Research the hell out of the company
In an interview situation research is very much your ammunition, so the more you have of it, the more equipped you’ll be to tackle any tricky queries or curveballs that might come your way. So get online and learn everything you can about the company your applying for, be it their history, size, employees, competitors or plans for the future. Having all this knowledge from day one should make it a lot easier for your interviewer to picture you as part of the team, because you already have a lot of the inside knowledge you’d require.
Get really familiar with the job description
Never underestimate the power that a job description gives you. It may just seem like a generic list of general duties, but in actual fact it’s a very useful checklist of attributes that you’ll need to portray in order to impress your potential employer. Therefore, if you plan on discussing your previous experience, asking your own questions, or bringing a portfolio along, then make sure you do so in line with that handy little list they gave you, for it is the key.
Make sure you know the address of the company
All the preparation in the world won’t mean a thing if can’t find where you’re meant to be having your interview. That’s why it’s well worth having a look on Google Maps at the route you’ll be taking, or at the very least noting down the postcode for your Sat Nav just in case. Nobody needs the stress of three-point turns down a dead-end street twenty minutes after your interview start time.
Find out the format of the interview beforehand
Not all interviews are alike. Most tend to follow the standard question-answer format we all know and love, but sometimes employers like to mix things up. This could come in the form of a telephone interview, a group activity or even a practical assignment, so make sure you ask about the format of the interview beforehand.
Prepare for potential questions you may be asked
One thing you can always expect from an interview is that you’ll be asked questions, so prepping for them ahead of time will obviously give you a big advantage. The issue is it that they could ask you quite literally anything, so preparing for them might seem impossible. However, our advice would be to take out that handy job description again and write down some questions that you feel the employer might ask to determine whether you’re checking all the boxes, because chances are you’ll uncover a few that you’ll be asked during the interview.
Be ready to ask questions yourself
Asking questions usually suggests you have a lack of knowledge about something, which in an interview scenario might instinctively feel like a risky move. However, most of the time employers are actually expecting you to fire off some of your own questions, because it’s very unlikely they will cover everything themselves, plus it shows that you have initiative, confidence and that you actually care.
Pick out an appropriate outfit
This one kind of boils down to common sense. Nobody has ever had a successful interview dressed in a vest and shorts, but equally it’s probably not the best time to dust off your bowtie and tuxedo. Just don’t overthink it too much, if they suggest a dress code then follow it and if not just go with the safe bet of smart casual.
Try to be truthful
Acting as the best version of yourself in an interview kind of goes with the territory, but nobody is perfect, so don’t try and pretend to be. If you turn into a nodding dog during the interview and get the job on the basis of a mountain of lies, then it will inevitably come crumbling down atop of you once it becomes clear that you actually have no idea what you’re doing. Therefore, keep those fibs to a minimum and just be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.
Arrive ahead of time
Don’t be late. It might sound like another obvious one, but keeping your interviewer waiting is a great way to ruin your chances of employment straight out of the gate. That’s why we strongly advise leaving home three times earlier than any normal person would, which might sound silly at first, up until you hit unexpected traffic or realise that your car isn’t starting.
Just stay calm
Honestly, at the end of the day the best way you can improve your performance in an interview is to just stay calm. The tips above should hopefully make that a little easier, but if you’re still feeling anxious then just remind yourself everyone has messed up an interview once in their lives and doing so isn’t the end of the world. The ironic thing is that if you tell yourself otherwise then you’re more likely to mess up, so just relax and do your best.
If you happen to be applying for a Marketing or Creative job through RedSprout, then you have even less reason to worry about the interview process, thanks to something we call IntoView:
