We spoke with
Georgina Leonard
, a member of our internal recruitment team, to gather insights on how individuals can best prepare for an interview. Here are her top tips:
- Research the company – In most interviews, the interviewer will ask ‘What do you know about our business/company’, so doing your prior research will help you but will also give you a good insight into who you are interviewing with.
- Thoroughly read the Job Description and think about transferable skills in preparation for competency-based questions – You want to be armed with examples/reasons etc as to why you are suitable for the role you are interviewing for.
- Prepare your journey – It’s so important to check your journey the day before your interview to avoid any road works/train strikes etc to minimise the risk of being late. If you are driving, check the parking as there might not be any on-site.
- Plan a smart outfit – Although the company dress code might be casual or smart/casual, the first impression is the last impression.
- Look at your interviewers on LinkedIn – It’s nice to see who you are meeting before the interview but might also help with preparing questions.
- Prepare questions – Although an employer is interviewing you and your fit for the role, you are also interviewing them and whether they are the right business for you. Prepare as many questions as you can so you can come away from the interview with enough information on them which will ultimately help you make a decision.
- Take a notepad and pen – This will allow you to jot down any answers to your questions or information/knowledge your interviewers share during your interview.
- Be you – Although this isn’t something you can prepare, just be confident in yourself and your ability for the role.
- Practice – Some people like to ‘practice’ before an interview, this might be having a drive to the office/site you are interviewing at to get a feel for your future journey or getting someone to ask you competency-based questions so you can prepare/practice your answers.
Always follow up 24 hours after your interview. I think it’s nice to thank your interviewers for their time and it’s also an opportunity to highlight your interest in the role/company. This doesn’t need to be a paragraph-by-paragraph email, just short and simple to show your appreciation and again to re-iterate your interest in joining their business.
