In this week’s blog we provide you with strategies for interview success.

~

It is only normal to feel a little nervous ahead of an interview, particularly if it is a competitive market and there are several highly skilled people in the process. However, the likelihood is that some of these candidates will have the same qualifications and experience as you (if not less than you) and so may also be suffering from a lack of confidence going in to the interview.

It is important to not allow this fear and doubt take over you, but to park it to one side and focus on the task ahead. Aside from that it is also important to not think outside the box too much or
over compensate by going off-topic to command the interviewer’s attention.

Show up on time

This sounds obvious but showing up late or too early isn’t ideal. Plan to show up 10 minutes before your interview is due to begin. This is the perfect amount of time to wait until the interview begins as arriving any earlier could catch the hiring manager off guard and could make them feel rushed to meet you ahead of schedule.

Present Professionally

Look professional. Having a clean, sophisticated appearance is important – wear shoes that are smart, and don’t wear high heels that you cannot walk in (ladies). This is key as it highlights the importance of first impressions: you want to feel good in what you wear and how you look.

Do your Research

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to know the position you are interviewing for inside out, and how the company works. Knowledge is power, and the more you know and understand about the company and the particular role you are interviewing for within the company, the better position you are in for securing that role. Interviewing someone who has clearly taken the time out to research the company indicates a lot about that person’s work ethic and drive. Find out the challenges the company faces and figure out how you are going to contribute to solving these challenges.

Ask Questions

Don’t focus all your questions on pay and benefits. Although this is important, it is more important to ask smart questions about the industry and about the company. Come up with at least 3 good questions to ask, and prove you have done your best to research and understand the company, and ensure your questions are aligned to the business and core focus points, for example “What does the average day look like in this role?” or “How does this position align with the growth plans of the business over the next few years?“.

Communication

Not making any eye contact in an interview situation makes for an awkward setting, so avoid this and meet the interviewer’s eye. As well as this, don’t speak too fast – being nervous can cause some people to rush their speech, so think before you answer. Don’t sound rehearsed, you want to sound conversational and natural. This makes for a much more enjoyable and natural interview.

~

Still looking for more interview tips? Get our free eBook of insights now: https://bit.ly/AzonInterviewTips