Know Before You Go
Preparation Is Key
Know your skills.
Know what the job advert asked for.
Know what questions you will ask.
And know your value. Knowing this will make you shine.
You’ve written the CV and shared your passion within your cover letter – you’re already 80 per cent prepped for the interview.
Read your CV and remind yourself of what you can do. The personal qualities, the transferable skills, the actions, and technical capabilities you have so you’ll be prepared to show these off in the interview.
Do Your Research
Get to the know the organisation
Check their website, social channels, blogs, news articles. Google them and read whatever comes up.
Look for shared values that you can bring up in the interview, eg: ”I see you sponsor this group, that is really important to me. We both want to be supporting people and do things that add value to our community”.
Interviewers
Should you look up the person that's interviewing you? Absolutely. That’s why channels like LinkedIn are there, to find out about people on a professional level.
Check out their LinkedIn profile because that will give you insight to their professional interests and experience, and you might find a connection that can open up conversation. You might have gone through a similar course, lived somewhere at the same time or have the same qualification.
People expect you to have a look at their profile. Seeing their career journey enables you to ask some great questions about them.
Don't think you can't mention the areas where you need development if prompted. Acknowledging them shows self-awareness and willingness to learn and change.
Be prepared to tell them about a situation that relates to each key skill or experience the job has asked for where you've solved a problem or took action on something that resulted positively. It doesn't need to be from a work situation - focus on transferable skills that relate to it.
Check out some common interview questions and the STAR method of behaviour interview questions in the Connected Job Hunters’ Handbook.
What Are Some Good Questions To Ask?
Prepare questions before you go and take them written down if you need to. You are showing you are proactive and have taken the time to research.
Ask things about the organisation and the job role.
- How will you be working within the team?
- What size is the team?
- What interaction would I potentially have with other areas of the organisation?
- What training do they offer?
- How have people benefited from that training before?
- What career pathways are there?
Questions around career pathways are really good to ask because it shows you're thinking of them as a long-term employment option.
After The Interview
Always drop an email to say thank you for their time and the opportunity and to confirm your interest. If you walk out still wanting the job, let them know. This shows interest, initiative and professionalism. And don't be afraid to follow that up after a week if you haven’t heard anything.
Learn From The Process
If you don’t get the job, it’s not the right fit.
Remember there are many factors employers consider when finding the right person – including your skills, the skills of the existing team and workplace culture. If the employer decides the role isn’t the right fit for you, they’re probably right. Most employers will be happy to give you feedback that you can take with you to the next interview so get back in touch with them and ask.
Take the time to reflect on the process and how you can apply what you've learnt to your job search.
Power yourself up to find the job that is right for you.
