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When it comes to getting your dream job, we all know how difficult and tiresome the process can be. You may have spent weeks, or months, searching through job boards, speaking to recruitment consultants, and working through online tests.
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However, after all of this, you may fail in securing the prized role in the face-to-face interview. Even after all your hard work you can fall short in the interview for a number of reasons, be that a lack of company knowledge, poor communication skills or simply the way you highlight your accomplishments.
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Lots of the time interviewees think this is due to nerves or a lack of experience, but there is normally one culprit: poor interview preparation. To increase your chances of landing that dream job and taking a step up in your career, here is your essential guide to interview preparation.
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Study your CV very carefully because you may be asked a question based on what you've written. If you answer incorrectly the employer may think that you're not credible and they may not trust you. Ensure that you also re-read your CV just before your interview so it's fresh in your mind and you feel confident.
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One of the biggest deal-breakers for hiring managers is when candidates are invited to interview but know very little about the company or the position they’ve applied for. Spend at least an hour on the employer's website learning about the organisation.
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The 'About Us' section is useful to see the mission of the company and their core values - use this to see whether you are a good match. There may be a recruitment section that tells you about the type of people they’re looking for so consider tailoring your answers to incorporate these attributes.
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Ensure that you know the format of the interview and the number of interviewers. You're reducing what you're most afraid of - the unknown, so you'll feel more relaxed. Also, the planning won't differ significantly but there are small things you can now prepare for, for example, if you know you're getting interviewed by three people rather than one person,
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it would be beneficial to practice looking at the person who asked the question when you answer because when you're nervous you may try looking at all of the interviewers. If you have the facts beforehand you can prepare aptly and practice.
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There’s no better way to undertake interview preparation and to overcome nerves than by practicing interview questions. If you are applying for some of the larger, more famous companies, then you will likely be able to search online and find sample questions that candidates are often asked.
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If not, find questions from similar companies in your industry and get friends or relatives to test you on them. There are also some great apps to help with your job search and interview practice. Here are some tips explaining how to answer commonly asked questions:
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"Tell me about yourself / your background" – This question helps you ease into the interview as it gives you the control. – Your answer much be relevant to the job you are applying for. – Avoid long-winded answers and going on tangents. – Cover your education, experience and interest in the industry – It's not your life-story - it should take around 2-3 minutes
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"What are your limitations / weaknesses?" – Be honest - everyone has weaknesses. – Tell the interviewer your weakness, without using negative language, and explain how you're trying to address it - essentially you want to explain how this weakness will be a strength in the near future.
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"Why should you get this job?" – The interviewer wants you to persuade them why you're the best choice. – You need to show them why you want the job and why you're valuable. – E.g. "From what we've spoken about, you want to X/ resolve X. In this past I have shown that I am…. (your experience and your skills).
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"Why did your apply for this job?" / "Why do you want this job?" – Concentrate on why the organisation and job enthuse you. – This is a good place to reveal your knowledge about the organisation and mention points from the job description that make you suited for the role.
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Most questions in an interview are competency-based and you simply answer them based on your previous experiences. The interviewers are trying to see the compatibility with the position you're applying for. It's easy to distinguish these questions as they generally start like this: – Tell me about a time when you... – Do you have an example of when you/how you...
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Some key competencies: – Teamwork – Decision making – Responsibility – Communication skills – Adaptability – Negotiation – Motivation – Leadership – Ability to work under pressure – Problem-solving – Initiative – Organisation
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To prepare for competency-based questions: 1. Look at all of the competencies in the job specification. 2. Think of examples of how you meet these. 3. Think of a variety of examples you can use. 4. Use the STAR technique to create an answer.
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You shouldn’t spend the whole time answering questions - you should prepare 2 or 3 of your own to ask the interviewer as most interviewers will ask if you have any questions. Your questions should be specific, not generic, to show that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about the job and that you have thought about the role and company.
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For example, you could ask about the company culture or the challenges previous employees in your potential role have faced. Other potential questions: – Is this a new role or an existing one? What did the previous employee go on to do? – Does the company offer any training schemes? – What would you describe as a typical day in this role?
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– What are the company's plans for the future/growth and development? – How do you advance in this company? – What are the biggest rewards of this role and working for this company? – What are the biggest challenges of this role? – Who does this position report to? – How many people work in this team/office/department?
