Interview tips

If you are keen to land the role of your dreams then preparation is key. Good preparation and an audit of some key factors can be the difference between landing the job or not.

Employers can tend to assess prospective employees as either being an asset to their business or a risk. They will be looking for behaviour that meets the requirements of the role and organisation. If they see too much behaviour not in alignment, or red flags, they are more likely to determine you are not the best fit for their company.

Make sure you consider these factors and prepare yourself so that you can come away from the interview knowing you did the best possible job to secure the role.

Get clear about what you want

Get as clear as you can about what it is you are looking for in your next role and employer. The clearer you are, the likelier you will be in finding it. Write a list of “must haves” and “nice to haves”, plus anything that is a “deal breaker” for you.

Research the company

What is their mission, culture, values, what products do they have/make, who works there, key names and roles, pronunciation of names etc. This information can be found on websites and the company website, Google search, news articles, social media, blogs. Don’t hesitate to find out as much as possible. Employers can be impressed with the information you have gathered and how much you know about them.

Position description

Ask to see the position description if they have one available. This helps to describe the key competencies, skills and experience they are seeking so that you can identify where your strengths lie in relation to this position.

Prepare for questions they are likely to ask you

  • Why do you want this role?
  • Why do you want to work at this company?
  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What are your strengths?
  • What areas do you need to develop further in?
  • Why are you leaving your current role?
  • What are your salary expectations?

Behavioural questions

Prepare for behaviourally based questions. These are questions based on the assumption that past behaviour is the best predictor of how someone will perform in the future. Questions therefore are focused on asking you to describe a specific time where you had an experience, what happened, what your response was and the outcome. If an employer wanted to assess your ability to deal with conflict in a team environment they may ask questions along the line of:

  • Tell me about a time when you had a difference of opinion or values with a team member?
  • What exactly happened?
  • How did you react to this?
  • How was this resolved?
  • What was the outcome?

Questions for the prospective employer

Get a range of thoughtful questions ready to ask.

Location of the interview

Make sure you have clear instructions on where the interview is taking place. Plan your trip there, be that by public transport or your own vehicle. Know where you can park if need be. If you get a chance you may even be able to do a dummy run on a day/hour similar to your interview time. This can help you reduce any stress and ensure you are more confident and on time for interview. Always allow an extra amount of time to arrive there, at least 15 minutes, in case of unanticipated events/traffic.

Be on time for interview

Always ensure you arrive at the location a couple of minutes early. Not more than five minutes though.

Present yourself well in every way

This is your first chance to impress a prospective employer. You need to be yourself. However, at the same time you need to be professional and present your best authentic self too. You want to present the best image, but at the same time do not want any of the below to distract from what you are saying and who you are. Presentation covers many senses so consider the following.

  • Dress – Ensure your outfit is ready prior to the interview. It is safest to dress more formally for interviews. Depending on your specialty this may mean a professional dress, skirt, trousers, blouse or shirt, jacket or a suit. However, if you have a trade test to perform, double check with the employer, if it would be preferable to present in attire suitable for the role you are applying for.
  • Jewellery – Consider keeping this to a minimum plus some jewellery can be noisy and distracting.
  • Grooming - In most specialties, grooming to a high standard is expected.
  • Odours – if you decide to wear perfume/aftershave, ensure it is subtle as some people can be sensitive to it. Ensure all clothing is clean and you have good antiperspirant/deodorant; avoid smoking before an interview
  • Your persona – show your best self, even if you might feel a bit nervous. Showing warmth, honesty, enthusiasm, interest and clear communication will help a lot.

Your body language

Be aware of your body language and that of the interviewer. You can use body language to your advantage. It’s important to maintain eye contact (without staring), smile, have an open body posture and be an active listener. Lean in and show your interest. As you progress, see if there is a mirroring of body positions with yours and the interviewer’s as this can indicate an alignment of views as well as a rapport between you both. You can also subtly mimic the interviewer’s postures and see if the rapport deepens further as you do this.

Remuneration

Be clear in your own mind of what you are ideally seeking in terms of salary, bonus/commission and what your bottom dollar is. Also be clear on the salary range within your specialty with the experience as well as what skills you have that would add up to that value. If you do get asked about your salary expectations, and are unsure of what you could say, you could say “It’s my understanding that a role such as this would be between x and y”. If you are clear about the salary range for the position plus what you are ideally seeking, this can help to determine if a role is right for you or not, and in the negotiation process when securing a role.

Completion of interview

A question you can ask at the end of any interview is what their timeframe is and what the next steps in their selection process are. It’s always important to thank the interviewer after the interview and let them know how interested you are in the position if this is how you feel.

Post interview

Send a thank you email letting them know how keen you are on the position and also let them know that you would be happy to provide them with any further information or to meet again. If you have not heard anything outside of their selection time frame, following up with a phone call to the key contact who interviewed you is recommended.

If you think you are ready to interview and you want to take your career to the next level, then check out our latest jobs on our job board or register with us.