Interviews can be intimidating, especially if you're new to the job market and don't have much experience. Of course it’s important to prepare well and arm yourself with the right skills and techniques. But we’re not just talking about the generic stuff like highlighting relevant skills and experience - chances are they’ve already decided you have potential. This is the time to shine and show them they’d be crazy not to hire you!
Here’s our top tips:
We’ve all been there - so frazzled by the amount of applications you’ve sent that you’ve forgotten the company you’re interviewing for. An absolute no-go is walking into that meeting without having been on the company website or not being sure who they are. It’s super important not to waste the opportunity given you’ve worked so hard to get it!
Prepare for an Interview Like a Pro
At the start of the interview, when they ask "How are you?", be sure to reciprocate and ask them how they are too! Employers truly value it when interviews have a conversational tone rather than just being a formal one-way interview.
Remember they are human too - they’re probably very busy, tired, and might be a bit fed up of interviewing tonnes of people. If you can show empathy and try to appeal to their human side, they will love you! It’s totally okay to ask them “Have you had many interviews?” at the start to strike up a conversation and set the two-way tone early doors. This in turn might also give you insight into how competitive the job is. 👀
As well as experience, employers frequently seek out soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities.
Try and think about specific examples from your life or past experiences that might showcase these skills. Think about situations in your life that were tricky, scary or even funny! Try to weave them into the conversation when something relatable comes up. You could prepare a few things that could be good to mention and just say whichever feels most relevant at the time. But even just coming across as friendly and engaging is evidence of your human skills in itself.
Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer throughout the interview. Questions about the company culture, team dynamics, the company’s future ambitions - anything that can demonstrate your genuine interest in the position and that you can pepper in midway through the conversation.
Avoid asking questions that can easily be answered through research or that just focus on the practicalities of the job (these can be asked when you’re offered the job!). You could even ask questions about the interviewer’s personal background and how they ended up in their career - which will simultaneously boost your networking skills!
“Do you have any questions for me?”
Many employers love it when they feel like they’re being interviewed! Why? Because you show that you’ve done research, that you have high standards when it comes to finding a job, that you are confident, proactive, curious, and loads of other great things! If you can show these qualities in an interview, how amazing will you be when you start the job!?
Taking on this role isn’t always easy and takes practice - but ways to do it are by asking great questions throughout the meeting, by digging deeper on things they tell you, and by showing you are actively listening to their responses.
If you are going to adopt the role of interviewer, it’s important to also show you are listening carefully and are genuinely interested in the response. An effective way to do this is by responding with a brief summary of what they’ve just said and then following up with a further question.