Interview Tips

Over 50% of candidates are unsuccessful at interview NOT because they couldn't do the job but because they lack the necessary interview skills. More often than not it's because they haven't prepared for the interview thoroughly beforehand.  Here are our tips to help you make the most of those interview opportunities...

Before - it's important to do some research about your prospective new employer. You'll need to work out who they are, where they are, what they do and there are a host of useful sites which can help you:

• Their company website – your first, essential port of call
• Social networking sites – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc
• Google the company and find out related articles
• There are NO excuses for being late; plan your journey in advance and if travelling by train, visit www.thetrainline.co.uk
• Other useful travel sites include www.tfl.gov.uk or www.travelfor.co.uk
• Find out the organisation's full address and postcode so you can access www.bing.com/maps/ which will assist with a printable street-map

Next you need to work out who they are looking for so you can demonstrate that they need look no further:

• Re-read the job description (or make notes when your agency is explaining the job and the client's requirements). Concentrate on the particular skills and experience the client wants, as well as the personal skills and attributes they feel are required.  These are often described as “competencies”
• Go through the list, making sure you can explain how your experience, abilities and attitude meet their needs. If your experience is not DIRECTLY relevant, think how you can demonstrate similarities between your background and their requirements.  Make sure you can describe a “situation”, the “task” you needed to accomplish, the “actions” you took and the “result” or outcome.  This is known as the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Actions, Result)
• Remember, the interview is a 2-way process and you will have the chance to find out more about the company and the job. What else would you like to know? Prepare some questions in advance - apart from telling you what you need to know, it will also create the right impression
• If in doubt about the dress code for your interview, always go for smart!

During - if you've prepared well, you'll feel less flustered and more confident:

• First impressions count. A firm (but not crushing!) handshake and a smile make a good start. Make sure you know your interviewer's name - and use it when you're introduced
• Wait to be shown where to take a seat - in some non-traditional offices it's not easy to see which will be your chair! When you do sit down, relax and try to get comfortable
• Almost everyone will start with some small talk; try to use this opportunity to relax and build some rapport
• When answering questions, don't rush - there's no shame in thinking before opening your mouth! Obviously avoid one word answers, answering the questions as clearly and concisely as you can
• If you find yourself waffling or answering a question badly, have the confidence to stop, state that you're not answering well and start again. Equally, if you haven't understood the question, ask the interviewer for clarification
• If communication skills are important (and they invariably are) remember that being a good listener is also part of this; you can demonstrate your listening skills by leaning forward, establishing "sensitive" eye contact and showing you're interested in what your interviewer has to say (for example: occasional nodding, smiling, mirroring body posture and language)
• There is a fine line between putting across a positive account of yourself and appearing "too good to be true". We all have weaknesses - think which one you will mention if asked - perhaps mentioning a weaker skill which you later improved upon or something that is not so directly relevant to the role

After - we can all benefit from reviewing what we do; sometimes to congratulate ourselves, sometimes to decide what we might do differently another time:

• If you feel the interview went well, reflect on what you think you did well, the positive points you made or the good answers you gave. If things didn't go as smoothly as you would have liked, analyse what went wrong; were there areas of questioning where you felt unprepared or uncomfortable? how might you do things differently another time?
• Think about what the company has on offer; jot down the positive and the negative elements - whether that's to do with the job itself or the salary, prospects, travel and so on. Its important to weigh things up and look at the whole picture
• Make sure you call your agency straight after your interview to let them know how you felt it went.  This feedback is particularly important
• If you applied direct and are really keen, it might benefit your application to write a brief follow-up letter the next day. You could thank the company for their time and reaffirm your interest in the company and the job. Even if you're not offered that particular position, it may prompt them to consider you for another position when one arises

Following these brief guidelines could increase your chance of interview success and we wish you the very best of luck for your next interview. Of course, if you know someone else who may benefit from these tips, by all means refer them to this site.