Interview do's and don'ts - Part 1

08 Aug 2017

Interviews can be daunting - fact. When there isn’t much time to prepare we find ourselves focusing on the things that may or may not come up and forget about the simplest of interview practices. We’ve collated a selection of dos and don’ts when it comes to interviewing so that you’re fully prepared. Here are the do's of a successful interview.

Check out part 2 of this blog, the DON'TS here.

The DO'S

  • DO know your stuff. Research research research. This is no doubt the number one piece of advice for candidates. Find out everything you can about the company, when they were founded, their history, how big the company is and most importantly if/what they specialise in. Start by looking at the company’s website, news articles and social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc). It’s a good idea to take your notes with you to show you’ve done some investigating.
  • DO prepare for questions. Some companies may only have a few questions to ask you, but others may take this opportunity to really get to know you. Try making a list of questions you’ve been asked before and tailor your answers to that role. Make sure you’re prepared and ready to answer any questions they fire at you.
  • DO have evidence to prove you’re amazing. There’s nothing better than having examples of when you’ve overcome a challenge in previous workplaces to back up your perfectly polished CV. Think about that time when it was 3pm on a Friday afternoon, 2 hours left until home time and you still had 2 days’ worth of work to complete. How did you overcome that challenge? How did you effectively manage that situation? Try working through the job description, adding in evidence of a time you did what they are asking for.
  • DO be confident. First impressions count. Did you know that although an average interview lasts around 40 minutes, a third of interviewers said they know whether or not they are going to hire that candidate within the first 90 seconds? You’ve worked hard to get here so be confident, hold your head up high, perfect your posture, give a firm handshake and show your interviewer why you deserve this job. Own the stage, as they say.

We hope you found these tips useful, be sure to let us know what you thought of this article and what you’d like to see from us in the future. Be sure to check out part 2 of this article.. the interview DON'TS here. Coming soon. Good luck, job go-getters!

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