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Job interview preparation isn’t just about the interview itself, it’s about getting you in the right mindset too. Interviews are stressful enough for most people so ensure that you organise what you need to the day before. Plan your journey to the interview location and factor in an extra half an hour for traffic or delayed public transport.
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Find a coffee shop beforehand so you know where to go if you arrive too early - you'll feel less nervous sitting in a cafe than in your interview's venue. Plan your outfit at least the day before to ensure you have clean, pressed, clothes to wear. Your outfit should be professional, comfortable and make you feel confident.
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Women – Suit with skirt or pants (regardless of company dress code, take the conservative approach) – Knee-length skirts are typically appropriate – Stick to dark colour schemes, no loud colours – Understated makeup and nail polish – Limit jewellery and accessories – Neat, conservative hairstyle
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Men – Wear a suit (even if typical company dress code is more casual) – Matching dress suit and trousers – Tie – Dress shirt – Dark socks and polished shoes – Neat and tidy hairstyle
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Bring these to the interview: – Copies of your CV – Examples of your work if possible – Notebook and pen - you may want to make notes during the interview about important points, such as key features about the role. It will show that you're interested and motivated.
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It is completely natural that you will get nervous during an interview for a role that you are particularly passionate about. This is to be expected, and hiring managers will understand minor nerves, but it is always best to try and compose yourself as much as possible and come across as strong and confident when meeting with them.
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To help you hide those nerves and display the best possible image, here are some interview tips to help you: – Choose to stand, instead of sitting, while you wait in the interview room, this means you are prepared and look more in control when the interviewer comes to meet you.
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– Take deep breaths before entering the room as a means to calm yourself and control your breathing. – Just before the interview, open your mouth, stick your tongue out as far as possible, and speak your favourite nursery rhyme. This technique helps open up your throat and allows you to speak more clearly and more confidently.
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– To overcome any shaking, squeeze your buttocks tight together while sitting. – Sit slightly forward in your chair, this makes you come across as more confident and helps stop your throat from closing up. – Showing your hands at all times is seen by our subconscious as a sign of honesty, and it also helps stop you from fidgeting.
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Practicing is the best way to prepare for an interview. When you feel confident in your question and answer preparation, conduct interviews in same format as the real interview, for example, if it's a phone interview then get your friend to call you. It's useful to give your practice interviewers the job description so they can create more authentic and realistic questions.
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Practicing your body language is also very important because when we get nervous we tend to engage in our personal nervous behaviours. Firstly, detect what nervous behaviours you engage in - feedback from practices will helps with this and so would filming yourself during interview practice.
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Practice: – Smiling – Having an open body language e.g. not crossing your arms – Avoiding slouching or sitting stiffly – Laying your hands in your lap – Speaking to and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer that asked you the question – Shutting down your nervous behaviours
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Practice: – Smiling – Having an open body language e.g. not crossing your arms – Avoiding slouching or sitting stiffly – Laying your hands in your lap – Speaking to and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer that asked you the question – Shutting down your nervous behaviours
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Good interview etiquette means waiting between 24 to 48 hours before sending post-interview correspondence. A common way of doing this is via email, or alternatively any other form of communication they gave you. Ideally, you want to contact every person who interviewed you and briefly thank them for their time and reiterate exactly why you are perfect for the role.
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Keeping the message to the point is crucial so don't waffle about why you love the company and how much you enjoyed meeting them. Instead, clearly identify what it is that you possess that will benefit the company and why you are different to everyone else they have interviewed. This brief yet concise email will help keep you fresh in their minds when they make their decision.
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Keeping the message to the point is crucial so don't waffle about why you love the company and how much you enjoyed meeting them. Instead, clearly identify what it is that you possess that will benefit the company and why you are different to everyone else they have interviewed. This brief yet concise email will help keep you fresh in their minds when they make their decision.
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This will vary greatly depending on the role you are applying for, what stage of the interview process you are at, and how many people they need to interview for the position. Hopefully, the interviewer will give you some indication of how long you will have to wait and, if you feel you have built up enough rapport in your meeting,
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you can even ask at the end whether they require anything else from you and when you can expect to hear from them. Really, it all comes down to patience and knowing you did everything you could on the day of the interview.
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After the interview you may be asked to attend a second interview so prepare for it in the same way but additionally: – Ask for feedback from your first interview as this will give you suggestions on improvements. – Go into more depth when researching the company and prepare examples of how you think you can help the company.