Job interviews can be nerve-wracking and stressful but an interview could mean you’re one step away from that dream job – or at least a little closer to fulfilling your career ambitions. The Eventus Recruitment Group explains what to do in the interview room… Follow our Job Interview Guidance…
7 Tips for Job Interview Guidance
1) First Impressions Count
Always give a superb first impression. Provide a strong handshake, make eye contact with all the panel members and sit straight. It takes 30 seconds to generate that impression so start on the right foot. Body language is important so keep it open, don’t slump, and remember to smile.
2) Use open ended questions to your advantage
Think of your three best-selling points and get them across in these open questions. If the interviewer asks you to say something about yourself. Be prepared and highlight your professional experience and skills that relate to the job you are applying for. Keep it relevant. Don’t talk about hobbies or your pet! Communicate your achievements, experience in, and strengths to demonstrate why you’re ideal for the role.
3) Dress conservatively
This is all part of making a good impression. We’d always recommend conservative formal over less formal. Avoid loud clothing, low cut tops, or excessive jewellery, which all distract the interviewer from what you’re saying and you want to make an impression with your words rather than your clothes.
4) Avoid discussing salary
In your interview, you shouldn’t ask about salaries at all. It’s not a good idea to jump straight in and ask about holidays, pensions, and pay rises at the end of your interview and it doesn’t leave much room for negotiation if you’re successful. Wait until you are offered the job, then ask about salary, and as you’ll be in a better position to negotiate a good package.
Instead of discussing salaries, ask about opportunities for mentoring and training; expectations in your first week; and who you’ll be working with.
5) Don’t be a bore. Zzz
The panel will already have a good idea of your experience, qualifications, and skills before you attend an interview. At this point, they’re checking to see if they like you and think they could work with you. You should be selling your personality, and be both enthusiastic and excited about the job you’re applying for.
6) Avoid chattering on. And on. And on …
Sometimes interview questions can be complicated and it’s easy to lose your thread; focus on the question you’ve been asked, and be confident enough to take notes during the interview so you can write the question down and answer in two parts if it’s complicated.
Don’t be afraid to ask the panel member to repeat the question or ask for a minute to think; this is perfectly acceptable. If you’ve come to a natural conclusion and the panel members aren’t saying anything, don’t chatter on. As them if they want clarification on anything or would like you to provide an alternative example. Don’t be tempted to keep filling the silences.
7) Actions speak louder than words
When asked to give examples of your work, remember the interview panel is looking for your action – what you did, how you handled it – and not the level of project you were working on at the time. When asked to explain a difficult decision you had to make, they want to know how you handled the scenario, not what the actual scenario was.
Remember to have the confidence to communicate what you did. People make decisions all the time in their work and if you’re really good at it, it might not seem that difficult. Forget the word ‘difficult’ and focus on decisions you probably make regularly.