So you’ve secured an interview and you now have the opportunity to discuss the opportunity, role and yourself in more detail to see if it is a good fit.
As we have discussed in previous articles, the most important thing you can do before any interview is prepare. It doesn’t matter what type of interview it is… phone, video or face to face, there are specific things that an interviewer will want to find out more about and in this article we share the top 6 things that will make a difference to how successful you are at the interview stage.
Below are the most common areas that we get feedback from clients about after an interview, so we thought it would be helpful to share these with you to help give you the best opportunity to shine in the interview.
Personality
The best bit of advice we can give you is to be yourself in the interview. The interviewer will want to get to know you to make sure that your personality will fit the team and company culture. This is beneficial for both you and the interviewer, as it’s important for you to feel like it’s going to be a great fit if you were offered the job, as well as the interviewer thinking you will be a great fit for their business.
Preparation
Being prepared for an interview is important as it firstly helps you to go into the interview with more confidence, plus an interviewer can quickly tell if a candidate is poorly prepared, which isn’t a great look and can often show a lack of enthusiasm for the role.
Interviewers do appreciate candidates that are prepared, as it shows an eagerness for the role, a respect for the process and helps to show how you approach tasks professionally, which will reflect well on you. To show how prepared you are we suggest you do your research on the role and company and go to the interview with a copy of your CV and any supporting documents that you feel will add value and take a notepad and pen so you can take down information.
If you would like more advice on how to research a company and the areas to focus on, we wrote an article that discusses exactly this. Check out the article ‘How to research a company before your article’
Motivation
The interviewer will also want to get a better understanding of your motivations. What is driving you to make the move and why this role and company is of interest? They will also want to know what motivates you on a day-to-day basis, as motivation is a great driver for performance levels, development and shows your passion.
Understanding the role
This is a relatively straight forward area to prepare for, as this just requires you to read the job spec in full and make notes on all of the responsibilities and duties and cross reference it with your current position. The interviewer will more than likely ask you questions based on the job spec, so being prepared is key as it will allow you to answer by sharing previous experiences to demonstrate you have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver.
If there are areas of the role that you haven’t done, don’t panic. Remember they have seen your CV so they will more than likely be aware of this, but it’s up to you prove you have the ability by sharing similar experiences or highlighting transferable skills.
Your successes
It’s also important to get across any successes you have had in previous roles, as the interviewer will be looking for examples that will help them picture you bringing success to their business. We suggest you have some examples written down so you don’t forget them during the interviewer… which can be easily done.
Enthusiasm for the role
Lastly, the interviewer will want to see an enthusiasm towards the role and company. If you’re not enthusiastic about the role then you do need to question if it’s going to be a good fit for you. On top of this, the interviewer will be looking for an enthusiasm for learning and development, and enthusiasm for your profession and sector. Showing enthusiasm, will help show you want the role and that you’re motivated, which goes a long way.
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