How to Prepare For Success
Conducting a successful job interview is an important skill. The ability to master a conversation demonstrating that you are the right person for a job ensures you can land great roles and elevate your career. It is not a skill that comes naturally for everyone, and factors may have prevented you from honing and perfecting your interview prowess. Perhaps you have not had enough interview experience? Or worse, a negative interview experience that plays over in your mind. Even if you do have a firm grasp of it, preparing to land a role that you want might still form a few beads of sweat at your temples.
When you are preparing for an interview, whether it be a quick and informal phone chat, an online video call, an in-person meeting or facing a panel, your preparedness will translate to a better interview, a more candid representation of your hiring potential and a hopefully, result in a job offer. Approach your next job interview with confidence by following these simple tips:
Know Them
Do your research. Visit the company’s website, LinkedIn profile and any other social platforms. It is essential that you understand what your prospective employer does, its values and mission, and market position, as well as their tone, and how other employees engage. This will help you to clearly outline why you are a suitable candidate for the organisation, the role and the culture when faced with seemingly simple questions such as:
- Why do you want this job?
- What do you know about our company?
- Why do you want to work for us?
Know The Role
Read the position description clearly and take not of specifics, or reach out to your recruitment consultant to ensure you are clear on the critical requirements of the role. Understanding what skills, experience, and personal attributes the hiring manager is looking for will help you anticipate and prepare examples to highlight why you are the right person for the job.
Demonstrate Your Skills
It is essential that your CV isn’t just a list of points on a page. Understanding your work experience, skills and achievements and how they relate to the position description is essential. Read and reread your own CV before the interview. Most interviews will include these commonly asked questions and behavioural-based questions that will require you to be specific in your response.
“luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”
Collect Yourself
Candidates with the required skills and experience can often miss out on roles due to nerves. Being nervous is natural and not always a deal-breaker, interviewers may expect some apprehension in a candidate. It can even indicate that you care and want the role. However, nerves can take the focus away from your other positive attributes, affect your interview performance, and create an unfavourable impression if you let them.
To feel confident before you step into the interview:
- Remind yourself that you have interviewed successfully before.
- Reflect on what went well in previous interviews and what you can do to replicate that experience
- Visualise a positive interview interaction.
- Practice your interview responses out loud – this is most effective with a family member, friend, or recruitment consultant who can provide you with both encouraging and constructive feedback.
- Do some power poses immediately before your interview.
If you still feel nervous when the interview starts, let the interviewer know. Ultimately, the hiring manager’s end goal is to fill their vacancy. That means they want you to do well in the interview, so letting them know how you feel will help them take extra steps to make you feel at ease and perform your best.
You could say, “Thanks for meeting with me today. I’m really excited about this role and the opportunity to discuss my experience further. I don’t normally get nervous, but I feel a bit nervous about this interview.”
Dress The Part
Find out what their company dress code is and dress a little smarter. You want to feel comfortable and confident in the interview and give the impression you’re there to make an impression. If jeans and t-shirts are the standard dress code for the tech start-up you want to join, leave the three-piece suit at home, and opt for jeans, dress shoes, and a collared shirt instead.
If you have a video interview, we recommend getting fully dressed, from the top down. You don’t want to be caught out if you need to stand up during the interview. Try to void colours and patterns you think may distract the interviewers or shift focus away from you and your opportunity to showcase your skills and experience.
Impress Them
Leave a good lasting impression. Be on time. Soften your expression. Maintain good eye contact and positive body language, such as smiling and opening up your body. Avoid hunching over or crossing your arms.
Stay Focused
When an interviewer asks a question, be specific with your answers and try not to wander or go off topic. It is critical to really listen to the question before answering or trying to formulate a response based on what you think the question is. It is ok to take some time to think before responding, and if you need clarification, ask for it. Use examples from your own experiences and remember to say “I,” not “we”. The interviewer is most interested in your part.
Prepare To Talk Money
If the topic of money and your salary expectations comes up, you can take two approaches: be prepared and outline the range you would consider, or ask for some time to respond later. The latter allows you to do more research and consult others before locking in a figure. If you are interviewing through a recruitment agency, your recruiter will manage the salary negotiations on your behalf.
Interview Them
Being prepared with questions at the end of the interview reflects positively on you. You will come across as thoughtful, considered, motivated, perceptive, or humble. Interviewing is a two-way street, and it may be your opportunity to determine if the role and organisation is right for you. Some things you may want to know, but never thought to ask:
- The interviewer/hiring manager. “How long have you been in with the company? What do you like most about working here? How would you describe your leadership style?”
- The role. “Can you tell me about the performance management framework? What are the measures to know that I’m doing a good job? Does that tie into any professional development programs?”
- The organisation. “What are some of the strategic initiatives planned for the next 12 months? What does the organisation value most? Are there any key changes happening this year?”
- The culture. “How do teams collaborate? How long have most people been with the company? What kind of person tends to succeed here?”
Finish Strong
When the interview concludes, take the opportunity to reinforce your enthusiasm about the opportunity. Remember to ask about next steps in the process, thank them for their time and let them know you are looking forward to speaking with them again.
Clicks is an award-winning IT recruitment specialist. Our team averages 12 years of industry experience, and we’re on over 80 Preferred Supplier Agreements. As Australia’s favourite IT recruiter, we help candidates find great opportunities and clients find great people each day.
