Interview Advice

Do not leave your planning for an interview until the last minute - it is really important that you are properly prepared and this takes time. So, to help you stand out from the competition here are some key tips to help you create a positive impression at interview.

Research the Company:

• Use their website to find out : how many employees; when it was set up; company goals, mission statement and unique selling points; where its offices are located; financial information like annual turnover and how the company has progressed over time
• Any recent news items or press statements (check the news the day of the interview to be completely up to date with information).
• Linkedin Profiles of interviewer(s) – review their backgrounds/industries

Prepare for Questions:

• Know your CV, so you can talk in depth about your achievements
• Many interviewers ask competency based questions, so prepare answers in advance to typical questions (how you managed a team member who wasn’t hitting deadlines or how you turned a failing project around) using the STAR process as follows: 

                     a) Situation - Describe the problem or situation

                     b) Task - What tasks did YOU need to accomplish to resolve/influence the situation 

                     c) Action - What specifically did YOU do to accomplish the task

                     d) Results - Did the tasks & actions solve the problem and what did you learn? 

• Prepare positive answers to standard negative interview questions. For example if asked ‘what do you think your greatest weakness is?’ reply with a positive comment, such as: ‘I like to make sure my work is perfect so I tend to spend too much time checking it, however, I have come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly first time’.
• Make sure you fully understand the specification of the role and have prepared to show your skills that fulfill these criteria.
• Prepare your own questions to ask the interviewer at the end - please tell me: about the department structure; what challenges the role faces; what the career progression might be; how many people you are interviewing; how I compare to those seen so far. Another good question, which also draws the interviewers attention to how much background research you have done in preparation for the interview is: “I saw from your Linked In profile that you previously worked at ______ as a _______. What was it about this company that attracted you to move from there to work here?”

Personal Preparation:

• Always aim to be at an interview early and allow for transport delays -  you don’t want to start the interview flustered
• Wear presentable business attire and avoid eating strong flavoured foods or smoking before hand, or wearing overpowering aftershave/perfume
• Give a firm handshake, a relaxed smile and look the interviewer(s) in the eyes
• You could have your list of questions written down and in front of you at the interview, so you can make notes against them as the answers are covered.
• Do not to be too negative about a current or previous employer
• At the end of the interview remember to show you are keen. Confirm that you would be interested in the job and ask when you might hear feedback

Most people get nervous at an interview, but proper planning can help aleviate some of those nerves. Also don't forget that the interview is a two way process. Whilst you should not be leading the interview, you do need to find out whether this is the right role for you too.