Top 5 Interview Tips
Many people find interviewing deeply stressful. But good preparation is the best way to beat the nerves and ensure you present your most authentic self. Follow the Interview Tips below and we are sure you’ll do great!
- Do your research! Research both the company and the person you’re meeting. Linkedin comes in handy for researching the person and there is no excuse for not perusing the company’s website and getting a good understanding of what it is they do. If you want to be fully prepared it is useful to understand the market they operate in and who the key competitors are.
- Prepare answers! If the role is for a specific position make sure you have seen the job description and read it in detail. Know your CV and prepare answers that will be relevant to the key areas of the job description. It’s very important that you are able to articulate your key responsibilities in your previous positions but also to mention your achievements. In what way did you put your own personal stamp on the role you were last in, or are still in? How did you improve it? These are the areas you will be asked about, especially your achievements, so make sure you have thought about this in advance. If the interview includes Competency Based questions then the best way of answering these questions is via the STAR technique. Click this link for some great advice on Competency Based interview questions
- Dress to impress & know where you’re going! Plan in advance what you will wear and ensure you present professionally. Also plan your route and always allow enough time. It is better to be early and have to walk the block than to be late. If you are late then make sure you have the phone number on you to call the person interviewing you to let them know you are running late. First impressions count.
- They’re only human! Try to remain calm and remember that the person interviewing you is just a person. They want you to do well! They would not have called you in for an interview if there wasn’t something about your CV that made them think you could do the job.
- Ask questions! You can demonstrate your interest by asking relevant questions – always have at least three questions prepared before you go in, and don’t be afraid to ask any questions a long the way if something didn’t make sense to you.
Last, but not least – SMILE! There is so much evidence on body language mirroring. Scientific evidence suggests that we automatically copy the body language of others. So a great way to get your interviewer into a good mood is to smile and be happy. Plus when we smile we relax – so despite the nerves do your best to relax and smile.