Five Steps To Ace The Modern Interview

When searching for a job, it can be easy to get so caught up in applying for jobs that you forget to consider what to do if you actually get called for interview. Here are five tips to help you optimise your interview experience.

1 Make Sure it’s Worth Your While

First thing’s first, double-check the job description and research the company to ensure that you would actually consider accepting this job. Unless you have limited interview experience then you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time and effort putting yourself forward for a job that won’t suit your needs.

Review your application

Most job advertisements break down the specific responsibilities and duties for the role. Make sure this aligns with your capabilities and aspirations.

Check the company’s website/ LinkedIn

Knowing a company’s goals, function and size will help you make an informed decision on whether this position will get you where you want to go in your career. LinkedIn is particularly helpful in finding out what people in this position have progressed to previously which will be a big indication of what the role will do for you should you be successful.

Get the Employees take

Look on employer review sites such as Glassdoor or Vault to find out how employees feel about the company. This will give you an insight into management style, opportunities for progression, turnover rate etc., all of which will give you a better indication of whether or not this job is right for you.

2 Housekeeping

Have an outfit planned and ready for the day of the interview.

No matter how casual the company or role may appear, err on the side of caution. It’s unlikely you’ll be penalised for ‘overdressing’ whereas a lack of care in your appearance will give the impression that your lack attention-to-detail, that you cannot manage basic tasks and that you aren’t interested in the job. A first impression takes seconds to make and possibly years to overcome.

Plan your journey a few days ahead of time.

Make sure you know exactly where the interview will be taking place and how you’re going to get there. If your CV states that you’re punctual this is where you prove it. If you struggle to find the interview location, ask the person who invited you for more information.

Extras

Organise any additional resources you might need for the interview i.e. a copy of your CV, business card, previous examples of your work. If you’ve mentioned a particular achievement on your CV or in your application then why not bring a case study or article as concrete proof of your ability.

3 Steel your Nerves

If you’re anything like the rest of us, you probably fret about meeting new people. You can have all of the experience and competency in the world but that doesn’t mean you’ll be entirely comfortable in an interview environment. Accept that there will be a level of nervousness; employers expect that and they will be forgiving.

Research, research, research

The more preparation you do, the more confident you will be. This is why doing your research is so important. A nervous but prepared candidate is far better than a confident but uninformed one.

Take a Minute

If you’re asked an unexpected question or need a minute to recompose yourself for any reason, take a sip of water and pause before you start again. This will come across better than if you umm and ah your way through the interview. No one is going to begrudge you needing time to consider your responses. Just don’t take too long, you need to keep the interview moving.

4 Control the flow

The best way to avoid getting questions you can’t answer is to prepare talking points to cover everything that you want covered. It’s likely that for a first interview, the interviewer will go through your CV point by point and prompt you to expand on that information.

Expand

The goal here is to flesh out your CV. If you’ve said that you have a particular skill, make sure you have an example of an instance where you have used that skill to achieve a positive result. Think outside the box – if you don’t have experience in a professional setting then draw from your private life. For example if you need to demonstrate your ability to manage a budget you could briefly mention how you budget your weekly shop.

Redirect

This brings us to the next point, if you get asked a question that touches on something you cannot strongly answer, make sure you know how to redirect the interview back to something that you can. Find an aspect of the question that you can link back to something that you do want to discuss. Outline how you plan on improving in that area and then stir the conversation towards something that you already excel in.

Remember the goal is to have talking points, not by-rote responses. Don’t be too strict or you won’t be able to cope if the interviewer goes off-road.

5 The Right Fit

The purpose of an interview is twofold, the interviewer needs to assess whether you are the right fit for the role but as the interviewee you need to assess whether this company and this position are right for you. You spend approximately a third of your waking life at work so it’s worth finding something that will help you strike the elusive work-life balance.

Be prepared to highlight what you can contribute to the role, but also be honest about what you hope the role will do for you. This shows initiative, an understanding of the position and it tells the employer that you’re worth investing in.

For more advice or up-to-date industry news, if you're looking to take the next step in your career, or if you have any recruitment needs now or in future, contact Executive Search Consultant Matthew Coleman on  (0) 7747 840796 or via email at matthew.coleman@csgtalent.com. You can also view CSG’s website here. https://www.csgtalent.com/