Preparing for Interview
Preparing for an interview can be a daunting task, however, with some careful preparation, you’ll gain the knowledge and adopt the mindset you’ll need to make a great impression. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into what you’ll need to focus on in your preparation to ensure that you walk into your interview feeling confident, calm, and maybe even a little excited.
Research Research Research
Taking the time to do in-depth research before your interview is one of the greatest tools you have to set you up for success. Remember to put aside time for this and be sure not to leave it to the last minute. Creating small revision cards can be a great way to compartmentalise the information you’re collecting during your research and will help you not become overwhelmed with too much information.
Focus your research on the following key areas:
Employer - When researching your potential employer your goal is to build an understanding of the business beyond just the basics. Demonstrating a deep level of understanding shows that you have a genuine interest in the company you’re interviewing for. The companies web page, LinkedIn profile, and social media profiles are where you can find the answers to the following questions you should be asking yourself during your research: - What industry do they operate in? What challenges do they face? Who are their main competitors? What major projects have they recently completed? Have they won any recent awards? What are their culture and values?
Role - Read and re-read the job description and your application form (if you were required to complete one). Be sure to know in your mind how your skills, experience, and qualifications match those required in the role description. You must be able to convey that you understand the role and what is required and be able to demonstrate why you are a great fit using your skills, experiences, and qualifications to do so.
Industry/ Role-specific Evaluation - Before your interview, you should be notified if you will be required to take a test or evaluation, however, this is not always the case and it is best to be prepared for this scenario so you can confidently demonstrate your skills in action to the interviewer. This could look like reviewing lines of code if you are interviewing for a job as a computer programmer or explaining the process you would take to overcome a potential delay in production if you were interviewing for a role as project manager.
Interview Panel - Try to find out who will be interviewing you and do some research into this person/people. Don’t stress if you can’t but knowing a little about your interviewer's professional interests and experiences can go a long way to creating a positive connection during the interview. You can usually find this information via your interview confirmation email, your interviewers are commonly cc’d into these emails or you can search LinkedIn or the 'About us' section of the company website and look for those employees that will most likely be interviewing you e.g. Hiring manager, Head of People, Department Lead, Head of Department, Managing Director.
If you have chosen to work with us here at Tru Talent, your recruitment consultant will have all this knowledge ready for you and will give you an in-depth brief of who will be interviewing you and exactly what the interviewer is looking for in a successful candidate. It really can’t be overstated how effectively our consultants can support you through the relationships they have built with your potential interviewer.
Questions - Research the types of questions you may be asked and prepare well-structured responses to these questions. We can never know for sure the questions an interviewer may ask therefore a little guesswork is involved but an educated guess is a great place to start. It’s also essential to prepare 3-5 questions you'd like to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview, these can be questions such as: What does success in this role look like to you? What are your favourite things about working for the company? Is there potential for training and progression in time? Where do you see the company in 3 years? What are the next steps of the hiring process?
Practical Things
It’s important not to forget the practical side of your preparation, remember the little things really do count. Being on top of all the practicalities will give you much greater peace of mind too.
Travel
Know exactly when and where your interview is taking place and whom you need to ask for on arrival.
Plan your journey, know your route and give yourself plenty of time to arrive.
Check timetables for any public transport you need to take.
Know where you will park if not on company grounds.
What to Take
Pen and notebook
Your CV and portfolio
Your academic certificates and work examples if requested
Bottle of water
Breath mints
For online interviews, you may also need:
Ensure your equipment is charged and working correctly before your interview.
Laptop/computer
Headset/earphones
Microphone
Webcam
Login link for the virtual meeting.
Extra Support / Disability Needs
If you need special access or additional materials to be arranged for your interview, make sure to get in touch before the day of the interview.
For example:
Confirming suitable access such as lifts, ramps, or rails
Arranging for written materials to be amended into Braille, enlarged font, colour contrast, or audio
Adjusting chairs
Arranging for a sign language interpreter
Pro-Tip
Get a good night's sleep, have a healthy breakfast, and avoid alcohol the night before, you won’t be your best if you’re tired, groggy, or hungry.
Practice
It's always a great idea to do some mock interviews before the real thing. A friend or family member can be a great mock interviewer if you give them a selection of questions that you believe may be asked during your interview, they can of course add in a few of their own too. Take these mock interviews seriously and treat them like the real thing, it feels weird interviewing with friends and family but practising in this way will help you get in the zone ready for the big moment.
It’s no problem if you don’t have someone to practice with, you can select a list of questions and then record yourself answering them on your phone. This will allow you to review your answers and continue to work on better ones.
What to Wear
The ever tricky question of what to wear to an interview has got even trickier in recent years with the growing acceptance of a much more casual work attire across many industries. However, don’t fear we have some golden rules that will help you navigate this sometimes tricky decision.
It’s always better to be too smart than too casual. If you’re in doubt choose smart business attire.
Only opt for a more casual outfit if you're certain that's acceptable.
Make sure your clothes are ironed and your shoes are clean. Do this the night before to save any last-minute panic.
For telephone and online interviews still dress as though you were going to the interview in person. Sitting in tracksuit bottoms and a scruffy t-shirt won’t help you get into that professional mindset.
It’s cheesy but wear a smile.
After your Interview
As one of your final questions before the end of the interview, be sure to ask when and how you'll be notified of the outcome.
Send an email the following day to thank the interviewer/s for their time, for the opportunity to interview at the company and that you are looking forward to hearing their feedback in due course. Keep this email short and to the point, you’ve done the hard work.
While the interview is still fresh in your memory, make some notes of the questions you were asked and the answers you gave, this can be priceless when preparing for future interviews and will help you to continually improve your interviewing skills.
Stay tuned to our Instagram (@tru_talent_) and Facebook (@TruTalentUK) for more tips, tricks, and insights into the job market and how you can land your dream job.