➜ What are you going to wear - at an interview it is extremely important to look, act and dress professionally as you won’t have a second chance. A business suit could be worn or something smart you would wear to a client meeting. We recommend checking with your recruiter for indications of the office culture. Clean shoes, clean finger nails and clean, well-groomed hair are important. Research has shown that an interviewer forms their impression within the first eight seconds of meeting a candidate.
➜ Practice interviewing - enlist friends or colleagues to ask you sample questions and practice making good eye contact. You should pay attention to body language and verbal presentation. Eliminate verbal fillers, like “uh” and “um.” Practice using positive body language to signal confidence. You need to handle logistics early, so have your clothes, CV, and directions to the interview site ready ahead of time.
➜ Anticipate likely questions - to get to the motivations and working style of a potential employee, employers often turn to behavioural interviewing, an interviewing style which consists of a series of probing, incisive questions! This may sound a little intimidating; however, with a little preparation you can feel confident before the interview.
➜ Your skills - an interviewer will be looking to establish your skills and aptitudes and to what extend they match. You should aim to expand upon your CV or application, focusing on when and in what context you have performed well and the skills and aptitudes you have gained in the process.
➜ During the interview - Some small talk from the reception area to the interview room will help. These are important moments in making your first impression. Body language is also very important in your interview. Come across confident and relaxed. We suggest sitting up straight, leaning forward slightly and always maintaining good eye contact with the interviewer or panel. Looking disinterested will not get you the job.
➜ Feedback - Following the interview, remember to give immediate feedback to your recruitment consultant. This needs to include any areas you felt you may have fallen down on. Perhaps you have a nagging doubt about a specific answer you gave or forgot to highlight a certain valuable skill or experience. Your consultant can cover this for you in his or her call to the employer.
