Preparing for Interviews

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Preparing for Interviews

Congratulations on securing an interview for your dream role!

Interviews can be a daunting experience and we want you to be able to perform at your best.

I would advise that you do a bit of preparation, research SSE and the business unit you will be joining, what are they doing as part of our netzero strategy and how does this align with your experience

On the job advert you will find some information on the business unit and a hyperlink to the specific business unit website

Next, have a look at the requirements of the role and our values and think of some examples using the star method.

And as interviews are as much about finding out about us as you, I would suggest you have a think about what questions you might ask to ensure the role is right for you such as “If I was successful what would you expect from me within the first 90 days."

The interview

SSE can use a variety of interview formats but most commonly we will use competency/behavioural based and technical interviews. During these we will ask for specific technical knowledge and examples of where you have demonstrated something in the past – for example – “please can you give me an example where you have built a relationship with an external stakeholder and how you did this?”

For some roles we may use assessment centres, personality profiling or online assessment and you’ll see the format in your interview invite. You’ll find the contact details of your recruiter on the job advert and all email communications enabling you to reach out and discuss the interview format in detail

The idea of the interview is to find out as much about you, your skills and experience so don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase a question to ensure you understand

After the interview

We’ll let you know the outcome and next steps as soon as reasonably possible

Adjustments

We want everyone to perform their best during the recruitment process and if there is a reasonable adjustment we can make to enable this, then please contact your recruiter, the recruiters details can be found on the job advert and any email communication.

What is a reasonable adjustment?

Reasonable adjustments are changes we can make to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone's disability.

How does this work?

Please contact your recruiter who can assist, some examples could include example interview questions, extra time for you to complete your online test/interview, example written questions or putting the questions in the chat function of teams. Everyone’s requirement is different and we will be guided by you.

Hannah's Top Tips

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Hannah's Top Interview Tips

Hannah, one of the resourcing consultants at SSE, shares a couple of her top tips when applying for a role with SSE.

Be Authentic!

Be honest and genuine, we are interested in you as an individual. We aren’t looking for a textbook answer, every candidate has a different story to tell.

Take time to reflect on your career history, your motivations and values, and bring these to life, highlighting your unique experiences and achievements. Including a cover letter with your application provides an opportunity to give another layer of detail and tell us more about you, your motivation for applying and what has attracted you to apply for a role with SSE.

At interview, have some pre-prepared examples of your relevant experience to the role and key points to highlight in your career history. It can help to remember, every interviewer has sat in the seat of interviewee.

Think about values

Get to know SSE’s goals and company values, if there are aspects of your background that have a personal connection to the company’s values, highlight these in your application and be prepared to talk about them at interview.

Tailor your CV and application to the role, highlight where your experience and skill set align with the job description and make sure to include any transferable skills and how you see them as relevant to the job.

Showcase your achievements both professionally and personally and tell us why they align with the role you are applying for and SSE as an employer.

If there is something you have seen or read about our business that has sparked your interest in a career with us, tell us about it – we want our employees to be passionate about the company they work for.

Recruiter Advice

Preparing for Interviews