If you have not moved roles in a while interviews can be a scary prospect and it can be really helpful to receive some interview tips at this stage in your recruitment journey. We speak about our 3 key interview tips to help you prepare for your interview and increase your chances of success.
Interview Tip 1 – Preparation
With any interview, preparation is the key to success. The more you know about something the more confident you will feel talking about it!
You should think about preparing for the interview around 3 key points…
- The company you’re applying to
- Companies need to be made to feel special, so you need to let them know why this is your dream place to work. Companies are looking for people who show genuine passion, interest, and enthusiasm, so it pays to do some research such as
- Who are their competitors?
- What are their company values?
- How is the business organized?
- And if you cannot find this information via their website or social sites these will be great questions for your interviewer!
- Companies need to be made to feel special, so you need to let them know why this is your dream place to work. Companies are looking for people who show genuine passion, interest, and enthusiasm, so it pays to do some research such as
- The role you’re applying for
- Ask yourself the following questions
- Why did you apply for the role?
- What does the role involve?
- How do your knowledge and skills match the role on offer?
- Can you imagine now what you will be doing in the role?
- Ask yourself the following questions
- Yourself
- You may think you know everything about yourself but sometimes the question “tell me a bit about yourself” can stump some people in an interview scenario so it’s best to prepare what you’re going to say.
- Your interviewer will want you to be confident with your answer so prepare a small summary to include
- Work experience
- Volunteering
- Societies you are involved with
- Travel
- Interests and value
Interview Tip 2 – Types of interview
Interviews can be done in 3 different ways.
Telephone interviews
Often used to sift through applicants at an early stage in the recruitment journey, or even at the end so a manager can make a final decision about you.
It is crucial you still treat a call as a formal interview so preparation is still key.
Video or Digital Interviews
Pre-recorded interviews
These are being more common. You will be asked to answer pre-recorded questions within an allocated time.
Skype/Zoom interviews
Treat them just like a face 2 face interview and make sure you check the following
Dress – make sure you are dressed appropriately
Movement – Ensure your webcam is secure and refrain from moving around in shot and do not type whilst on the call
Username – make sure it is professional and does not contain any inappropriate language!
Height – Check the height of your webcam. Remember the interviewer can see not only you but everything behind you too so make sure the space is tidy!
Lighting – Ensure there is enough lighting and try not to sit directly near a window as it can create glare.
Sound – Soundcheck you can be heard well before the interview and do not sit in a noisy location
Face-to-face interviews
By far and away the most prevalent form of interview you will come across. Some key tips for a face-to-face interview include.
- Arrive early
- Be polite
- Offer a firm handshake
- Smile!
- Maintain eye contact
- Use a tried and tested method to prepare – STAR/SOARA (see competency interview guide below)
- Speak at a good pace
- Take your time answering the questions
- Ask for clarification if you do not understand what you are being asked
Interview Tip 3 – Types of interview question
There are 3 rough types of interview questions you will be asked
Situational interview questions
These are questions about how you would cope in different situations, and why you would react in a particular way.
In many cases these types of questions involve problem-solving and how you would handle yourself in a particularly challenging situation in the workplace, be it with a client or a colleague
Chronological interview questions
An interviewer may go through your resume with you and ask questions about your course, past work experience, etc. Know your resume inside out and make sure you emphasize the [arts that are most applicable to the role you are applying for
Competency-Based Interview Questions
These types of questions test our ability to do the role in question which is where competency-based interviews come in.
If you want to find out more about how to answer competency-based interviews our Competency-based interview guide will give you access to all the skills you need to prepare including how you can demonstrate the key competencies required and how to build upon them within an interview scenario.
Our FREE guide gives you an undiluted overview of the 2 methods to prepare for competency-based interviews, the STAR and SOARA methods, and how best to interpret them.
