Being The Best Candidate At Interview
At RG we help each candidate to prepare for interview by making sure they have as much information as possible.
This will be predominantly information about the role, so if you really want to stand out from the crowd, these are your steps to success.
Dos And Don’ts
Do:
Don’t:
Want to maximise your chances of success in a competitive market? Read on….
Organise
You may know the place you are going for interview, or the technology you are using very well, but have you ever been there in rush hour traffic, or thought about what to do if your laptop breaks? Do you know where to park? Do you have a silent space? Can you get there on public transport if your car breaks down? These are all things you should not only be thinking about, but should be checking before the interview takes place. This will allow you to arrive in good time – around 10 minutes early, which will mean you are calm and ready when the interview begins.
Organised candidates perform better at interview. They will have gathered the things they need the night before and have arranged everything else around their interview time. Lots of our clients like to see copies of professional qualifications and they can be a useful talking point at interview.
Indeed, taking a folder with a notepad is a good idea as you can take your prepared questions and a copy of your CV along too.
Prepare
There are lots of things you can do to prepare for your interview. Whilst you will have been given some basic details about the company by your agency, it is imperative that you do some further research in order to maximise your chances. Look at the company website and find out who’s who within the organisation. Knowing the make-up of the organisation will give you confidence that you know who you are speaking with.
Looking at similar companies online will also give you a feel for the industry or practice and an idea of who their competitors may be. Being able to speak with some knowledge about the industry will demonstrate your interest in the company and give you the edge on other candidates.
Knowing about the industry should also help you to prepare some questions you would like to ask. Too often candidates either fail to prepare questions or prepare questions which are unsuitable. You should already know about the hours, pay and parking through your agency. Instead, think of questions which show that you understand the needs of the employer and how your experience can assist them. On example is to ask how big the team is, this could give you an opportunity to link with your own experience, for example ‘I’ve always worked in a small team and find that I enjoy that type of environment’. Even better, incorporate some of the information you have gathered yourself, for example, ‘I see that you have sites across the North West, do they all perform the same function?’.
A further extremely useful activity is to look at the job description and match the criteria to your skills and experience. Think about how you will use this to highlight how suitable you are for the role. Making notes on this will help.
The Big Day
If you have followed these steps, you should feel well prepared for your interview and are in an excellent position to present yourself well.
We recommend that you shake hands; wish the interviewer Good morning/afternoon if online and introduce yourself then listen carefully to the questions.
Try to stay on track and keep the question you have been asked in mind throughout your answer.
Questions
If your questions have been answered during the interview it is better to tell the interviewer rather than make one up on the spot.
We are often asked if it is good practice to take a notepad into an interview; this is a great idea as you will have your questions to hand should they slip your mind.
All that is left is to be yourself and to communicated clearly and positively. Good luck!
