If you have been fortunate in being asked for an interview here are my top five tips to help you prepare and feel more confident about it.
1. You no doubt researched the organisation before submitting your CV or application form, but once an interview is confirmed it’s time for more research. Check websites, social media, financial reports. Have they been in the news recently? Who are their clients? Are they in a period of growth? If you know who is interviewing you, then research them via LinkedIn.
2. Go through the job description and skills required as this should enable you to anticipate many of the questions. Think about recent examples of times when you have demonstrated these skills, be able to talk about the situation, the task, the action you took and the result. Be able to talk about what ‘you’ did, rather than using a generic ‘we’.
3. If the interview is in person, check exactly where it is going to be held. Check the route, estimate how long it will take to get there and then add in extra time to allow for contingencies.
If the interview is online check the tech in advance. Check the link, they may be using software that you will need to download. On the day, allow time to check the sofware is working, and doesn’t want to suddenly run a long update minutes before your interview. Think about your surroundings, check you feel comfortable and you are in a quiet location. Act as if this interview were in person
4. Think about questions you’d like to ask. These could come from questions which arose during your research that are relevant to the role. You might want to know more about the specifics of the day-to-day responsibilities, opportunities for training and development, opportunities for project work or seconding to other departments. Only ask questions you genuinely want the answers to and follow up if anything is still unclear.
5. Plan what you are going to wear. You should be dressed appropriately for the role, but also need to feel comfortable. This applies just as much to a video interview as an interview in person.
