I have worked within the recruitment space for a number of years now and it always surprises me how no two interviews are ever the same. Being a candidate is never easy, job hunting is hard and being interviewed is never a task that should be taken lightly.
There is a distinct difference between interviewing a candidate who has prepared for their interview vs interviewing a candidate who hasn't.
I have put together a small list of handy hints that can ease your mind before you step into your next interview. Hopefully they are useful - just remember, you can never be too prepared -
1. Dress professionally. If you're going for an office job wear a suit or at least a nice blouse with a pencil skirt or pants. For men, it's important to wear a dress shirt with a good quality pair of trousers and remember to iron! Wear a comfortable pair of shoes that you can actually walk in. I'm not a girl to wear heels often so I love a strong pair of pointed flats.
2. Do your hair. It makes a difference. If you have a fringe I suggest clipping it up so its not falling into your eyes constantly. If you're playing with your hair continuously through an interview it becomes distracting to both parties and can become a negative.
3. Know your story. It's important to know your resume inside and out. You should be able to speak through your story within 2-3 minutes and be able to answer career questions off the top of your head.
4. Put your phone away. When waiting for your interviewer, don't play with your phone. Speak to the receptionist, take in your surroundings, take a quick mental note of your prepared questions and answers. You want to impress from the get go and sitting on your phone is an easy way to receive a red cross next to your name before you've even begun. Make sure your phone is on silent with no vibrate and don't sit it on the table, you don't want any distractions.
5. Don't lie. You wouldn't believe how small the world is, especially a recruiters world. Someone always knows someone in your history and it's important to be truthful when answering questions - especially when speaking through your current salary package.
6. Research the company. Have at least 3 questions pre prepared for the interview, you want to impress and this is an easy way to show that you're interested in an organisation. If you're meeting with a recruiter for a blind ad then research where you see yourself going and where you know you definitely don't want to be.
7. Be on time. If you're new to the area plan your trip with enough time to get lost. If you're significantly early then grab a coffee. You don't want to be more than 10 minutes early or late to an interview.
8. Have a strong handshake. There's nothing worse than greeting a candidate with a limp handshake.
9. Body language. Interviews are always unnerving and it's normal for people to work themselves up so much pre-interview that they freeze up. Take deep breaths prior to entering the meeting, smile and engage with the interviewer, listen to their questions and think over your answers before speaking. Have strong posture, don't slouch and make eye contact. There is something called grounding that comes from meditation and it involves you closing your eyes and taking in your surroundings - start with your toes and work your way up visualing each part of your body. As the title suggests, it helps you ground yourself to ease the nerves and gain back that confidence.
10. Use the S.T.A.R technique. When answering BBI questions (behavioural based interview questions) always answer in this method. S.T.A.R stands for - situation, task, action, result. This will allow you to answer questions in a succinct way that makes sense without rambling off into something totally irrelevant. What was the situation? What task did you need to begin to solve the situation? What action did you take to complete the task? What was the result of your action?
I really hope these points will help you ace your next interview to land that dream role!
