"Is a short interview a bad interview?"

Raj Sidhu says:

"Interviews for locum posts tend to be on average 30 minutes in duration. This is significantly shorter than what a permanent interview would be, but this is certainly the norm for locum posts. For example, a candidate just went in for interview for a childcare locum role in a London Borough through us today - his interview lasted just 20 minutes and he has subsequently been offered the role!"

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Gemma Beattie says:

"Not necessarily, in fact even at the very senior end of the market we have seen successful interviews last as little as 20 minutes.

Interviews are however, an opportunity for you to promote yourself and ensuring you answer questions thoroughly is essential (without over talking).

In order to ensure you maximise your chances at interview, there are a few important things to remember.

1.  Preparation.  Ensure you have as much information as possible on your potential employer, the team you will be joining and the job specification.  Your recruitment consultant can help you with this and prepare you for the likely format of the interview.

2. Anticipate questions from the interviewer.  Read your CV again.  You must be familiar with it and be able to answer honestly and concisely any questions that may be asked.

3. Arrive 10 minutes before.  Arriving too earlier or late can set things off on a bad note,

4. Questions for the Interviewer.  Interviews are a two way process.  Prepare any questions that you may have.  Don’t be afraid of writing them down and taking them into the interview.  Such preparation will reassure the interviewers that you have thought about the meeting beforehand and that your career matters to you.  It should also ensure that you have the information needed when making any future decisions.

Once you have undertaken the steps above you will be well prepared for any interview, giving yourself the best possible opportunity to respond confidently and articulately to most of the questions.  This will ensure your full range of skills are demonstrated to the interviewer.  Make use of your consultant – they should be able to use their experience to guide you."

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