Ten Dynamics interview tips for consultants

Even for the most experienced, most skilled Dynamics consultants, interviews occasionally lead to disappointing results which don’t seem commensurate with the candidate’s ability to perform in the role.

A number of challenges can arise during a Dynamics interview. Your skills might be misunderstood or underestimated. You might misunderstand some of the circumstances attached to the role.

A well-prepared Dynamics interview will allow you not only to demonstrate your skills in the right way, but also to ensure you get the information you need at the right time.

You should begin any Dynamics interview with two goals in mind:

• Demonstrating why you are a great fit for the role at hand.
• Finding out if the company for which you are interviewing is a good place for you to work.

Our Dynamics interview tips will help you to accomplish these two goals.

 

How to prepare for a Dynamics interview

Preparation is an essential part of a successful Dynamics interview. You should establish the steps and methods which work well for you – but there are some essential things that should always be a part of it.

1 – Read the job advert carefully

It is true that the responsibilities and requirements for equivalent Dynamics roles are often similar. However, depending on the employer, some skills will be more important than others. To make the best use of your interviewing time, make sure you go in knowing what requirements matter most to this company, and be prepared to demonstrate how you meet these requirements.

Check that you understand the work conditions (particularly the salary range and travel requirements) – if not, you probably should ask the employer to clarify these points during your interview.

 

2 – Research the company

It’s particularly important that you understand the employer’s positioning in the Dynamics space: what industries do they specialise in? What are their core values? What do they do differently? What do they hope to bring to their customers? Think of what the employer’s main goals and challenges might be. Then think of how you specifically can help them to meet these goals or to overcome these challenges.

 

3 – Find out who will be interviewing you

Most companies typically have three stages in their interviewing process, during which you will be speaking to a variety of professionals. Most likely, these will be a mix of HR professionals or senior executives and of Dynamics team leaders or project managers.

Each of these professionals will be asking you different types of questions. For instance, an HR person is unlikely to need you to provide in-depth technical details of your experience, but will be very interested in your soft skills and in the way you might fit in with the company culture.

 

4 – Research different kinds of interview questions

There are many, many online resources which provide lists of typical interview questions, some of which are targeted at Microsoft Dynamics. It’s a good idea to research typical Dynamics questions for your main product of expertise, as well as more generic interview questions which are aimed at assessing your soft skills and the type of work environment which might be right for you.

 

5 – Practice your responses

This is particularly recommended if you haven’t interviewed in a long time, or if you find that you regularly get turned down at the interview stage for roles whose requirements you think you meet really well. Pick a few example interview questions, and think about how you might respond to them.

6 – Read the latest news for your Dynamics product of choice

You may be asked to demonstrate your interest in your product of expertise by sharing your thoughts about some of the latest developments and news in your area of focus. Prepare yourself by making sure you are up to date and ready to discuss the topic.

 

What to do during a Dynamics interview

 

7 – Listen carefully

It is essential that you take the time to listen to the interviewer’s questions and to the information they give you before you jump in and respond. It may sound obvious, but many candidates tend to dive into an answer too quickly, thus missing the point of the question entirely. Your listening and analysis skills will be taken into account to assess your suitability for the role.

 

8 – Build your answers well

Answering an interview question isn’t as straightforward as it might sound. There are a few important elements which should be taken into account.

• Stay on topic: candidates often start answering a question, then move on to a different aspect of their profile. Stay focused on what you have been asked.
• Focus on the most relevant points: including too many details will drown the essential information about your skills and abilities. Your answers must be appropriately elaborate, but not too long.
• Include examples: it is best to show that you have a particular skill rather than just say it. Use a few compelling examples taken from your past roles to illustrate your points.
• If your role involves meeting goals that can be quantified with numbers, it is also a good idea to include some information about how you met or exceeded your targets.

 

9 – Be positive

One of the questions the interviewer will be asking themselves is: do I want to work with this person? A positive attitude is key. Above all, avoid saying anything negative about your past employers or coworkers.

 

10 – Ask questions

It’s essential for a candidate to ask questions during an interview. Not only is it evidence of your interest in the company you are applying to work for, it’s also a way for you to get essential information about what it might be like to join them.

 

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