Interview tips

The job interview – some tips to impress

Be prepared

This is the key to any good job interview – the more you know, the less likely you are to be taken by surprise. Try to find out as much as you can about the company, the department, the area, and most importantly the job itself. This is where you may be able to turn to the internet for information, although you can’t trust all websites to be 100 per cent accurate. Think long and hard about which questions to ask and remember – this is also your chance to decide if this is the job for you.

What to wear

You will be expected to dress smartly and to be well turned out - so pay close attention to your clothes, shoes, hair and make up. Try to avoid really bright colours or extreme designs - that flowery dress might be your style but there's a good chance it might not be to everyone's tastes.

What to take

Make sure to take all the paperwork that you might be asked to produce - this will include your CV, certificates, perhaps examples of your work, and any written references.
Think about the best way to present and organise these documents too – you don’t want to be flapping about in the interview with too much paper.

What to say

You can prepare answers to some of the most common and general questions - it's likely that some of these will come up-

  • Why do you want this job?
  • What are your biggest strengths/weaknesses?
  • How have you coped with specific challenges or problems in the past?
  • What can you bring to this job that other candidates might not be able to?

Think hard about any achievements that you want to mention and how you might be able to bring them up, but don't ignore the questions just because they're not exactly what you expected. If some examples you give don't relate to a particular job you've had, don't worry, just try to show that you exhibit the qualities they're looking for in and out of work.

Your body language is almost as important as what you say. Shake hands confidently when you meet the interviewer, try to make eye contact (although not too much), nod along, smile and react to what they are saying. Concentrate carefully on their questions and they’ll be able to tell that you’re interested.

What NOT to do

  • Be late - find out where you need to be and if possible do a trial run so you know how long it should take. Then give yourself a bit longer – you never know!
  • Bend the truth - good interviewers will spot it a mile off
  • Tell too many jokes - be friendly but be professional too
  • Get too flustered - interviewers understand you might be nervous, but try to think of the interview as a conversation and not an interrogation!
  • Ask 'how did I do?' - but if you're not successful, there's no reason not to get back in touch and ask for some feedback