Interview tips
Interviews can be tricky, but it doesn't mean you can't give your best effort and project a positive impression of yourself, whatever the audience.
The key to acing an interview is to prepare and stay calm.
Preparation
- Research the company and the interviewers:
- Look at the company website and LinkedIn page and Google any recent news.
- Research the company values.
- Get familiar with the products and/or services.
- Look at the LinkedIn profile of the interviews if you have their details. It will help you understand their perspective and what they want in you.
- Know your resume and experiences:
- Familiarise yourself with the details on your resume, as interviewers may ask about specific experiences or skills.
- Be ready to explain your accomplishments and how they relate to the position you're applying for.
- Practice common interview questions:
- The interviewer will likely ask where you want to be in a few years or if you have any career aspirations. It's OK to say that you don't want to climb the career ladder if that's what you want, but at least say you want fulfilment in your job. Be realistic. If you want the interviewer's job or want rapid career progression when it's not practical, it could put people off.
- Work on presenting your responses clearly, concisely, and with relevant examples.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer:
- Always have some questions for the interviewer(s). Not asking questions gives the impression you haven't thought about the opportunity. We have seen candidates be successful over others because of some thoughtful questions they asked in the interview.
- Ask a question that leaves the interviewer thinking you have thought about the task at hand and how you can contribute to the team. Something like, "If I was lucky enough to be hired, how could I help the team and make the biggest impact in the first three months?"
- Think of some meaningful questions to ask the interviewer about the company, team dynamics, and the role itself. Seem like you're engaged and not just sitting through the interview.
- Dress accordingly and remain professional:
- Always consider it an interview, even if it's a coffee meeting or a 'meet and greet'.
- Dress appropriately. It's always better to over-dress than under-dress. It shows you are taking things seriously.
- Bring associated materials, such as copies of your resume, references, and any work samples relevant to the position.
Thorough preparation can boost your confidence and increase your chances of making a positive impression during the interview. It also helps you stay calm, increasing your chances of making the best impression.
The interview
Interviews generally focus on three areas
- Ability to do the job (technical skills etc.)
- Cultural and team fit.
- Behavioural interview questions (situational questions based on real-life examples to understand your competencies).
Your skills
Don't assume that the interviewer knows your level of ability because of what they have read on your resume.
Be prepared to explain what was needed to do the job and how you successfully achieved it. If you were required to retrain for something, and you did this, bring it up. It shows you recognised that you needed to upskill and took the necessary steps.
Interview questions.
The most common complaint from interviewers is the candidate didn't answer the question correctly.
This could mean that,
- It wasn't understood.
- The answer needed to be more specific with the right level of detail.
- The answer was too long-winded and went off-topic.
Answer succinctly with enough detail.
It is helpful early on in an interview to understand what level of detail the interviewer expects you to provide, so after one of your initial answers, ask the interviewer if you provided a sufficient level of detail or if they would like more. This will show levels of EQ and help you get on the same page as the interviewer. It will also give the interviewer a level of comfort that you can communicate effectively and understand each other, which is important if you work together in the future.
Self-awareness
The interviewer will likely ask about what you learnt from a particular situation. This is an EQ question relating to your self-awareness. It's good to show that you were able to reflect on how you could improve on the situation and take that on board for the next time. For bonus points, talk about how you subsequently put the changes into effect for a better outcome.
Don't be fazed by left-field questions. These questions are not meant to have a right or wrong answer but rather to observe how you approach unusual challenges and think on your feet.
Some examples could be,
- Tell us about a time when you failed spectacularly at something and what you learned from the experience.
- If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three items, what would they be, and why?
The interviewer may be looking for creativity, problem-solving skills, and the ability to handle unexpected situations with composure and adaptability.
Behavioural questions
Generally, behavioural or situational questions try to uncover your competence level in a particular area. For example, if someone asks you, "Tell me about a time you had a difficult stakeholder". Depending on the situation you provide, they could be trying to understand your relationship management skills, problem-solving skills and conflict-resolution skills. Take a moment to think about what they are trying to understand before composing your answer, and consider the impression it will leave.
If you have some short tenures on your resume, be prepared to explain why. Always try to put a positive perspective on the reason for leaving a job.
Don't.
- Talk negatively about a previous employer or colleague.
- Leave an interview without asking questions.
- Get overconfident. Stay calm and never assume it's in the bag (even if it's a 'meet and greet') until you have a job offer.
- Slouch.
- Become over-familiar with the interviewers. Be friendly, but don't overstep the line.
- Crack jokes. Having a level of humour is acceptable, but interviews are a serious situation. You risk offending someone and blowing it.
Do.
- Be on time, plan your journey and don't turn up too early. Turning up more than 10-15 mins early shows you haven't planned properly. It's not a great first impression.
- Be positive about the opportunity and show interest, even if you have others.
- Ask about the next steps. It shows you want to proceed with the opportunity.
- Consider how you are projecting yourself to the interviewers. Leave them feeling that they want to work with you.
- Thank the interviewers for their time.
- Smile. People like smiles. 😊
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