Interviews can be a nerve-racking experience, especially in a new country, but remember that it’s as much a chance for you to find out about your prospective employer as it is for them to find out about you. The interview is your chance to shine, your chance to talk about your skills and knowledge, and an opportunity to show off your personality.
Your CV or job application got you the interview so all you need to do is expand on that and give them a taste of what you’re about.
Do your research
Be prepared and demonstrate your enthusiasm by doing some research about the company and the position you’re applying for. You’ll need to know about the company or sector you’ll be working in so read their corporate brochure, visit their shop / location and log onto their website and get a feel for what they do. Turning up for an interview with no knowledge of the company suggests you’re not that interested and shows you haven’t done your homework. Interviewers will want to see that you’ve put some effort in and care enough about the job to know the basics.And remember, if you don’t get the job never be afraid to ask the interviewer for feedback so you know where you can improve next time around.
Prepare your answers
Try and think about the sort of questions you might be asked – about your skills, experience, non work interests, difficult situations you’ve managed at work, how you cope with stress and so on. Questions will be open ended so you’ll need to expand on your answers rather than give yes or no answers. Also be prepared to talk about why you want the job, why you think you’re the best candidate and what your travel plans are. Also be prepared to answer unpredictable questions, such as “if you were a biscuit what would you be?” Interviewers aren’t so interested in the answer, but rather the way you deal with the unexpected.
Plan your questions
You might be interviewed by just one person or by a panel of people. Show them that you’re thinking about how the job relates to you and how committed you are by asking them questions.
If you’re looking for a long-term or sponsorship role ask about promotion or training opportunities. Ask how performance is monitored or assessed, how they would describe the company’s culture and when you’ll be notified about the outcome of the interview.
Don’t lie!
It would be easy to say you have experience something when you haven’t, but you’ll get found out, particularly if you’re given the job. Be honest. If you don’t have experience in something tell them so, but explain how you’re interested in that area and keen to learn.
Don’t be too casual: Dress formally for an interview and be formal but friendly in your manner. You want to come across as professional but with personality. Try not to use slang or be over friendly and if you come across as too relaxed the interviewers will think you’re not serious about the job.
Don’t be afraid
If you’re not aware of the pay rate or commission structure, don’t be afraid to ask - you’ll look silly if you dont!
When answering questions, try to:
- Be enthusiastic but don’t over do it – you want to come across as genuine
- Be concise, try not to ramble
- Be positive and don’t dwell on the negative. If you have to deal with negative aspects, concentrate on what you learned from the experience.
- Be truthful or you risk tripping yourself up
- If you don’t understand the question being asked, always ask for clarification
- When you feel you’ve answered the question, stop speaking. If you’re not sure that you’ve said enough ask the panel if they’d like more information
- Don’t be afraid of silence. If you need a moment to think about a question, just inform the panel that you’d like a minute to consider the question.
- Use the right body language. Interviews are all about making impressions, so body language is important; it says a lot about a person.
- Shake hands firmly
- Smile when you meet the interviewer and in moderation during the interview
- Make eye contact with the questioner and make sure you include everyone if being interviewed by a panel
- Sit upright, but comfortably, rather than leaning forward or slumping, and don’t be afraid to change position from time to time
- Try not to fidget, keep your hands on your lap, but do use them to illustrate your point where appropriate
- Above all, be natural and be yourself