Congratulations, you’ve impressed with your job application and have been invited for an interview. You’re one step closer to getting your dream job but for many the interview stage can be the most daunting part of any recruitment process. We’ve put together our interview top tips to help you prepare and ace that interview!
Plan
Planning ahead of time can help to reduce stress in the build up to your interview. There are a few practical steps you can take to help make interview day as stress-free as possible…
You’ve covered the practical pre-interview planning which should help you to keep calm and reduces the chance of any last minute panics but you’ll also need to prepare for the interview itself.
Prepare
Preparing well for an interview should involve research, anticipating interview questions and practicing your answers.
‘Tell me a bit about yourself”
“Why do you want this job?”
“Why do you want to work for us?”
“What are your strengths?” and “What are your weaknesses?”
First Impressions Count
A third of recruiters say they know within the first 90 seconds whether they’ll recruit someone (source) so you really do need to make the right first impression. There are 4 easy steps you can take to ensure you’re impressing from the minute you meet your interviewer…
Be confident (even if you’re shaking really!) they’ve not invited you to the interview to watch you fail. On paper they think you can do the job and the interview process is your chance to show your enthusiasm and prove you’re a good fit for the role/company.
Ask Questions
Asking questions at the end of the interview can show you’re keen and interested in the job. Have a few questions to ask your potential employer. These might include…
“What might a typical day in this role entail?”
“What are the main challenges I might face in this job?”
“What’s the typical career path for someone in this role?”
Interviews are a two-way process, this is your chance to find out more about the organisation and whether it’s the right fit for you, as much as it is their chance to decide which candidate is best for the job.
If they’ve not made it clear what happens next in the recruitment process you can ask about this too – “when do you think you might decide?” or “when am I likely to hear from you?”
Good Luck!
Planning and preparing can help you be the best possible ‘you’ at interview, the one thing you can’t control is the competition. Do your best and hopefully you’ll be the strongest candidate on the day. If you’re not offered the job ask for feedback and take the feedback and experience to your next interview.
Good luck!
If you’d like more practice Hope students and graduates can book a mock interview via The Hub in The Gateway Building.
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