How do I prepare for an interview?
For those of you thinking of applying and interviewing for new roles, I salute you! (And offer you this checklist of things to do before an interview...)
Have you got a good interview outfit? If not get down the shops. It needn’t be expensive just smart. I find H&M have some good interview dresses (not so good for you gents but you get the idea!)
Google the company - write down their vision, mission, key facts and any strategy or ideas they have for the future
Google your panel - ask the administrator, recruiter or HR contact if you don’t know to find this out
Look up the business on Companies House or on The Charities Commission if it’s in the third sector - how well is the company doing, what does it say in its annual report, what’s challenging for it right now? If it’s a private sector role, can you read their Annual Report?
Print out the job description and person spec - imagine these are questions, can you answer them using a variety of examples from your work, education or volunteering?
Google the top ten interview questions - see if you can answer these easily.
Looking at the role - what else could they ask you? This is important to get your guessing muscles ready for the more left-field questions.
Think about how you want to come off - Amy Cuddy from her book Presence says most people are judged on warmth and competence - but what else do you want to demonstrate? Think of the message you want to achieve by the end of the interview as the tone of the interview is just as important as the content (ie it’s not just what you say but how you say it)
Prepare your questions for the panel, you’re also interviewing them - how can you use these questions to impress and to find out if the company had what you need from a role and organisation? What are your priorities right now (work/life balance, experience, progression, flexible hours) and how can you ask them about them?
You’re about to go in, if you haven’t read or watched Amy Cuddy (I can’t recommend her enough) do some power poses. It reduces the amount of adrenaline and increases your confidence before going in.
Wishing you the best of luck,
Sarah x