It’s well known that almost all jobs we apply for will come with an interview to determine whether we are the right candidate for the role. These can be daunting regardless of how confident we are, so it’s useful to have these hints and tips up your sleeve!
1. Always double check the time, date, and venue of your interview. You can’t show your prospective new employer what an excellent candidate you are if you turn up on the wrong day. Make sure you sort your travel arrangements well in advance, so you don’t miss your bus or take a wrong turn.
2. Dress for the job you want! Think professional and smart when making your wardrobe choice for the interview. It might not be the wisest choice to show up in scruffy trainers and a tracksuit if you’re interviewing for the role of Senior Accounts Manager.
3. If you can, find out your interviewers’ names and their positions within the company. This will help you to remember names and avoid any unnecessary embarrassment.
4. Research! Try to do as much research about the company as you can to show your investment and interest. This will also work well as a point to draw upon if they ask about why you want to work for them, or if they ask what you know about their business.
5. Re-read the job description and try to think of questions you may be asked. Questions may relate to your experience with particular software or knowledge of particular processes that are involved within the role.
6. Think about your skills. All jobs give us transferable skills that serve us well in future roles. Try to make a mental list of skills required for the role that you possess and an example of when you’ve utilised them.
7. Find out what style of interview it is and think about how you’ll approach this. You may be required to give more detailed responses while on the spot so it’s good to keep possible answers fresh on your mind.
8. “Tell me about yourself.” No, you don’t need to talk about your childhood best friend, favourite colour, or last night’s dinner. Though you are encouraged to talk about your education, experiences, and interests. You might want to talk about where you went to university, and why you chose to study your degree. You can then lead on to talk about your previous employment or relevant volunteering. Help paint a picture of your professional self so the interviewer can decide where to take the interview from there.
9. Try to arrive early for your interview. We recommend arriving around 15 minutes before your scheduled time, so you can find where you’re going, show your punctuality and get settled before it begins.
10. Try some breathing exercises if you start to feel nervous. Stay calm and give it your best shot.
11. Make eye contact with your interviewers. This shows you are confident and engaged. Avoid looking down or away after giving your answers.
12. Listen carefully to what you’re being asked. If you aren’t sure what they mean by something, you can always ask them to repeat or reframe the question! Genuinely think about what you are being asked and formulate your answer as close to the question as possible.
13. Ask questions of your own! Make sure you have a few questions to mind of things you’d like to know about the business or role in their company. Interviewers like candidates that show they are interested.
14. Don’t forget to smile! It’s okay to be nervous or unsure, the interviewer will see what an excellent attitude you have if you are polite, smile and strive to make a good impression.
Best of luck to you!