Big, (for me) Interview on Monday, help appreciated.

Big, (for me) Interview on Monday, help appreciated.

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chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Friday 18th November 2016
quotequote all
As per title, the role is for the position of Chauffeur/Fleet Manager. Because of the nature of the industry I'll have to skirt around this a little bit and hope that makes sense.
The role will be split approx 70% Chauffeur duties and 30% Fleet duties.
Fleet equates to 5 vehicles used on a daily basis, plus all other estate and grounds vehicles both on and off the main estate and also a private car collection. The description states the fleet primarily needs maintaining, cleaning, taxing, servicing and general daily upkeep.

The job description also states you must be personable and professional, eager to help out and go the extra mile and work really well within a team, (I.E. coordinating/communicating with the Nannies, house staff, Principles and the PA.)
It is primarily a Monday-Friday role with set hours, but as is the norm in this field I would be required to be flexible on start and finish times and be available for weekend duties and some international travel.
It also states I must have a good knowledge of London routes and the area of ..... where the families residence is. I am comfortable driving anywhere in London, and luckily for me I have an excellent knowledge of the area where the family are based.

I am more than happy with all of the above as it is very similar to my previous role in this field although there is more responsibility with this potential job as the fleet is bigger in the new role than in my previous one. I have no problem with this as I like a challenge and like to think I could excel. At the moment I don't know how the fleet has been maintained and by whom, and what the exact specifics are that they have in place. I'm sure this will all become clear at a later stage should I be successful. I have a few ideas of my own, but some of these may already be in place.

I am happy that I fit in with all their requirements, (I hope that doesn't come across big headed, I'm not) and am pleased that I have made it to the interview stage as on paper this sounds like a fantastic job for me that I am very, very interested in.

My only concern is the actual interview itself. It is in central London and I will be meeting with 3 people.
The Principles PA
Head of Operations and HR
COO

This type of interview is something I'm not really used to and puts me a little out of my comfort zone.

I have done some, (a lot) of research on the business and now have an understanding of what it is exactly they do, where and how they started and where the business is at today.
I will also be spending a lot of time over the weekend doing some more detailed research on maintaining and looking after a car collection, both sports and classics.
I will obviously turn up for the interview in my freshly dry cleaned suit and polished shoes and will try and come across as confident and knowledgeable , but definitely not cocky.

Does anyone have any tips in general, or any ideas on what sorts of questions I may be asked or curve balls I may be thrown?
Any help greatly appreciated.


renmure

4,212 posts

223 months

Friday 18th November 2016
quotequote all
Nothing constructive to say since my last interview was at the newsagents when I was looking for a paper round... but good luck!!

ps, I get the feeling you will do well wink

chrisxr2

1,127 posts

193 months

Friday 18th November 2016
quotequote all
Going from the last similar job you described on here you should walk into it, I would imagine an awesome reference if required too.

krisdelta

4,566 posts

200 months

Friday 18th November 2016
quotequote all
It may seem a bit daunting to meet three people, but only one can talk to you at once smile My advice would be (having conducted many interviews both 1:1 and panel style):

1) Take time to introduce yourself to each of them with a handshake, eye contact and a smile - repeat their name back "nice to meet you Bob" (so you hopefully remember who is who)
2) If you're offered a drink - get a glass of water, if you get a tricky question - taking a sip for your "dry throat" gives you a moment or two to think.
3) Make sure you have a question for them - I always enjoy asking people how long they've worked there and why the still enjoy working there - it makes them try and sell the role / employer to you and can give you a hint is there are some downsides to working there.
4) If you don't know something - be straight, but explain how you have approached a similar problem in a previous job.

More than anything else, just be you - nothing is worse than getting a job (or not getting it!) based on a false impression trying to be who you imagine they want. If you're really interested in the role, let that come across. At the end of the interview, no matter how good / bad - thank them for their time with a smile.

Good luck and I hope it goes well, confidence is king smile

Corpulent Tosser

5,459 posts

244 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
Firstly good luck with the interview, it sounds like you have done some good research and have the experience required.

krisdelta said:
confidence is king smile
This is very true, I have worked as a contractor mainly on project work for over 25 and have got most positions I have been interviewed for and have always been comfortable and confident in interview situations.

So walk in confidently, as has been said before eye contact (not too long or it gets creepy wink) good handshake and relax/be yourself.

Again, good luck.

Ashfordian

2,003 posts

88 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
chilistrucker said:
I will obviously turn up for the interview in my freshly dry cleaned suit and polished shoes and will try and come across as confident and knowledgeable , but definitely not cocky.

Does anyone have any tips in general, or any ideas on what sorts of questions I may be asked or curve balls I may be thrown?
Any help greatly appreciated.
I've lurked on your recent threads and from your posts you come across as a great employee. If anything, I would say you give too much for a role, but that is personal preference.

