Calibre’s Top Tips for Job Interviews
Congratulations! You’ve secured that all-important job interview, so how can you turn this opportunity into the next step up your career ladder? The key thing to remember is no-one will interview someone they don’t think can do the job. This is your opportunity to demonstrate you are the best candidate. Here are our top tips to help you outperform your competition…
Remember the interviewer is human too!
Don’t forget that the interviewer is human too and they have a problem to solve. They will be as keen for you to be the right person for the job as you are to be that person, so relax and enjoy the conversation – you will then truly give your best. Most clients look for certain traits in interviewees – positivity, enthusiasm, energy, client focus, teamwork, innovation - so have a little think about which soft skills the client will be looking for and act accordingly.
Do your research!
Visit your potential employer’s website to get an overview of the organisation and how they promote themselves. Also, search for their company name in Google news or similar to bring up anything that’s been in the press about them; it’s amazing just what you can find out!
You should also research the person you are meeting. Google is a good start, type their name in quote marks first (“David Jones” for example), then if that brings back too many or random results, try adding their company or loaction.
On Linkedin you can search by the person’s name or the company. A lot of people will have their full CV on the site and it can give you an insight into the individual and their background that might also help you identify projects/people you have in common you may not have been aware of otherwise.
Make your experience relevant
Re-visit your projects and roles from the last few years and think about what they were, what you achieved and how they could help you in this role. Don’t focus too strongly on anything from five or more years ago as it’s classed as too far in the past by many interviewers who may feel you haven’t achieved anything you are proud of recently. Be prepared and happy to talk about what you have done, as being evasive or constantly wandering off-subject never creates a good impression. If it helps, take some documentation you think will be useful; for example a survey, a piece of work or a report.
Be prepared with quick (and impressive) answers to common questions
Review your CV just before the interview so you’re familiar with what the interviewer may refer to when they meet you, what you have talked about and any areas where you’ll need to highlight specific experience or knowledge to prove synergy with the position. Have a think about, or even Google, standard interview questions. These nearly always come up and having answers ready to questions like: what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, tell me when you have failed at something, what sort of leader are you etc can be quite tricky when you have to think under pressure. On a similar note think about the technical questions they may ask and how you would respond to these.
Prepare your own “revealing” questions
Prepare a couple of questions about the following: the role and what it involves; the company and its plans for the future; and the interviewer’s role and what they are looking for from people in their team. You can impress with your questions by asking something which is insightful, and which reveals more about your skills and experience or ambitions. Use your knowledge of the company and interviewer to ask some well-chosen and considered questions to ensure you give the best possible account of yourself.
As an aside, don’t ask about money on a first round interview unless the client first mentions it, and then be truthful about what you are looking for ideally and what you would accept.
Critique your performance
Once the interview has finished and you are somewhere quiet, take a few moments to reflect on the interview, what was discussed and your answers, before making some notes. This will help you give your recruitment consultant a thorough briefing about the interview and in particular any questions you felt went especially well or you found difficult. When they speak to the client, they’ll be able to use this information to give your feedback and address any aspects where you didn’t perform as well.
Follow-up with a thank you
Consider sending the client a thank you email, whether you feel the interview went well or otherwise. Wondering why? The employer may well be thinking of you at the same time as several other people, so what better way to make a final impression and put your name to the forefront of their mind? The fact you did will stand you in good stead for future roles with your interviewer, even if you are not successful with this one, whether they are still working for the same organisation or have moved on themselves.
