Got an interview? Check out these great tips to help you bag your dream job!
- Poppy Jane Jarratt
- Jul 17, 2017
- 4 min read
Okay so you’ve got the call, you’ve got an interview! Interviews can be the most awful and uncomfortable minutes of your life. I came up with a plan of action to help me feel more relaxed and be prepared for interviews, so I thought I would share them with you to help you get your dream job! So basically an interview is a question and answer session, so to show the interviewer how confident and well fitted you are for the role you need to answer the questions with quality answers! Preparing allows you to have reference points in front of you during the interview so if you get nervous or a bit flustered you can refer back to your notes and keep you on track!
#1. PREPARE
First step is to prepare for the interview, for me if I am fully prepared I am more relaxed and able to perform better in the interview. The first few questions that are normally asked will be “what do you know about the company?” and “tell me about yourself?” for these questions and any other questions prepare a few quick points. For example, to answer the question “tell me about yourself?”:
ABOUT ME
Graduated in 2015
BA Hons Media and Marketing
Art & sports are my hobbies
Passionate about pursuing my career
These points allow you to quickly and directly answer the question, creating sections like this for any questions you may face allow you go be as prepared as you possibly can going into the interview. A quick tip is to research the interviewer and the company is good detail to impress, also bring a copy of you CV with you to hand to refer to and I find it good to highlight my previous work experience which matches with the role!
Questions that are also commonly asked:
Why did you apply for this job?
What can you bring to this role?
What experience do you have that you feel matches or makes you right for this role?
What are your key strengths and weaknesses?
Best achievement or a regret
#2. Outfit
Your outfit says a lot about who you are to an interviewer, they will judge you by what you are wearing! Make sure you are clean and well-presented and preferably wearing a suit. A clean cut suit allows you to look professional and keen for the role you’re interviewing for. A normal rule is to be well covered so not dressing like you’re on the pull on a standard Saturday night! Also, maybe try and get your outfit planned and ready the night before so you don’t have to worry about ironing or finding your best socks in the morning.
#3. Plan your journey
Sometimes you can find yourself going for an interview in a location you’re not 100% sure of. Printing of a journey plan and the contact details of the company keeps you well prepared and if you do get lost you have the details to hand. Also, depending on the time of day, allow yourself a good 15 minutes extra time just in case of a traffic jam or a well needed coffee stop off.
#4. Good old fashioned handshake!
Like your parents have probably said, a firm handshake is still important into today’s interviewing process! The personal contact at the start and end of the interview can be very daunting, the dreaded sweaty hand issue is always a worrier! A great tip I was once told, is to leave your hand open under the table to allow air to the palms so you minimize the sweaty palm situation.
The standard introductions is to shake their hands and say “nice to meet you” while you shit your pants and smile.
#5. Your questions
Remember, in an interview you are checking out the company as well. The interview works both ways, you need to make sure this is a role for you and the company suits you! Asking questions at the end of an interview looks great for you but also allows you to have an insight on the company and interviewer! The interviewer is normally your line manager or someone you may work closely with so it’s best to ask them a few questions about their career. Here are some examples of questions to ask:
What are the challenges I may face during this role?
What are your favourite parts of the roles?
How would you teach me something new?
What do you believe are your strengths as a manager?
What are the future opportunities?
What are the next stages of this interview process & when will I know?
#6. Experience gained
Not getting a job you so badly wanted can be quite upsetting and frustrating. Always ask for feedback after an interview to make sure you can learn and pin point any issues or weak points you may have. With every interview, you have you gain knowledge and experience which helps with your confidence and helps you grow as a person.
Final words, stay calm and remember they maybe just as nervous as you are!
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