So, you have landed yourself and interview – Congratulations! Here are 10 essential tips to read through as soon as you find out you have an interview.
At 360- Recruitment we want you to be as prepared as you can for the interview, with our knowledge of the companies we work with, we can provide more information and that should make you feel more confident and more likely to come across well in the interview.
- Research
Its best to research the company and the industry, of course we can help with this, we can help with what the company does, how long they have been running, what they are looking for, how the company wants to go forward etc. But its up to you to take all this information in and to do your own research, look at their web site, find out what their core values are, look at the social media accounts. See what else you can learn, the more you know, the better insight you have and this will show them you have a genuine interest in the company.
- Prepare
Once you have found out more about the company, you can concentrate on your interview techniques. Have a look into what questions they might ask you, head over to our blog and read Top 20 Toughest Interview Questions.
This will give you an overview of the different types of questions they ask and why the ask them.
Practice answering some basic questions, this will give you an idea of what you might say or how you might feel or behave when asked questions. Having some practices will definitely help you feel more confident and less nervous on the day.
We always offer interview prep, this can be over a coffee or over the phone, its what ever suits with the timeframe we are given. We have great relationships with all our clients so we have a good insight into what they are looking for and we can always give you a point in the right direction with the types of questions each company asks.
We would always advise to take a copy of you C.V and any references you have along with you to the interview.
- Plan
The night before, make sure you have everything ready, plan what you are going to wear. Get your clothes out, make sure they are clean, ironed and ready to go.
Print off any paperwork or directions you might need.
- Well Presented
This is just good common sense, no you do not have to book an emergency appointment at the hair dressers before your interview. But to be clean and well presented is a must for any interview.
Remember this is the first time you are meeting with your potential employer. Dress for the job, look smart, clean shoes. No chipped nail polish and no stains on your suit. The better dressed you are the more confident you will feel.
- Timings
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. If you are not sure where you are going, do a recce of where it is. I have done this before and it just gives you peace of mind that you know where you are going and you don’t have to worry about which road to take or which train to catch. You can just concentrate on the task in hand.
Always arrive early, 10 minutes is good, to be honest they probably wont notice too much if you are early but they will most definitely know if you are late!
- Be Positive and Body Language
Having the right body language in an interview is important, having a firm hand shake, good posture and eye contact will show confidence.
Enter the interview upbeat, enthusiastic and authentic. Whilst in the interview, just remember to use the correct language, you are not down the pub with your friends, be polite and use your manners right up until your out of the building.
- Listen – It’s a good skill.
Sounds easy but under the pressure of being in an interview sometimes we do not listen properly and rush through our answers.
Take your time, do not rush, if you are not sure you can always ask the interviewer to repeat the question. The last thing you want to be doing is thinking of the answer for the last question or what you should have said. If you feel you have not answered it properly see if there is time to address it at the end of the interview or during your feedback to us and we can pass on any comments on your behalf.
- Ask a good question
In most interviews the employee will ask towards the end of the interview ‘do you have any questions’
This is something you can definitely prepare before the interview. It will show the company that you are genuinely interested and that you have really thought about working there.
If you prepare for it you can ask one or two really good questions that would make the employer sit up in their chair and have to think of an answer and make you really stand out.
Have a read of our blog why is it important to ask at least 2 questions in an interview. This gives you some good examples.
- Close the interview on a positive
So, to end the interview here are some examples of ways to end it positively…
Thank you for your time today, you have given me a really good understanding of the role and I am excited to see what I can bring to the company.
Or
Thank you for your time, this is an exciting opportunity and I am confident that I would do a great job, if there is anything else you need to know don’t hesitate to contact me.
- Follow up
We would organise a follow up phone call after the interview to see how you felt it went and what you thought of the role. This is great opportunity to give some positive feed back to the company and thank them for their time.