If you have landed on this post, I suspect you have an interview coming up - fear not! In this Post I will be sharing my top interview tips that have helped me throughout the last 10 years. I've worked in multiple sectors - from Education, Social Media, Retail and Corporate IT. I will break these tips down into 3 parts: prepping, on the day and at the end.
Prepping
1. What do you know about the company? What is their ethos? Research the company and find out what they specialize in.
2. What exactly is requested on the job spec and how do you meet the requirements?
Relate each point they make from the spec to yourself and have at least 2-3 examples ready.
3. The system, you may have not heard of them and that is fine. A few may be mention on the job spec so jump on to YouTube and start looking them up and make notes! Get into a habit of doing this.
4. The 'Tell me about yourself' question. This is the part where you sell yourself. Start with what you are currently doing and what your daily tasks/ responsibilities are. Then speak about what you do on a personal level, travelling, sports and so on. Its also fine to add some humor here, I find that it breaks the ice.
5. Questions to ask in the end? This is very important, most if not all interviews will ask if you have any questions for them. Have at least 5 minimum questions ready, ask something meaningful or that will give you value. For example, it could be about the new role, personal development, current projects and so on. Do not ask about salary as it may be too soon and there may be a second or third stage interview.
6. If you have any learning difficulties or just find it difficult to retain information then one great tip is to record yourself using your phone (voice memos). Once you've written down your final draft, start recording and then play it back as much as you can.
On the day
7. Not had an interview in a while and feeling nervous? No problem, wake up earlier than usual on the day, go to the local coffee shop where your interview is and just prep there instead of doing it at home. This way you've given yourself plenty of time. You cannot be late even if you tried. This can be very helpful if you suffer from anxiety.
8. Dress appropriately, even if they say dress smart casual... Wear a damn suit! You will feel great! Perhaps wear sneakers on the way so you're comfy on your commute and then get changed before your interview.
9. Take a notebook with you. Have notes ready should you want to refer to them or even if you have questions you may want to ask. They will appreciate it.
10. Show up 10-15 minutes early, its better than arriving late because first impressions are everything. Don't put more pressure on yourself, you've already done the hard work - don't mess it up by being late.
11. The System again, previously mentioned in point 3. They might mention a few during the interview to check if you have used it previously, don't panic instead write them down in your notebook so when you go home you can look them up. You may not use these but now that you've researched them, you know what they all do. Even if you don't get the position, get into a habit of doing this as these may come up in the next interview(s).
12. At the end of the Interview again, I touched up on this in point 5. If you feel the interview is going well and they are smiling, showing good eye contact - you can also add a little humor here too. For example, your last question can be "So when do I start?" Only drop this line if you feel its appropriate. Assess the vibe of the interviewers.
13. What questions can I ask? People when Googling, please do not use the questions that show up first in the results. Spend some time researching reading because the interviewers will probably know where you got them from. They do these interviews on a regular basis.
At the end
14. After the interview, make sure you remember the name(s) or make a note of them during the interview. Once you get home, prep an email to say thank them for the opportunity. This will take you about 5 minutes. Then save this as a template so you can use it again for the next one. They'd appreciate the note and for you possibly creating a new contact. Can't find their email address? Check the company's website or their LinkedIn profile. If still no luck then call HR to thank them for this opportunity and then in non creepy way, ask for the interviewers names.
Bonus: Questions most likely to come up
Why should they hire you?
Why are you a good fit for this role?
What are your weaknesses?
What are your strengths?
How do you deal with stress/ pressure?
Any current projects?
Tell me about a difficult situation you had dealt with?
Why are you leaving you job?
I hope this article has helped and eased your nerves. I'm writing this because I know its tough for many during the pandemic. If you have any question please drop me a note. Please sign up to my mailing list! Good luck with any upcoming interviews, you got this!
Enjoy the rest of your day. God bless and stay safe.