You are off to a good start. Having spent time developing your CV to properly represent your skills, experience and knowledge, it has achieved interest with a company you have applied for a job at. The company has seen your CV and it has promoted you well as you have been invited in for an interview. You are one step closer to being hired, but it’s not time to relax yet! We often hear of candidates breathing a sigh of relief that they have interviews booked in and assume that because they have so much clarity through the CV writing process that they can relax a little now. You’ve had to think about what you wrote on your CV and its accurate. You can talk about your previous roles and skills you have gained. However, now is not the time to relax! They are hoping you can demonstrate that you can fix their current problem for them in the interview. But, do you know what this problem is? Do you know about the company you are joining, why they are recruiting and the team you will be joining? All these questions will help you formulate a better understanding of the company and the role you are applying for which all helps in preparing you for the interview. There’s a good chance that you are going to be nervous, most people are, but if you know you can do the job, you are in with a really good chance of getting the job! Interviewers all have different techniques and it is about being best prepared for any interviewer. Quite simply, the interviewer wants to know if you can do they job, if you will enjoy the job and working at their company and if they can work well with you. However, there is more detail to consider; here are some pointers when preparing for interview. These 3P’s are instrumental points to consider when going through the interview process!
This may seem logical, and as we mentioned earlier, this is not just reviewing your CV. You need to understand the job you are applying for, plan for how you can best demonstrate to the interviewer that you are the right person to deliver the role. Show that you have taken interest in the company and identify how you will fit in and what you can bring to the business. Do you have additional skills beyond the job description that will appeal to the interviewer? Without preparation, you may as well not attend the interview as you won’t get the job, but you will waste everyone’s time and that’s not a great first impression! As well as preparing through research, you should also:
Prepare and rehearse your ‘sales’ pitch
Prepare a list of questions
Know your CV inside and out
What sort of message and image are you wanting to demonstrate in this interview? This is all about first impressions and what you are wearing/how you present yourself is very important. Also vital is time keeping! Being late for an interview is not going to impress the interviewer – does this mean that you will be late for work regularly, can you be someone they can rely on? You need to be at Reception 10 minutes before interview time. If you are running slightly late, it is always best to ring the company straight away to let them know and apologise, don’t just hope for the best and turn up late.
You are now in the interview having made sure you have prepared and are well presented. It’s now about performance in the interview. Simple things like making sure you look at the interviewer and listen to what they are saying are key. Make sure you don’t talk over the interviewer and answer concisely. If you are not sure what they are asking, look to politely clarify what they want to hear from you. Having prepared, you should be ready for any questions they ask and answer them well. However, many people don’t consider the end of the interview fully. As well as often being given the opportunity to ask questions to the interviewer, have you had the opportunity to share all the information that you think is relevant to the role? Do you have a closing speech about wanting to work at the business and why they should hire you – something to leave them with. All these points can set you apart from the next candidate. We hope these points help you with your next interview. For for a copy of our interview tool kit which provides further detail on the best preparation methods and considerations to make when getting ready for an interview, please complete the form below:
Best of luck with the next interview. If you would like to speak to one of our Talent Acquisition Consultants about a job or preparation for interviewing, call us on 020 7183 6232 or email us at blogs@remithq.com.