How to Prepare for an Interview

You’ve nailed your CV and cover letter, put the time in to figure out what’s important to you in a role/company/manager, and you’ve scored a job interview- well done. You now have a chance to sell yourself in front of the decision makers. This could fill you with absolute terror, and don’t worry if it does, it’s completely normal to have the jitters before a job interview, particularly if it’s for a job you really want.

The antidote to these nerves is interview preparation. Here are some ways you can keep focused, cover off the important things and keep the nerves at bay.

Don’t just rely on the job description to tell you about the role and company. The digital age gives you a plethora of information at your fingertips. Jump on LinkedIn, have a look at the company page, the hiring manager’s profile and perhaps there will be the profile of the incumbent so you can get a good idea of their background and try to anticipate some interview questions.  Don’t worry that they’ll see you’ve viewed their profile, it just shows you are doing your research and that is a good thing.

Read, then re-read the PD. Highlight the skills and qualities they have said are important, and frame all your answers around this. You should be able to pre-empt some of the interview questions based on this- have ready some examples of how you have demonstrated these attributes.

It’s a simple question but can hold a lot of weight- ‘why do you want this job?’ Think about your answer, being honest with yourself. If it’s about the money, job title or that you simply want to work for the company without being able to articulate why, perhaps you’re not looking deep enough. 

Always err on the side of formality- better to be a little overdressed than turn up looking a bit scruffy. Show them you’ve made an effort and that you take pride in your appearance, as this will likely translate to the workplace and your general approach. You only get one chance to create the first impression you want.

Give yourself some breathing space and avoid a mad rush across town to get to the interview on time- you don’t want to add stress to your nerves. Review public transport timetables, hop on Google Maps and see the time it will take to get there (check the day before at the same time of day your interview is) and work in a buffer to allow for any issues.  Do not arrive late under any circumstances.

Don’t lob up to their reception too early, though. This can be uncomfortable and annoying for the potential employer who has set the interview around their availability. If you worked there you wouldn’t be arriving at meetings super early (that would not be a good look), so even if you bring your laptop and work from a nearby café for a while, arriving 5 mins before the allocated time is perfect.

Load up your parking meter, don’t make plans for directly after, take away any additional unnecessary stress from the situation if it happens to run overtime.

Easier said than done, but remember the people interviewing you are people, too. They want you to be the right person for this role. They do not want you to crash and burn. If they are super awkward and make it very hard to relax, have a think about how it would be to work alongside these people every day.  Everyone who has conducted an interview has also been interviewed, so they understand nerves and should make allowances for this. Make eye contact frequently, act confidently even if you have to fake it a little.

Be prepared to answer interview questions around salary, start dates and referees. You may not be asked, but you don’t want to blurt out the first thing that occurs to you if you haven’t prepared. You don’t have to give precise answers, it’s ok to give yourself a little wiggle room for negotiations.

Talk up your achievements. This makes a lot of people feel incredibly awkward, but it’s an absolute must in a job interview so practice how to articulate what you’ve achieved without rambling on and on about it. Find the balance between self confidence and arrogance- a great cue to get a sense of how your doing is body language- if they’re starting to shift a little in their seats, their eyes wandering and if you find it hard to remember what the question was as you’re giving your answers, chances are you’re going on a bit and need to reign it in. If they repeat questions or say they need more clarification perhaps you’re not giving them quite enough information, or not expressing what you mean in a concise way.

You’ve prepared and rehearsed, know the PD back to front and feel ready to tackle almost any question they throw at you. That is all really important, but you also need to allow them to get a sense of who you are, what makes you tick and whether you would be someone a potential employer can connect with on a personal level. Think about how you spend your spare time, what’s important to you- these can be some common interview questions. Don’t worry if your passion is extreme ironing,  something a little quirky is interesting and can often be a springboard for a great, memorable conversation. Just be who you are, as that will be evident if you work there anyway. You’ll know soon enough if the company culture is a fit for you.

If you’re overcome with nerves at any point, just tell them so. Show them how you handle tricky situations- do some deep breathing and give yourself a bit of time and space to think through each question before blurting out an answer. being nervous is incredibly normal and incredibly human, don’t be afraid to be a little bit vulnerable.

The secret to success really is in interview preparation, relaxing and understanding why you want the role you’re interviewing for. Take a bit of time to work through these things and you’ll give yourself the very best chance possible to score the job.