How to impress your interviewer
Having an interview is just like going on a date. You want to make the best first impression as possible. People often don’t tell you this but just as much as the employer is interviewing you, you need to be interviewing the employer. You need to make sure it’s the right fit for YOU as well.
The main thing employers want to find out is whether YOU are the right person for the job and the company culture.
As we spoke about in the last article How to ACE your video responses…
Preparation is key
- Do not be late: You should aim to arrive between 10 /15 minutes early, as lateness is seen as a sign of bad organization and time management.
- Prepare answers to questions: Do your research and take your time. When asked a question take a breath and think about it for a moment, don’t feel you need to jump as soon as you’re asked.
- You should know about both the job and company your applying for. So try and get one of your friends / family members to ask you a couple of questions as preparation.
Practice, Practice and Practice some more
Even if you have all the right answers, if you can’t present them in a way someone who doesn’t know you can understand, all your efforts have just gone down the drain.
- Try avoid using filler words such as ‘hm’, ‘um’, ‘er’ and ‘like’.
Watch this short video to understand why.
- You can stop doing this by recording and listening back to yourself. Try practicing speaking without saying any of the filler words.
- Be specific and clear in all your content, part of this comes from confidence.
- Elaborate your sentences, and avoid one word answers. For example, rather than “I am a people person”, say something like “I am a great communicator and enjoy speaking to customers”.
- When you are asked why you want the job, show off your understanding of the company’s background and how your skill set can be applied. NEVER SAY you ‘just need a job’, even if it’s true. For example:
1. “I love the atmosphere and the values of the company”
2. “I’m really interested in the work that you do here”
3. “I feel that my experience in X will be mutually beneficial for both me and the company”
Body language
How you act says just as much about you as what you say
- Do not look at your phone when waiting for your interview or even worse… during your interview. In fact you phone should be off and in your bag.
- Do not get too comfortable, you want to seem confident but still respectful. Try sitting towards the edge of your seat rather than lounging back.
- Leaning forward shows you’re engaged.
- When you’re offered a seat, sit up straight and do not slouch.
- Maintain eye contact and be engaged.
- SMILE
Asking Questions
Employers love it when you ask them questions too. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, this is your chance to see if you want to work for the company so use this time wisely. At the end of the interview, aim to ask the interviewer at least 1–3 questions. A few examples questions below;
Where do you see the company going in the next 5 years?
What is the main thing you look for in employees?
What are the next stages in the application process?
You’ll seem more enthusiastic and eager to learn!
What not do in an interview
There are some key areas you should try and stay away from talking about in interviews:
- Badmouthing previous bosses or companies, instead keep it positive and use past experience to say what you learned from challenging experiences.
- Don’t ask about the salary or financial specifics of the job unless specifically asked (If you want to have an idea of the salary for the job visit sites like: glassdoor.com)
- Do not mention parties, alcohol or drugs- even if the interviewer looks your age, do not try to get personal. Keep it strictly business at this stage. Look over your social media page to make sure these things do not appear in pictures too, to maintain a professional image.
Quick reference guide:
- Research, prepare and practice!
- Avoid using filler words like/um/er.
- Be attentive and alert in your body language.
- Ask your interviewer questions.
- Most importantly: be confident.
