Preparation

The key to having a confident, successful interview is thorough preparation. When you first receive your interview details from a Recruitment Consultant make sure you have the following basic information:

• interview date and time
• interview location with ideally a map and directions
• interviewer’s name and job title
• web address of your next potential company
• detailed information on the job

Make sure you ask the Recruitment Consultant for information on what the interviewer is like, how long the interview is likely to be and whether the interview will contain any written tests (technical or psychometric).

Interview Day

If you have any professional qualification transcripts, security check proofs or other pieces of information that would help your cause, take these with you to the interview.

Remember to wear a smart, formal suit and a clean pair of shoes as this will help to create a good first impression.

Aim to arrive at least 10 minutes early for the interview. If you are going to be late, let the Recruitment Consultant know as soon as possible so that he/ she can in turn let the interviewer know straight away.

The Interview

When you greet the interviewer remember that a smile and a firm, confident handshake will help to create a positive first impression.

During the course of the interview, always provide enough information without rambling on. Relate what the interviewer is looking for with tangible evidence from your commercial experience and background. Always remember to listen carefully during the course of the interview and maintain good eye contact.

In terms of what not to do during the interview, don’t criticize your former employers and at no point during the interviewer should you come across as arrogant or conceited. Try and come across as enthusiastic and positive.

Make sure you’re clear about your dates of employment. Listen carefully to the questions asked and be careful not to ramble when responding to questions. Your responses to questions are the equivalent to your own, personal sales pitch so be careful in how you phrase your answers as they will leave a lasting impression on your interviewer.  Your style of communication is crucial. Don’t use slang and speak clearly.

Look the company you’re interviewing with up on Linkedin and also look at their web site. This will not only give you a head start in terms of gaining knowledge about the company and how it operates, it will also show your potential future employer that you are genuinely interested in their organisation.

At some point the interviewer will ask you if there is anything further you would like to know about the job or the company. As well as asking any questions that you feel are appropriate, use this opportunity to state succinctly your suitability for the role.

Above all, remember you are always more likely to be successful at interview if you create the impression- as obvious as it may seem- that you actually want the job.

Towards the end of the interview, let the employer know that you are very interested in the job and that you think you’re an excellent fit for it.

Make a list before your interview of all the questions you need to ask and of all the questions you can expect to be asked by the interviewer. Then divide up the list into easy, medium and difficult sections so you know which questions you need to focus your energies on

Remain calm – if you are very nervous before the interview begins, breathe deeply and remember that there will likely be other opportunities in the future if this one doesn’t work out as planned.

If the role is within the creative or media industries, you may be asked to bring a portfolio of your work on the day and have an in-depth discussion around it.

Presentation interviews- in these interviews you may be presented with a specific business problem and asked how you would approach it including how you identify the key issues and analyze the problem.

Sample Tough Interview Questions are:

• Why did you leave your previous jobs?
• Please explain the long gap in your career history between employer X and employer Y?
• What type of manager would you like working for?
• What do you enjoy most and what do you enjoy least about your current job?
• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as an individual?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
• How do you keep your technical skills and knowledge up to date?
• What are your reasons for success within this profession?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What aspects of your job do you consider most crucial?
• How do you feel about your progress to date?
• What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
• Can you work under pressure? How do you handle stress?
• What can you do for us that someone else cannot do?
• Describe a difficult problem you’ve had to deal with at work
• What would your references say?
• How does this job compare with others that you have applied for?
• Describe a situation where your work was criticised.
• What do you worry about?
• What areas do you feel your manager could have done a better job?
• Do you prefer working as part of a team or alone?
• How would you define a good work atmosphere?
• Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
• Why do you want to move on from your current job?
• What do you feel is a satisfactory attendance record?

Some General Points

– Remember to wear a smart formal suit and a clean pair of shoes as this will help to create a good first impression.

– Remember to turn off your phone or put it on silent before you start the interview.

– It’s important to be prepared for a job interview by researching the specifics of the role you’ve applied for and what exactly is expected of you

– Listen carefully to the questions asked and be careful not to ramble when responding to questions

– Your responses to questions are the equivalent of your own, personal sales pitch so be careful in how you phrase your answers as they will leave a lasting impression on your interviewer

– Body language is crucial- don’t slouch in your chair or look down at the floor when you should be looking at the people who are interviewing you and focusing on maintaining good eye contact with them

– Try to develop rapport with the interviewer by showing that you’re enthusiastic about the job

– Remember to bring important documents such as your passport, DBS check etc, if required or you feel they will help your cause

– Remember to let the interviewer finish their questions before you answer them, and never talk over an interviewer.

– If you’ve applied for a job which requires certain technical skills and knowledge, you’ll likely be tested on this during the interview. Be prepared for this and don’t forget to answer each question clearly and, if you can, surprise the interviewer by showing them that you know even more about the topic by giving them a reasonable amount of information, without rambling on for too long.