By Aileen Hallahan, Director, TalentScope Recruitment Solutions
OK, so we all know the golden rules about interviews.
Arrive on time, dress appropriately (better to check as some Technology companies prefer a casual dress for interviews), research the company, be able to outline your relevant experience, prepare answers to Competency Based Interview questions (CBI) which will have been or should have been already outlined to you before you attend, prepare questions that you will ask etc.
But what else can you do to go over and above and impress your interviewer?
Getting an interview for a job can be a big deal in the competitive marketplace that we have today, and many candidates (yes, even those who look perfect on paper) can be overlooked for interviews so if you do get an interview for a position you have applied to, you must ensure you have every box ticked to make it a positive and successful experience for you. Otherwise, it may just end of being a waste of a great opportunity and unfortunately and understandably you won’t get a chance to have a second shot.
It’s often the small things that can make or break an interview but the good news is, is that these small tasks are 100% within your control to influence.
Get into the right headspace before you go
Having the right mental attitude about your interview is key. It’s not a coincidence that all the most successful sports stars and best business minds practice Visualisation and Positive thinking for every big event. We are all familiar with the Henry Ford slogan “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”. Thinking positively about the outcome of the interview will put you in the right headspace before you attend the interview and in fact will make the experience far more enjoyable. Interviews do not have to be a one-sided experience but can and should be a good forum for exchange of information to access fit, likeability and long term potential for both parties.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Rehearsing your interview again and again will give you the positive mental attitude you need for any interview. It’s essential that you practice talking about yourself (we are not used to doing this in everyday life, some people will only interview 2 or 3 times in their entire career) so that when it comes to promoting yourself at the interview, it will feel natural to you and you will not be self-conscious in doing so. Write down what you plan to say if that helps, or make little cards with reminders of things you want to say in your interview which you know will be relevant to the prospective employer and at every opportunity you have – driving to work, doing the housework, watching TV, waiting to collect the kids from football – whatever and whenever you can, verbally talk about yourself, and your career to date.
The more you practice the interview – the better you will be and the more confident you will appear. Don’t just say it in your head, talk out loud – yes, even to yourself so you won’t be alarmed at your own voice in the interview – get used to delivering your pitch. And is it a pitch – a Sales Pitch about you!
Don’t just cover the basics
Knowing about the company and what they do is expected but so many people feel they are going over and above in doing this. In reality, you should try to know as much as possible and in doing this research, you will find that not only is the opportunity more appealing to you but that the exercise again will add to your confidence at the interview itself.
As well as just reviewing the company website, ensure you know who you are meeting. There is no excuse these days with LinkedIn and other professional social media sites to understand the background of the interviewer, – are there any similarities in the companies you work for? Do you know any people in common? Do you know any people already working for this company? Can you speak with them in advance of the interview to get helpful advice?
Make yourself available
If you are keen to explore opportunities and ultimately find a new role, it is imperative that you make yourself available for interviews when requested. There is no point at all in applying for positons if you cannot attend interviews and it goes without saying – you won’t get a new job unless you interview so know that you will need to take time off in order to achieve your goal of securing a new position. Most employers are quite flexible around interview times but it is advisable to be available when they want to see you. I often get asked – can they meet me at the weekend as I’m off then? Most companies (like you) like to do their work (including interviews) during working hours. Guess what – they are off at weekends too, at least for interviews. Try your best to accommodate a busy hiring manager who literally may only have one free slot in his/her entire day to meet with you due to an overloaded working day.
Think about it logically – Take the time
I often get asked by candidates – “what will the company ask me in my interview” – Certainly an interview is not going to tell you pre-interview exactly what will come up, what would be the point of an interview if that were the case? Perhaps some people have not done too many interviews but it is essential that you yourself – not your recruiter, or friend or partner – have some time out and sit quietly and think – OK, if I was this employer and I had a candidate like me come to interview with me for the role, what would I ask them, what would impress me and what do I really want to know? Put yourself in the shoes of the employer and think about what they will need to know about you. Really, when it comes down to brass taxes, any employer simply wants to know 2 things
1) Can you do this job?
2) Prove to me that you can (Competencies, Discussion on previous experiences, Examples)
Yes, as the intermediary between the candidate and the employer, Recruiters can help with some tips and guidance about the organisation, and will have feedback from previous interviews but you need to take responsibility yourself also for planning the interview and preparing yourself. It will be YOUR career after all that will be changing, not the recruiter so why would you expect that they would put in more effort than you to get you ready.
Take some time, alone and in a quiet place to sit and think – OK what I can bring to this company and how can I best portray this in the interview. What information is key for me to outline to them to help them see that I would be an asset to their business. The 3 main areas you should know really well are
1) The Company – their operations, events, plans
2) Yourself – know your CV inside out, what motivates you, why you want this job
3) The job – review the job description, be able to say when and where you have done each of the duties and responsibilities before – review each task against your CV, side by side and make the connections regarding previous experience.
If you can deliver a good pitch around each of the above, then you’ll be more than well –prepared. An extra answer to prepare well is “Why should we hire you?” – Then be ready to give yourself a glowing report, and outline the benefits to the employer of having you on-board.
Sell like you’ve never sold before
OK, this is the time you need to forget your inhibitions and self-consciousness and SELL yourself. Yes, it’s good to be modest about your achievements in day to day life but now is the time to be CONFIDENT, not COCKY! If you are not certain about yourself, how is a potential employer supposed to get excited about you joining their team? They will need to be able to picture you in their company and know that you will be a valued contributor. Sounding unsure or hesitant about yourself, your career to date or how you can add to their business, will not inspire confidence in anyone who might want to hire you. You know yourself better than anyone else knows you – it’s factual. Just remember – it’s likely that you’re not the only person the company is meeting with and others with lesser ability may be very confident of their delivery so don’t lose the gig because you didn’t promote yourself enough.
Enthusiasm is Infectious
Speaks for itself. I’ve often had a client give the feedback that they were not sure if the person was really interested in the position – Why? They just didn’t come across as being very interested or enthusiastic about the role. This can be down to nerves, trying to remember what to say etc. but put on your best smile, don’t slouch, sit up straight, be a little bit animated when you are speaking, look the interviewer in the eye, smile again. TELL them you’re interested – why not! Put it out there! We all like working with happy, motivated and enthusiastic people and your interviewer will want that too.
Feedback
After your interview, it is imperative to give feedback to your recruiter/representative about the interview and your view on how things went for you. Very often an employer will be keen to understand how the candidate felt about the process, if they are feeling positive about the experience or if perhaps they have decided it is not for them based on a tough interview. Very often those candidates who come back a little hesitant or unsure of their performance, are just being hard on themselves and often have done really well in the interview process. You will have a gut feeling absolutely but it’s important to give your feedback (as well as receiving feedback) to ensure you have gained from the experience and to put in to practice, any areas for improvement.
Putting some work and effort into your interviews will really have positive benefits. Don’t just leave things to chance and just turn up on the day and hope for the best.
Invest in the experience and yourself – you’ll only have rewards/benefits to reap.
Go on – you’re worth it!