believe to be the greatest advantage of making use of a recruitment consultancy’s services. From both sides of the spectrum, whether you are a candidate or client, in truth there are many benefits to be gained by using a specialist agency to assist you in finding a new role or searching for the perfect employee to up your revenue growth.  Having had experience as both a job-seeker and an employer, I believe the primary benefit to working with an agency would be that we save you time. After all, time is money and it goes without saying that we could all do with a bit of spare change in our pockets.

As facilitators of achievement, we seek to create mutually beneficial and symbiotic partnerships with candidates and clients to enable them to be fully effective.

As a candidate, once an agency understands your career history and goals going forward, they can keep their eyes out for you – to inform and apply you to only those vacancies that would be best suited to your skill set, level of experience and in-line with the direction you hope to take your career in. This extends the scope of your job search and increases your opportunity to find your dream job.

From a client’s perspective, the need to enter into the time-consuming (and sometimes painful) task of having to read through countless applications and CV’s can be avoided. A well trained consultant, who understands their clients’ needs with confidence, will be meticulous and selective in the filtering of unsuitable applicants, freeing up your interview time to focus on only the most suitable of applicants. Our recruitment consultants handle the entire recruitment and administrative process, from advertising the vacancy and filtering countless applications, to conducting the necessary pre-employment checks on request. We conduct a screening interview and create a shortlist to send to the client as per the brief of each client in order to ensure that we supply our clients with the best candidate who is going to add value to their organisation.

Building a good relationship with a recruitment consultancy firm can yield positive results in a number of ways.

We would love to hear your thoughts: 

Through your experience, what has been the most valuable benefit you have gained through working together with a professional employment agency?