Tips on interview preparation*
Interviews are an important and inevitable part of the recruitment process and your success or failure in applying for a vacancy can often depend heavily on your performance at this stage.
Adequate preparation is paramount and there are a large number of books and websites offering advice on how this should be undertaken. However, to save you some time and effort, we have precised much of this best practice guidance into the following list of hints and tips:
In advance:
Do your research. Any potential employer will expect you to have some understanding of their organisation and its operations. To acquire this knowledge, make sure you visit their website prior to your interview, read their latest news story and if possible, view their most recent annual report. Complement this with searches for information on the wider internet and by looking for relevant articles on the sites of media outlets such as Estates Gazette, Retail Week, Building and Property Week.
Following on from the above, if you are applying for a shopping centre operations role, always be sure to visit the relevant centre or scheme if at all possible. Similarly, if you are being interviewed by a retailer, ensure you have visited their store so you are aware of the products on offer as well as the store's format and layout.
Familiarise yourself with the requirements. Read over the role and person specification and consider each point in relation to your career. Think of specific examples that demonstrate your ability to meet the required challenges and that show you posses the desired skills, experience and attributes.
Know the details. Ensure you know the full details of the interview. This includes when and where it's taking place, who you are meeting, their job titles and, where possible, what the format of the interview will be. If you are not familiar with the location of the interview, try the journey in advance so that you know how long it will take and so that you do not get lost on the day.
Prepare questions. Think about and write down any questions you may have about the company or the vacancy in advance. Always make sure you listen throughout the interview to avoid asking a pre- prepared question which may have already been answered during the course of the meeting.
On the day:
Dress appropriately. You rarely get a second chance to make a first impression and how you are attired speaks volumes. If you wish to appear professional and business-like, dress accordingly. As an added benefit, feeling good about your appearance will also make you feel more confident.
Take copies of your CV. Take a smart business folder with copies of your CV for each person you are meeting, one for yourself and a spare just in case an additional person joins the interview last minute. In most cases, the client should have a copy of your CV however on the off chance they don't they will be impressed by your preparation.
Be early. Arrive around 10-15 minutes ahead of time in order to settle your nerves and relax a little. To help overcome any nerves before or during your interview, concentrate on slowing your breathing and ask for water if offered a drink. Taking a moment to sip your water will give you a little time to pause and to compose yourself and your thoughts between questions.
Be interested, passionate and enthusiastic. Throughout the interview show a genuine interest in the company and role. Speak with passion and enthusiasm and consider asking questions based on what you have recently read about the employer or their latest work in the press.
Don't waffle. Keep your answers to the point and direct. When asked to provide an example, make sure you provide one excellent example rather than several. On average, you only have an hour and you want to make sure you have enough time to outline all your skills and qualities rather than spend twenty minutes demonstrating one.
Keep it positive. Avoid speaking negatively about past employers. Instead, speak positively about your experiences working for them. Also provide affirmative examples of your skills, personality and management style where necessary.
Ask for feedback. At the end of an interview, some candidates choose to ask the interviewer if they have any concerns about them or their ability to perform the role. Should the interviewer answer this honestly it may give you the opportunity to address those concerns and to hopefully dispel them.
End on a high. Conclude your interview by making a strong and enthusiastic statement about your desire to work for the company and to fill the position on offer (assuming you are still interested at this stage). Avoid the hard sell but do view the interview as you would any other business pitch and look to "close" the listeners. Finally, thank the client for their time and for the opportunity to be interviewed.
What the interviewer is looking for
Throughout the interview, the client will ultimately be looking for evidence of three keys things:
- Can this person do the job?
- Do they seem to want the job?
- Will they fit in?
Your aim is to provide evidence that convinces them the answer to all of these questions is a resounding 'yes'.