Your Job Interview – What to Expect and How to Prepare
A job interview is a discussion between you and a potential employer, covering a specific role available within their organisation. Interviews are a great opportunity, not just for the employer to see if you’re a good fit for the role, but also for you to figure out whether the role and company is a good fit for you.
Granted, there’s no one, single way of approaching an interview, only a guide made up of dos, don’ts and advisories…
To help you along your path, however, we’ve put together a guide to help you through the before, during and after of your interview.
Confidence and preparation
Confidence is key when it comes to interviews – it provides an impression of capability, implying that you’re completely confident in your ability to do the job that you’ve applied for. It also suggests that you’ll feel comfortable speaking, not only the job at hand, but your own personal qualities.
As with many things in life, the success you experience developing this confidence comes from preparation… Prepare for you interview as much as possible, being sure to research the position, the potential employer and, if possible, the interviewer themselves.
The different types of interview
- Competency based: These interviews are based around your personality and skillset.
- Technical: Often, in technical interviews, you will be asked to undertake a task in order showcase your technical abilities.
- Phone interview: Unless dictated by distance (i.e. for a particularly remote role), telephone interviews are often the first, slightly more informal stage of an interview process. If you’re successful here, you may make it to the next stage, frequently an ‘in person’ interview.
- Regular, ‘in person’, interview – One of the most common forms of interview, this could simply involve you and a single interviewer. It may involve you being asked a series of pre-determined questions, may take a less formal, more ad hoc approach or perhaps a combination of both.
- Panel interview: Led by one person with some questions from another 3-4 members of staff.
Before your interview
- Review the CV that you sent to the employer. How does your experience apply to the role? What is the employer likely to ask about? Why are you particularly suited to this role? What do you think may/will differentiate you from other applicants
- Review the job listing and the company website. Do you have any questions about the company or the role itself? What is it about the job description and the company that made you apply?
- Think of standard job interview questions that you’ve been asked in the past. Research common interview questions (perhaps using the internet). What are your strengths and weaknesses? What challenges have you faced in a similar or related role? How do you think your personality and experience will benefit the business?
- Prepare your outfit. If you can research the company dress code then great. When in doubt, however, always go for smart business wear. That said, don’t wear anything that you’re uncomfortable in or struggle to walk in. Your discomfort is likely to come across in the interview and may be misinterpreted as awkwardness or a lack of confidence.
- Plan how to get to the interview venue and how you’ll get there. Be sure to account for traffic or public transport issues. Aim to arrive 10-15 minutes before the specified time. If you’re much too earlier, hunt out a local coffee shop and try to unwind… If you’re overly tense, this could come across negatively in an interview.
During your interview
- Don’t worry! Interviewers will expect most candidates to be nervous. Chances are they’ve been nervous in interviews themselves. Don’t rush through answers that you’re not completely ready to answer. Instead, if you need a minute to think, ask for it. A thorough answer is better than a quick answer so take your time.
- Speak formally but comfortably. Don’t swear or use slang.
- Where there’s more to say, say it. Try to avoid overly-simplistic ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses where possible, qualifying your answers.
- If you’re asked to provide an example of a particular situation, try to use the tried and tested S.T.A.R. methodology. Speak about…
- the Situation you found yourself in
- the Task you were assigned
- the Action you took
- the Result of that action.
- Speak only positively about yourself and the companies you have worked for. Interviews are your opportunity to present the best version of yourself. Whilst you may have had a bad experience with a former manager/employer, be very careful not to criticise too strongly or be overly negative as this could come across very badly.
- If you don’t understand a question, ask the interviewer to explain it further and, remember, there’s no shame in saying “I’m sorry, I don’t know” where necessary.
After the interview
- If you’re offered the job and would like to accept, thank the employer, request any necessary information and agree on a start date.
- If salary is negotiable, research the average salary and, when asked, aim for the higher end of the range. Remember, this is a negotiation so expect to be negotiated down to mid-range. If you’re offered the position at the lower end of the salary range, don’t express your disappointment there and then. Instead, ask them why they thought that level was appropriate before explaining you need a little time to mull things over. Use the rest of the day to speak with your family and any trusted contacts in the same industry. Work out whether you can afford to take that salary, whether you would want to do the job for that amount. Carefully consider your position before you call back to accept or decline. Perhaps think about reopening negotiations at a more reasonable level.
- If you didn’t get the job, all is not lost. Use it as a learning opportunity. Ask the employer for feedback and carry that forward for future interviewing experiences.
- If you’re offered the role but have realised you don’t want it, thank the employer and politely decline. Make sure you’re 100% sure of your position before you do this, however.
Other considerations
If you’ve had previous jobs that have ended in less-than-ideal circumstances, this can sometimes be difficult to approach within an interview setting. If this is a concern for you, be sure to tackle it honestly and positively. Never lie during an interview – you’re sure to be found out in the long-term.
If the manner of your job’s ending was out of your control, make it clear that it was a business decision and that you’ve taken positive steps since. If the job ended because of you and your actions, be honest but ensure the interviewers know that your standards have improved and will never drop again.
If you’ve been out of work for a long time, tell the employer about any voluntary work or courses you’ve taken to further your career in the time you’ve been unemployed.
If it was your decision to leave your last job, no matter the circumstances, be positive about your reasoning and, importantly, the company. Tell them you were grateful for the opportunity but ready for a fresh challenge in a new role.
