The interview is the single most important obstacle to overcome in achieving job offers. The best place to start improving your interview skills is with the important issue of preparation. The best place to start improving your interview skills is with the important issue of preparation.
Good preparation is crucial - the best prepared candidate invariably gets the job. This is why:
Preparation is evidence of professionalism, and interest in the company, but above all, it is indicative of the way a candidate is likely to work. If someone doesn't prepare properly for an interview which may have an impact on their entire career, what kind of an employee are they likely to be? Preparation is vital.
So what do we mean by preparation?
First we mean research, gathering as much information as possible. You need to:
- Visit the company's website
- Review the job spec and seek as much information about the role as possible.
Having done your research, use it to develop questions and points of view, which will both help you gather key information at interview as well as impressing. Also, plan answers to questions they are likely to ask.
The final stage of preparation is rehearsal. Practice at presenting yourself. The best way to do this is to arrange a mock interview with your recruitment consultancy or another trained interviewer.
Preparation done, it's now time for the real thing.
Here is a brief summary of some key points to help you at interview:
- Interviews are unlike the CV filtering stage in that people will be looking for your positive points rather than reasons to reject you. Most interviewers want to be impressed with the people they are interviewing. Be confident. Believe in yourself.
- First impressions are crucial. Most interviewers make a decision within minutes of meeting someone. Here's a checklist to help those opening minutes go well:
- Be on time
- Be polite to the receptionists and support staff - they can be very influential
- Dress smartly and professionally
- Smile and give a confident handshake
- Politely thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you
- Have an easy topic of non-work conversation ready as an ice breaker
- If they don't take the initiative immediately, open the conversation
- Listen as well as talk
- Be friendly and appear enthused
- When the interview gets under way, let the interviewer lead. They may well have a series of topics they need to cover and a set time limit, so let them control the conversation.
- Be mindful of the questions the interviewer is trying to answer and help give them the answers. Remember, the most important question is always "Would I like to work with this person?"
- Ask good questions which demonstrate you have done your research and thought about it.
- When answering questions, don't be afraid of taking a moment to think before plunging in.
- If asked for your strengths and weaknesses, start with your strengths, and only offer only one weakness
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