Interviewing Top Tips

Your amazing CV and stellar LinkedIn profile have impressed the Hiring Manager and now you have been invited for interview. Naturally, you followed the advice in my articles on CV Preparation Top Tips and LinkedIn Profile Top Tips, so now is your chance to seal the deal with a brilliant interview.

My primary advice to candidates going for interview is always to remember and apply:

"The 4 Es"

• Eye contact - the interviewer wants to get to know you, to make sure that you are the right fit for their team. They can't fully engage with you, or appreciate your sincerity, unless you are making eye contact when you speak with them. Just remember to blink occasionally! Note: where you find it difficult to make eye contact and pay full attention to what the interviewer is asking, instead try to look at the middle of the forehead, just above the eye line. This will allow you to focus on the question while still appearing to make eye contact.
• Energy - show them that you are not going to be a dead weight on the team, and instead, that you will put your shoulder to the wheel and make sure to get the job done. A really laid back, horizontal approach is not going to work here. You need to be sitting up straight, engaging with the interviewer and convincing them that you are the right person for the job.
• Enthusiasm - similar to energy, but focusing more on all of the ideas that you have for the role, what you would bring to the team and where you see the role developing over the next year or so. It is so important to bring your 'A game' to an interview and show that you would be an asset to the business.
• Examples - prepare a few examples of relevant work or projects that you have done in the past. Prepare to talk about aspects of that work that are most relevant to the role you are interviewing for, and highlight the benefits to you in terms of experience and to the company in terms of savings/increased efficiencies/revenue etc.

In addition to the "4 Es", other aspects to remember are:

• Use 'I' not 'We' when you talk about the work that you have done. Yes, it is great that you are a team player, but the interviewer wants to know what you have contributed, and what you will bring to a role with them, so don't be shy or afraid of appearing arrogant.
• Study the Job Spec - make sure that you are hitting all of the essential criteria in your examples. And if you don't have all of the desirable points, then make sure that you have relatable experience or qualifications and that you mention these and your willingness to learn more and develop in the role.
• Discuss similar experience - If a specific system/platform/technology is listed, and you don't have experience with it, be sure to do your research. If you have experience with a system that fulfils a similar function or is based on technology that is relatable, then discuss this at interview. Also mention a time when you first started using a system and how quickly you became adept at using it.
• Research the company - make sure that you have done your homework on the company. At the very least, check out their website to get an idea of size, current projects, origin, locations. A quick Google search will bring up any media articles that might give more of a background regarding planned expansion, new CEO etc. It is important to show interest, the interview should be a two-way thing.
• HR questions - be prepared to answer questions regarding your experience in handling conflict, competing priorities, difficult people and non-performing team members. Also have examples ready regarding times where you used your initiative to solve a problem or suggest a way to improve a process or system.
• Hobbies and Interests - It is important that you list a few things that you do in your spare time, and that you are prepared to talk about them when asked. Something that you do or enjoy, may be of interest to an interviewer, so this can be a good way to build rapport and a sense that you could work together well. It is also important to show that you are not just a one-dimensional person. Team sports for example, are a great practice ground for teamwork and communication skills in careers. And outside interests make for better balance in terms of a person's work habits.
• Closing question - when the interview is coming to a close and you are asked if you have any further questions, it can be a good idea to ask about the work environment, so the interviewer can see that you are interested. Also consider asking at that point if the interviewer is concerned about any aspect of your experience, saying that you would appreciate the opportunity to close out any doubts in their mind at this stage, as you are very interested in the role.