You seem to be ready for this so all I can add is have plenty of questions available to ask them. Questions to me shows interest in the role. Expect many of your questions to be answered by them when they explain the role and during the interview but a couple of good questions will demonstrate your knowledge and skills, possibly more so than some answers that you give to their questions.

They will ask you for and want questions from you.

Apart from that, best of luck

chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
krisdelta said:
It may seem a bit daunting to meet three people, but only one can talk to you at once smile My advice would be (having conducted many interviews both 1:1 and panel style):

1) Take time to introduce yourself to each of them with a handshake, eye contact and a smile - repeat their name back "nice to meet you Bob" (so you hopefully remember who is who)
2) If you're offered a drink - get a glass of water, if you get a tricky question - taking a sip for your "dry throat" gives you a moment or two to think.
3) Make sure you have a question for them - I always enjoy asking people how long they've worked there and why the still enjoy working there - it makes them try and sell the role / employer to you and can give you a hint is there are some downsides to working there.
4) If you don't know something - be straight, but explain how you have approached a similar problem in a previous job.

More than anything else, just be you - nothing is worse than getting a job (or not getting it!) based on a false impression trying to be who you imagine they want. If you're really interested in the role, let that come across. At the end of the interview, no matter how good / bad - thank them for their time with a smile.

Good luck and I hope it goes well, confidence is king smile
Thank you all for the replies it is greatly appreciated.

If you don't mind I will nick your question, I like that.
I will indeed follow the advice of all, go in confident, a good handshake and nice to meet you Dave, Bob, etc with eye contact and from there I will just be myself and be 100% honest.

I do have a couple of questions of my own to ask if they don't come up during the interview. How do I best conduct myself here, should the questions just be in my head, or is it acceptable for me to have a few notes?
I just want to get it right, this could be a big deal for me.

I have a friend who has a shipping company, moving freight worldwide and luckily his specialty is prestige cars so I had a good chat with him earlier. I will spend most of the weekend doing more research.
To be honest, my biggest concern after the interview was/is the car collection. There will obviously be vehicles in it that I have not dealt with before, but as has been pointed out to me you can't know everything. My old estate manager said, did you know the cars here before you started? I didn't, but I do now.


The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

116 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
chilistrucker said:
Thank you all for the replies it is greatly appreciated.

If you don't mind I will nick your question, I like that.
I will indeed follow the advice of all, go in confident, a good handshake and nice to meet you Dave, Bob, etc with eye contact and from there I will just be myself and be 100% honest.

I do have a couple of questions of my own to ask if they don't come up during the interview. How do I best conduct myself here, should the questions just be in my head, or is it acceptable for me to have a few notes?
I just want to get it right, this could be a big deal for me.

I have a friend who has a shipping company, moving freight worldwide and luckily his specialty is prestige cars so I had a good chat with him earlier. I will spend most of the weekend doing more research.
To be honest, my biggest concern after the interview was/is the car collection. There will obviously be vehicles in it that I have not dealt with before, but as has been pointed out to me you can't know everything. My old estate manager said, did you know the cars here before you started? I didn't, but I do now.
Would they possibly prefer to be called Mr Smith etc? Not impossible, even nowadays, perhaps more so, if Middle or Far Eastern principals are involved.

chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
Would they possibly prefer to be called Mr Smith etc? Not impossible, even nowadays, perhaps more so, if Middle or Far Eastern principals are involved.
Good point. My first year with the family from the Middle East the two elders, their grown up children and partners were all called Sir and Madam. Grand kids aged 8-20 were all on a first name terms. This year all the individuals told me to call them by their first name, which was nice. The head of the family though was always Sir. Even if I was told otherwise, I would have still called him Sir.

If I'm honest I do prefer a more relaxed and informal approach but am more than happy to be formal if required.

Gargamel

14,957 posts

260 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
Chilli if you do want to ask questions, then that is fine. However it depends on what.

Some questions may reveal your ignorance of a subject and come across as a gap in knowledge. others might reveal your interest only in working conditions pay and holiday.

I am not suggesting you would do either of these. but just think about what else is being communicated.

EG, So how do I have to work weekends.... probably not a great question.

What expectations do you have of me in the first six months ? is better

Try to avoid to much detail, like where do the cars currently get serviced, you can work all that out when get the role.

will I have autonomy to find the correct suppliers for the maintence of the vehicles, if they meet the requirements on quality of work and price ? - again could be a good question.

Good luck. !


chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
Gargamel said:
Chilli if you do want to ask questions, then that is fine. However it depends on what.

Some questions may reveal your ignorance of a subject and come across as a gap in knowledge. others might reveal your interest only in working conditions pay and holiday.

I am not suggesting you would do either of these. but just think about what else is being communicated.

