The interview process is designed to challenge you, to assess your skills, experience and enthusiasm for a role. Because of this, it is a nerve-wracking experience for most candidates, so it pays to be prepared.
Through the Back to Basics series, we have given you advice on how to work with recruiters and how to create a stand out CV, right through to how to write a personal statement to blow potential employers away in your first opening paragraph.
Check our top tips for interview success below:
General advice
Get a good night’s sleep.
Have a good breakfast on the morning of your interview – brain food!
Plan and/or practice your journey.
Aim to arrive 15-20 minutes before the interview.
Preparation is key
Researching the company, using their website and social media channels is key. The more you know, and the more up to date and relevant the information is, the better. Make sure you know exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate, ensuring you are able to explain why you are a great fit for the role. It’s also a good idea to research the interviewer to find out what position hold so you know their perspective on the role.
TOP TIP: LinkedIn is a good tool to use for research on both the company and interviewer.
Make a good impression
Research suggests that your opinion of a person is formed within the first 10-30 seconds of meeting them. To make sure you make a good first impression ensure you dress appropriately and be aware of your body language. If in doubt, wear a smart suit – it is always better to be too smart than too casual.
TOP TIP: Take a notebook a pen into the interview with you, this will again show that you are prepared and forward-thinking.
Questions
You never really know how an interviewer will approach your meeting, but there are a few standard questions that you can prepare for.
Standard interview questions
Why do you want to leave your current role?
Why do you want this role?
Tell me about your current role?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How do you think you will fit in with our team?
What is your biggest achievement?
What is the most difficult situation you have ever had to deal with?
Prepare some questions
It’s very important to ask questions when given the opportunity as it demonstrates your interest in the business and helps you engage with the interviewer. Examples of good questions to ask could be:
Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
What plans do you have for the business?
What projects are coming up soon?
What do you like best about working for this company?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
All that is left to say is, good luck!
If you haven’t yet got an interview, check out our top CV tipsto get your job search off to a good start. Or, if you think you’re ready to apply now, browse our latest job roles here.
