When it comes to job interviews, preparation is vital! So, if you want to give yourself the best possible chance of landing your dream role, it’s time to get organised.
In this blog, I’ve outlined seven top tips to help you stand out and shine in your interview.
Let’s dive in…
1. Learn about the organisation
We can find large amounts of information about a company from its website, social media accounts, customer/employee reviews and news articles. Block out some time for research and make bullet points that you can use in your interview.
Information you could gather includes:
- Background information on the hiring managers (from LinkedIn)
- What the company does and which industries it operates in
- Where it’s based both globally and locally
- Number of employees
- Its mission, aims, objectives and goals
- Company history, significant achievements and defining moments
- Its clients or target audiences
- Main competitors
- Also, think about questions you’d like to ask in the interview to learn more about the organisation or role
2. Understand your why
What interests you about this company? What is it about the role that excites you? Why are you keen to move from your current position?
Clarifying why you’re keen to land this role will help you come across as enthusiastic, passionate and motivated. All great qualities to bring to a new organisation and team!
Even if you’re not asked these questions outright in the interview, with the research you’ve conducted and by understanding your why in more detail, you can include this information as you go through the interview. By doing this, you’re able to show the interview panel why you’d be a good fit for their organisation, and how your skills and experience can help with any upcoming challenges.
3. Understand your salary expectations
You may or may not be asked about your salary expectations in the interview, but it always pays to know how you’ll answer this on the spot. Spend some time researching similar roles in similar industries, so you have a better understanding of how you will convey your aspirations. Glassdoor is one website that can help you with this research.
4. Have some stories prepared
Most interviews will ask for examples of when and where you’ve demonstrated core skills and expertise. A common way to answer these is to use the STAR technique, which you can learn more about here.
Go through the job description and make brief notes of scenarios you can use to demonstrate you have the necessary abilities and experience to be a successful candidate for the role.
Also, consider whether there are non-work situations where you practice the skills you’ll be using on the job. For example, if you coach a local football club, are involved with a voluntary organisation in your spare time or participate in a team sport.
5. Have your details jotted down
Remember to have impactful figures written down to demonstrate your accomplishments! This could be revenue figures, budgets, project sizes, engagement levels or cost savings.
Talking about hard numbers when you’re answering the behavioural questions I’ve just mentioned really helps to demonstrate your potential impact and makes for more memorable responses.
Jot these figures down so you can easily refer to them during the interview. It’s easy to experience a mind blank when faced with unfamiliar people.
6. Practice
Researching common interview questions and having a few bullet points prepared is a good idea. But be mindful of overpreparing your answers to help you maintain a relaxed, conversational response rather than a cold, robotic reply.
‘Tell me about yourself’ is a common opening question, so spend a little time preparing a solid response. It will help you settle into the interview and hopefully give a great first impression to the interview panel.
You can find more helpful information about the “Tell me about yourself” question here.
Consider practising some of your answers in front of a mirror or with a friend, so you feel more relaxed with your delivery.
7. Think about your body language
Are you familiar with how your body language may come across to an interview panel? Whether your interview is face-to-face or online, it’s always worth paying attention to your nonverbal cues.
For example, sitting with your arms crossed or avoiding eye contact may come across as being bored or uninterested.
Also, if you’re feeling nervous, it’s all too easy to start fidgeting. A useful strategy to tackle this is to ask if you can take some notes. It’s a great way to hide nervousness whilst also demonstrating you’re keen to retain important information.
If you want some help preparing for a job interview, let’s grab a virtual coffee and chat about how I can give you the best chance of landing your dream role.
It would also be great to connect with you on LinkedIn and Facebook!
