You’ve been called for an interview for that dream job. You don’t know where to start with prep and you’re beginning to become really nervous. I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews and there are some common traits that I’ve recognised that helps people score well in interview. Here are 5 of my top tips to ace that interview:
Do your research. This is one where people can fall down on. When we ask, “Can you tell me what you know about the company?” and receive a blank stare in return or a one liner it doesn’t bode well. Make sure you know what the company does, what services they offer and why you’re interested in joining.
Practice answering questions. Make sure you have a run through your CV/Resume and pick out examples from your experience based on possible questions they may ask. Usually interviews are competency based so make sure you have different examples for each – if you’re not sure of what competency-based questions are, you can google them and find some sample lists.
Make your answers specific and to the point. It’s very difficult as an interviewer when the candidate talks through their CV/Resume or answers a question for 5 minutes straight and doesn’t take a breath. The interviewer wants to be able to probe and find what they are looking for but doesn’t want to talk over the candidate. If you talk too much, it might show that you don’t have active listening skills which is important when working on a team etc. Practice your answers using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method. Try keep it to one or two lines per letter that can help.
Presentation. Make sure that you’re dressed professionally i.e. a blazer and shirt. First impressions mean everything and if you turn up in jeans and a hoody, it may come across that you aren’t serious about the job and instantly be marked down for the position.
Be on time. This comes back to making a good first impression. If you turn up late for an interview it is perceived as poor time management skills. They may think if you can’t turn up for an interview on time why would you turn up for your job on time. Do the route the day before if you have to if you’re not sure where you’re going. Give yourself plenty of time and go and grab a coffee if you’re too early. Remember you shouldn’t arrive too early either as it puts the interviewer under pressure as they don’t want to leave you waiting. 10 minutes before the interview is the right balance.
It can be really nerve wracking going for interviews. Remember that the interview is there for you to sell yourself but also for the company to sell to you. You’ve already made a good impression with your application by being called for an interview in the first place.
It’s completely normal to be nervous and the interviewer understands that side of it too, so deep breaths, relax and remember you got this 😊 If you need help with some interview training send me a message, I’d be glad to help. You can book a free consultation here: https://link.aislinghealycoaching.com/book-free Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aislinghealycoaching/?hl=en for more daily/weekly tips and extra motivation! Next week I’ll be announcing the winner of the CV review or Interview Training for subscribing to the Newsletter on my website for the month of June. If you haven't signed up yet, make sure you do now! https://www.aislinghealycoaching.com/
Thanks for reading, Aisling 😊