Top Job Interview Tips for Success
How you perform in a job interview will largely determine your success in gaining the job that you have applied for. If you are not used to taking part in job interviews, it can be hard to know what criteria are being looked for and just how formal you should be. Some people struggle to get the balance right between formal and friendly and end up being too much of one or the other, which can harm their chances.
Here we will look at some of the top tips for success in navigating job interviews.
Punctuality is Everything
Start as you mean to go on. One of the most important things in any job is reliability. If you are unable to even turn up on time for the interview, you may as well not turn up at all. To turn up late shows a profound lack of respect for the interviewers and the company the interview is with and will almost certainly see you being eliminated from the shortlist, unless you have a highly credible reason for being late.
Remember the Names of Your Interviewers
Be sure to remember the names of your interviewers, as this can have a bearing on your success or otherwise in the interview. If you call someone the wrong name, or mispronounce it badly, it can have a negative effect on your chances. If you can’t remember their names, try to phrase things in such a way as to avoid using names entirely.
Leave the Negativity at Home
No potential employer wants to hear about how awful you consider your previous employer to have been. You may feel that you are justifiably harming their reputation but you are actually damaging your chances of securing the job.
Employers reason that if you talk negatively about former employers, at some point they will become the focus of your attack and they really don’t want that. They consider negative talk about former employers to be a form of disloyalty, that might transfer on to their company, should they employ you so it is definitely something to avoid.
Prepare Some Questions in Advance
Do your homework, read all you can about the company and the job role that you are applying for within the company. Figure out some interesting questions to ask, but don’t completely dominate the conversation with them. It can be a hard skill to learn and a difficult balance to strike but you will get used to it in time.
When Greeting the Interviewers, Make Eye Contact and Smile
In job interviews much of your success will depend on your personal charisma and how much the panel likes you. You should always make eye contact and smile while shaking their hands, though some job interviewers will now forego shaking hands in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is important that you don’t end up in a staring contest or hold onto their hands for too long. A brief two or three shakes of the hand should suffice before letting it go again. Try to keep your handshake firm but not aggressively so, aim to match their handshake and don’t squeeze any harder than they do.
Focus on Your Positives
Spend most of your time focusing on the things that you can bring to their organisation. Your personal qualities, transferable skills and abilities are what you want to focus on most closely.
Never apologise for a lack of experience, just emphasise your willingness to put in the work and to learn what you need to, in order to make the job with them a success. Describe your abilities and relate them to the job description, explaining how you can benefit their organisation.
Carry Spare Copies of your CV
You should always have some spare copies of your CV at a job interview, that way if the panel doesn't have them for whatever reason, you can be prepared and hand them out. This will make you look extremely organised and efficient. It also gives you the opportunity to brush up on your CV before the interview and remember what you have written on it before going into the room.
Listen Carefully to All Questions
Try to listen carefully to every question that you are asked and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if the meaning wasn’t clear. Interviewers would far rather that you asked for clarification and showed initiative than tried to pretend you had heard something that you hadn’t.
It is all about how you would fit into the team when you are successfully employed and they can’t trust someone who can’t admit that they didn’t hear something
Nervousness is Nothing to be Embarrassed About
Nearly everyone gets nervous before a big job interview so take deep breaths and remember that nobody is out to trip you up. The purpose of a job interview is to find out from you what your strengths and weaknesses are, that is all.
For the most part, job interviews are not designed to catch you out, apart from some of the relatively few unorthodox ones, so try as hard as you are able to relax and you will do the best that you can.
Ask About the Next Steps
It is important to be able to figure out how long you will have to wait to hear back from them and to prepare yourself mentally for the ensuing wait. Asking about next steps should give you a better idea of how quickly they plan to move with the interviews and how many people they have left to interview,
Be sure to thank the interviewers for their time and attention during the interview and let them know that you are very grateful for their time. Explain that you would really like the job and that you look forward to hearing from them once the interview process has been completed.
Write Them a Follow Up
Ensure that you write them a follow up note thanking them for the opportunity and reiterating that you look forward to hearing from them in the near future.
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