Job Interviews: How to Prepare

How do you prepare for an interview?

Start by rereading the job advert and your own application documents (CV, covering letter). Think about which of your experiences match the profile in the advert most closely and what you can bring to the organisation. Is it expertise or skills that will let your future employer grow the business? Or perhaps you speak an unusual language listed in the advert as “desirable”? Note these things down. In a moment of doubt they will remind you why this role is right for you.

Have a look at your future employer’s website too, and at their social media if they have any. A company will appreciate that you have made the effort to keep up. And something interesting may occur to you that you will want to raise at the meeting.

How do you make a good impression at interview?

It is now good practice to tell candidates what the next stages of a process will involve, including the interview. If the recruiter has not done so, ask what you can expect from the meeting and how best to prepare. You might ask:

• Will you meet your direct manager (the hiring manager)?
• Will there be an exercise to complete?
• Or will the interview be conducted in English?

Finding out as much as you can beforehand will help you feel secure, which in turn gives you more confidence and reduces stress considerably. It also signals your commitment to the recruiter.

The most common interview questions

Sadly we cannot predict the future, but some questions come up more often than others. Recruiters may want to know about:

• Your strengths and weaknesses. This is also a chance for self-reflection. Do not overdo it, though – if you say your weakness is that you throw yourself into work so completely that you forget your family, the effect may be the opposite of the one you intended.
• Your biggest professional challenge and how you met it. This question often appears alongside your greatest professional success and… failure. What counts here is specifics: what you did in that situation and what you took from it. Thinking this through will serve you well beyond the interview.
• What is motivating you to change jobs. Here it is worth weighing your words. Hold back from sharp, critical remarks about a former employer. The safest approach is honest diplomacy. A recruiter will appreciate your courtesy and tact in the face of strong feelings. If you simply feel you want to keep developing, say so. You might add a couple of sentences on how you see yourself in the new organisation. That will strengthen your credibility.
• Where do you see yourself in a few years? Relax – this is not a crystal-ball test. It is how a recruiter gauges your professional ambitions and your plan for yourself. The question is also a pointer for you: it shows whether the company will be able to support your development.
• Why did you apply to this company in particular? A word of warning – “it just worked out that way” may not score highest. This is the moment when an employer checks your motivation for working specifically for them (and tests their own employer brand).

Interview questions can be surprising, and sometimes that is the point – a recruiter may want to see how you react when there is no obvious answer. Even so, answering the questions above honestly for yourself will give you a solid grounding and a safe starting point.

What should you wear to an interview?

There was a time when a white shirt and a suit were obligatory. In most organisations today, that is no longer required. A tracksuit may not be the best choice either (unless you are applying to a sports club). Simply dress neatly and in keeping with your sector.

If you are unsure and find it hard to judge, you can ask whether the company has a dress code. That way you will turn up in a particular outfit without feeling you have over- or under-dressed.

But remember – the best-chosen outfit and the best first impression will not cover for being unprepared. What you wear matters, but it is not the most important thing.

What should you keep in mind during the interview?

To finish, here are a few more pieces of advice. We hope they help you prepare and make the conversation enjoyable for both sides.

Be yourself

It may sound trite, but be yourself. You probably do not want to work somewhere that requires you to play a role you do not much care for every day.

You can ask questions

Remember that an interview is not only for the employer’s benefit. You have every right to ask questions too. You can ask whether the role is newly created or a replacement, what the onboarding will look like, and what is likely to be the biggest challenge in the first few days. After all, you and your future employer share one aim: to start working together in a way that benefits both sides over the long term.

Remember who you are meeting

Note down the name of the person you will be talking to (or at least of whoever arranged the interview). If the company is holding several interviews the same day, it will be easier to end up in the right one.

Last but not least – punctuality

Value your own time and your interviewers’. Things do go wrong, so if you know you will not arrive at the agreed time, say so straight away. Do not leave checking where the company’s offices are until the morning of the interview. Make sure you know how to get there.

Is the interview remote? Make sure your connection is stable and that the invitation link opens. You may need to download or update the app you will be using. Do not leave it to the last minute – our candidates’ experience tells us that computers like to update themselves five minutes before a meeting starts.

We probably do not need to tell you to get a good night’s sleep. We hope that if the interview does surprise you, the surprises are all pleasant ones. Good luck 🙂