How to Ace your next interview!

Unfortunately due to the recent pandemic there are now more people that ever looking for work in what is a very limited job pool.

Right now it is VITAL to make a great impression when you secure your next interview.

Frustratingly though, many highly qualified people fail at the interview stage. I hear it as a recruiter more than most, “they looked great on paper, but they just didn’t interview well”. HOW FRUSTRATING…for the client and most importantly for YOU!

Sadly, there is no way around securing a job without going through the interview process….. that I know of anyway.

Interviewing is a skill and one that you NEED to master.

Many people often neglect the fact that just like learning how to code, or gaining that industry qualification that interviewing is a skill, and a very important one.

Often the same mistakes are made time and time again.

I have put together some helpful tips that I hope will help you ACE that next interview.

Do your research on the business.

Seems obvious right? You would be surprised how many people don't do this. Look at the company values, what do they stand for, what are their recent projects, have you read the latest news articles. If you can show an interviewer a genuine interest in their business you are going to impress. Plus, don’t you want to know the type of business you could be working for.

Research the interviewer.

Hopefully you will be informed prior to your interview who you will be meeting with, if you haven’t then ask your recruiter. Take the time to look up your interviewer on LinkedIn and see where they have worked previously, are they connected to people you know well. You are looking for clues to gain common ground and an indication to their background and style.

Don’t lie.

One hiring manager I know well has a scorecard when reviewing CV’s, one score is for ‘creativity’. This is a nice way of saying they suspect some level of embellishment in your experience. Don’t lie to win your next role, be honest and make sure you highlight your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses.

Highlight your strengths.

The perfect candidate does not exist, chances are you will not have a 100% of the experience needed for every role. The key is to acknowledge this while highlighting your strengths and showing how you could benefit their business. It is worth mentioning how you have overcome challenges and previous skill shortages in previous roles (through training / online courses / learning on the job etc).

Highlight the Job Description.

Sit down with a highlighter before your interview and mark the areas of the job that match your skill set or interest you. Often people regret not mentioning a project they have worked on or forget to talk about a major achievement. By highlighting key parts of the JD you can ensure you don’t miss the chance to bring your relevant skills to a hiring managers attention.

Quantify your achievements.

‘I led a team of 10’. Great, but what does that mean. Quantify your experience, did you have a hand in recruiting the team, did you increase productivity by 25%, did that lead to an increase in revenue, did your team win multiple awards. Interviewers want to know what you did and how that could be replicated in their business!

Confidence.

Most of this boils down to preparation. The old motto of ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ rings true here.

If you are truly prepared you will already have a degree of confidence in approaching any questions that are asked of you. Remember the interviewer is human too, an interview is just a conversation between two people trying to determine if there is a fit for both parties.

Little things like eye contact, a good posture and a firm handshake (maybe a fist pump nowadays) all create a projection of confidence too. With virtual interviews more common at the moment make sure you are energetic and engaged to ensure your personality is transmitted over the call.

Prepare insightful questions.

Nothing agitates interviewers more than when candidates do not ask questions at the end of the interview. It shows a lack of engagement and interest. Always have a couple of insightful questions ready. Examples could be around the culture of the team, opportunities for progression, interest in the projects they are embarking on. 

Don’t be afraid to talk about your interests.

People buy from people. The best interviewers will want to know more about you as a person. Tell them you coach an under 9’s football team, that you are a keen cyclist.. whatever it may be.

Finally - Enjoy it!

Interviews are a two way street. A good interview should leave both parties with a good impression of each other regardless of the suitability for the role. The more you have prepared the greater the chances are you will enjoy it.

There are many more but if you stick to these you should hopefully have a template to ACE that next interview.

I know there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment and I am happy to offer all the support I can with CV reviews, market overviews or just to have a chat!

Please feel free to get in touch.