Six ways to ace your interview
So you’ve carefully applied the advice in our 7 Ways to Make a Rockstar CV article and you have scored yourself an interview. Congrats! Now the only thing that’s standing in between you and your new job is a conversation with your potential employer, so that they can assess your suitability for the role and, perhaps more importantly, so you can assess the company and job role yourself. As such, take a look at the below tips to help you ace your interview:
1) Look the part. First impressions count, so make sure you’re 100% clear on the dress code for the interview, then dress up to the nines for whatever specifications you’ve been given. Avoid fedoras, unless you are Matt Bomer from White Collar.
2) Act the part. A firm handshake, meaningful eye contact, and confident body language will go a long way to help you ace your interview. Be aware of how you are portraying yourself at all times, and remain calm and collected, even if a couple of questions throw you off a bit.
3) Ask questions. This gives you a chance to let your enthusiasm for the position shine through. Ask about the company’s history, and how often the team gets together for a social. Ask what key attributes they are looking for in a candidate, and then explain how you meet every one of them! The possibilities are endless.
4) Practice To ace your interview, prepare some good answers to the classic tough ‘uns like “What are your greatest weaknesses?” or “Tell me about a time where you failed in your job”. Also, prepare some questions that you’d like to ask. If you script something, make sure it’s in your own words, so it doesn’t sound artificial when you say it on the big day.
5) Brag. Remember that it’s your job to sell yourself here, so be proud of your achievements and absolutely tell them to your interviewer. When a company wants us to buy their latest smartphone, we’re certainly told about how it is better than all the other phones and why this model excels above the competition, and so should you (but, of course, people, not phones).
6) Chill. The interviewer is a person, just like you, and might even be more nervous about the interview than you are! Without dropping your professionalism, settle down into a conversation, remember everything you’ve practiced and researched, and relax.
For tips on how to cook up an awesome CV, have a look at our last article 7 Ways to Make a Rockstar CV
360 Resourcing Solutions deliver bright, fresh, and engaging recruitment services, specialising in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors. We are one of the fastest growing recruitment service providers in the UK and pride ourselves on our levels of customer service, adaptability, passion and expertise in our sectors.
