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You perfected your CV, wrote the killer covering letter, and secured an interview, hooray! Applying for a job is time consuming and full of uncertainty, so the interview itself is often an afterthought. Here are our top tips for smashing that all-important first interaction.
Research, research, research
Make sure you know the company inside out. Scope out their website, their social media channels and look them up on sites like Glassdoor. Interviewers will want to see that you have a genuine interest in the company, so make sure you know their ethos, their history, the name of the CEO, any awards they’ve recently been awarded. It’ll all put you in good stead.
Know your CV
This is particularly important if you’ve amended your CV for different jobs, but make sure that you know what you said in your CV! Try reading it out loud as this could help fix your achievements in the forefront of your mind, as well as providing an audible reminder of how great you are!
Be Zoom-ready
A lot of interviews are taking place online now, so even though you no longer need to worry about planning a journey and checking train times, you still need to be well prepared. If possible, make sure your home, or wherever you’re going to be, is empty – any unwanted noise or interruptions could throw you off course. Close the windows so no noise travels in, make sure the washing machine isn’t on and making a distant rumbling sound, and put a note on your front door saying not to knock! Have a snack beforehand and make sure you have a glass of water within reach during the interview. Make sure your screen is set up well ahead of the interview, ideally in good light (this may mean having to move from your usual working from home set-up) and check what can be seen behind you!
Have examples ready
You will no doubt have to give examples of ‘times when…’. Think of good, solid examples of situations when you have overcome a problem, had to think on your feet, made a huge impact, and any examples of work you’re proud of. Write these down in bullet points so you have them to refer to during the interview. It’s totally fine to take in notes, and having real examples, rather than fluffy adjectives will show why you’re the best person for the job.
It’s about you wanting them as much as them wanting you
An interview isn’t an opportunity for you to beg for the job. You deserve to be there, so use the conversation to ask questions you have about the role and the company. Pretty much every interview will end with “Do you have any questions for us”, so always, always, always have a couple of questions ready.
Get in the right frame of mind
You’ll want to be relaxed, prepared and ready to go, so do whatever you need to do beforehand to be in the right frame of mind for yourself. It might be that you need to go for a short walk, or jump around to some loud music - whatever is right for you! Give yourself a boost, tell yourself you can do this, and smash it!