Preparation is The Key

When it comes to a job interview, preparation is key. Here are some helpful tips to make sure you succeed every time.

Think about what you’re going to wear:

It might seem trivial, but what you wear and how you’re presented says something about you, and people will notice this before you’ve even opened your mouth. Make sure you have something planned, which is suitable for the interview style. If the interviewer or recruiter does not specify if it’s a formal interview, there’s nothing wrong with asking, if anything it shows that you’re thinking about the interview and want to make a good impression.

If it is a formal interview then it’s best to go with something smart, suit trousers, a smart blazer, or a smart dress. For an informal chat then you can get away with some smart jeans and a blazer. Whatever you wear, make sure it’s clean, ironed, and ready to wear the night before, as this saves you running around like a headless chicken the morning of the interview.

Have question ready:

At the end of the interview, you’ll usually be asked if you have any questions, and it’s important to make sure you always ask something, as it makes a good impression and shows that you’re inquisitive, which is an attractive personality trait. So have a preparation. Whether it’s, “could you describe a typical day in this role”, “where do you see the company in 5 years”, or “which members of the team will I be working with?”. In addition, it is also sensible to enquire about how much you’ll be paid, what your hours will be, and how much holiday you’ll be entitled to. This shows the interviewer that you are making sure you’ll be prepared, and are thinking logically about the role, which is both desirable qualities.

Typical questions:

As I said at the beginning of this article, preparation is key, so researching typical interview questions is a great way to get ahead. That way, you can have answers prepared. Always prepare answers to the questions: “what is your greatest achievement?” and “what is your biggest weakness”, as these questions always come up in some way, shape or form.

Show your workings:

If the interviewer throws you a curveball question that completely stumps you, make sure you think aloud, as this is most probably what they want to see. For example, they might ask you a brainteaser or a mathematical problem, they could even ask you a question that doesn’t have a correct answer. When interviewers ask questions like this, they want to see how you think, so make sure you tell them how you would work the problem out. So start with something like: “well, I’m not sure of the exact answer, but I would probably work it out like this….”.

From all of us at Study365, good luck!