EG, So how do I have to work weekends.... probably not a great question.

What expectations do you have of me in the first six months ? is better

Try to avoid to much detail, like where do the cars currently get serviced, you can work all that out when get the role.

will I have autonomy to find the correct suppliers for the maintence of the vehicles, if they meet the requirements on quality of work and price ? - again could be a good question.

Good luck. !
Thanks Gargamel.
I was definitely going to avoid the weekend type questions. Based on previous experience I know that flexibility is key in this sort of role. I definitely want to avoid the ignorance to the role questions and although it is a question in my head with regards to current vehicle maintenance, I agree with you 100% that I will avoid this at interview stage as it will soon become apparent should I get the job.

I like the, 6 month expectation and autonomy points, very handy and noted wink

Langweilig

4,298 posts

210 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
You did research into the workings of the company. That's good preparation. The more you know about this potential employer, the better. You could use this information effectively at the interview, either to talk about your role within the company or near the end when the panel asks you, "Are there any questions you'd like to ask?"

You state that it's a panel interview. Good. I prefer these to one-on-one interviews. I find it best to take a note of the interview panel's names and use them when you answer a question. "Well, Mr. Smith, I can work entirely on my own initiative", for example.


Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
Have your hair cut. I always try to do this a day or so before an interview...does wonders for my confidence.

0a

23,879 posts

193 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
chilistrucker said:
I have done some, (a lot) of research on the business and now have an understanding of what it is exactly they do, where and how they started and where the business is at today.
I will also be spending a lot of time over the weekend doing some more detailed research on maintaining and looking after a car collection, both sports and classics.
I will obviously turn up for the interview in my freshly dry cleaned suit and polished shoes and will try and come across as confident and knowledgeable , but definitely not cocky.
It sounds like you have done exactly the right thing to put you in a great position.

Remember that the people on the other side of the table are people as well, and the thing that would make their lives easiest and most pleasant would be to find that you are the right person for the job, and then make you an offer.

Do take a quick look at those interviewing on linkedin (if you have not done so already and they are on there) just to get familiar with their background and what their interests might be.

Good luck smile

battered

4,088 posts

146 months

Saturday 19th November 2016
quotequote all
As above, lots of good advice there.
Also - mug up on questions. What would *you* ask the prospective candidate? Prep answers for what you think are likely questions.
Also - have questions prepped so you can show your interest and ability to do the job. Stuff like "What do you regard as 3 key skills for this job?" and be ready for them to answer and then ask YOU how you shape up to them.
Your other questions should point up that you are keen and confident in the job but not excessively pushy or anything else that may be a negative in that particular job. This varies of course, depending on whether you are going to be an audit accountant or a cold call salesman.

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Sunday 20th November 2016
quotequote all
I may have missed a post, but what happened with the role with the previous family you had where you were potentially in line for a different role?


shep1001

4,599 posts

188 months

Sunday 20th November 2016
quotequote all
You seem to have it well covered. You have looked into who they are, what they do & what they want you to do & where they want you to do it so there is not much more you can do really. Just keep calm & remember......


Don't underestimate your ability, you can be confident without being cocky
Illustrate answers to questions using your previous experience which you clearly have from one of your other posts I followed.
Stop and think your answers through, no need to say the first thing that entered your head. A calm considered approach projects a confident image under pressure.
Don't panic, they are just people at the end of the day. I work with clients all over the world and some are more challenging in their behaviour/attitude/mannerisms than others, disconcerting at first but when you know what to expect you aren't phased by it so much. I find people from the middle East to be particularly challenging......

Good luck, oh and don't be afraid to explain to them what you expect from the role including salary expectations if this has not already been set out.

Edited by shep1001 on Sunday 20th November 08:35

chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Sunday 20th November 2016
quotequote all
GCH said:
I may have missed a post, but what happened with the role with the previous family you had where you were potentially in line for a different role?
Purely salary, the money man said they wouldn't pay more than X amount for the role they wanted me to do. It was way under industry average especially for the hours and commitment I gave.
This job is offering 20% more salary wise, plus perks!

Thanks to everyone who has posted on here and the super car page I feel a lot better prepared now for the interview tomorrow with the tips, advice and expert knowledge I have been given.

elanfan

5,516 posts

226 months

Sunday 20th November 2016
quotequote all
Got time for a proper wet shave at a barbers shop? Probably won't help much but might relax you and make you feel great!

Is this a native British family this time? Hopefully that alone should remove a few pitfalls.

chilistrucker

Original Poster:

4,541 posts

150 months

Sunday 20th November 2016
quotequote all
elanfan said:
Got time for a proper wet shave at a barbers shop? Probably won't help much but might relax you and make you feel great!

Is this a native British family this time? Hopefully that alone should remove a few pitfalls.
Shave and haircut done wink

British family this time.