Tips to Nail That Interview!

Being interviewed can make the best of us feel frazzled! Start by asking yourself; “What is the interviewer looking for?” For many interviewers, it boils down to 2 things: Experience and attitude.

You may be thinking “What if I don’t have experience in this area?” This is an opportunity for you to highlight some of the transferable skills, and similar past experiences that you can apply to this role. If you are a first timer looking for a job, attitude is everything. They want to see that you will fit in with their team, that you have a growth mindset and will take on recommendations and advice. Your goal is to amplify yourself so that they can see you in this position.

Here are 5 tips to nail your next interview

1. Prepare

Research the company well. Prepare a list of questions that show that you know more about the company than what is written on the front page of their website. Practise your answers to some of the?behavioural?interview questions?you may receive. Feeling nervous is normal. Remember that nerves are like an iceberg: you feel all of them, but the interviewer only sees 10%; the rest is hidden below the surface. Feel confident that you are talking about yourself - something you know better than anyone! If all that fails, and you still feel intimidated – imagine the interviewer sitting on the loo – it’s bound to put a smile on your face!

2. First impressions count

People will look you up and down and start assessing you after three seconds. The key here is to be memorable for the right reasons. Pay attention to detail; scuffed shoes and messy hair will be noticed.

Five steps to a great first impression are:

1. Eye contact

2. Smile

3. Stand up

4. Walk towards them

5. Shake hands (Covid permitting)

Practice these steps with family members until you feel comfortable

3. Be aware of your body language

Act like a confident person. A confident person sits and stands tall. They hold their head up slightly and lean in when speaking. Confident people smile frequently and alternate eye contact when speaking to more than one person.

4. Structure your responses

When answering questions there are several steps to remember:

1. Listen – Not only to the words but also to the body language that may reveal the hidden message?behind the words

2. Pause – There is no need to rush in quickly

3.?Tease out the question – Clarify to ensure you understand what it is they are asking you

4.?Reflect the question back – to confirm

5. Use a response structure such as?PREP?or STAR to structure your answer:

Here is an example, how to answer the question: “What do you like to do on weekends?”

PREP response

Point of View

?“On weekends I like to go bushwalking.”

Reason

“The reason I like to go bushwalking is you get to see parts of Adelaide that other people don’t get to see.”

Example

?“For example last week we walked up past mount lofty and I spotted 8 koalas and an echidna.”

Point of View

“So that is why bushwalking is one of my favourite things to do on the weekend.”

5. Finish strongly

According to the primacy and recency theory, we tend to remember what we see first and last.?Leave them with a strong impression. Ask them what characteristics they are looking for the successful applicant and reiterate why you are the best person for the job. Finish up by asking them what the next steps are.

*******

As with all things, practice helps.?Get a trusted friend to interview you, practise your responses out loud,?tape or video yourself and correct any bad habits you were not aware of. Give yourself the best possible?opportunity to shine and then relax knowing you’ve done the best you can.?

Some videos to watch

• Behavioural interview questions and how to answer them·?
• Answer questions using STAR
• Give yourself a confidence boost

More articles on confidence, public speaking and persuasion can be found on my website:

www.persuasivepresentations.com.au

All the best with nailing your next interview!

Cheers Sharon?