The most important thing for landing a job is to ensure that you are fully prepared for an
interview. There are now several ways in which interviews are carried out. These formats
can include face-to-face, telephone, video and assessment centres. Even though there are
several ways to conduct interviews – being prepared is the key to succeeding in any of
these.

Here are some of our top tips on how to best prepare yourself for an interview:

Research the company
Dig deeper into the company. Have a full understanding of the company and the position
that you re applying for. Here are a few places in which you should research before your
interview:

  • Company website
  • Company history, mission and values
  • Company social media
  • Company reviews
  • Upcoming / Past Projects
  • Networks such as LinkedIn

Understanding the job specification
Ensure you are fully aware of the duties in which the role you are applying for include and
what will be expected of you. The interviewer is bound to ask you what your thoughts are
on the role, if you’ve not read and fully understood the job specification, it will be very
obvious to the interviewer. Not only this, but the interviewer is likely to ask you competency
questions based on the type of skills they have highlighted in the spec. Knowing this will set
you up well to be able to anticipate the questions the interviewer may ask.

Dress appropriately 
Research the company’s dress code to ensure you are dress accordingly. Don’t wait until the
last minute to choose your interview clothes. Get them ready the night before, so you know
you will look the part. The way you dress for an interview gives potential employers their
first impression of how you present yourself professionally.

Be early
No matter the format of the interview, be early. Arriving late will increase your stress levels
and give the employer a bad first impression. We suggest being 5-10 minutes early.

Make sure to listen and ask questions
During an interview, listening is just as important as answering questions. Do not talk over
your interviewer. If you are not listening properly, you will not be answer questions to your
full ability, resulting in you giving poor responses.

If you need time to think and answer a question, take it. The more prepared you are to
answer, the better your responses. Build a relationship with the interviewer rather than just
providing rote responses to questions.

Ask questions, it demonstrates your interest in the employer. But not only this, it allows you
to ensure the opportunity is the right one for you.

Follow-up message
Follow up after an interview with a thank-you note. Keep it brief, restate your interest in the
job and thank the employer for their time. Interviews often require employers to set aside a
lot of time, so showing you are grateful for this, could set you aside from other candidates
who do not send a follow-up message. This also allows you to ask about when you are likely
to hear back regarding the next steps in the process.

We hope these steps will aid you in acing your next interview. Good luck!