CIBSE

Making the most of your interview

The interview stage presents you with the best possible opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. Your interviewer(s) will be searching for clues to see whether you have the right skills and competencies for the job, and whether your personality will fit into the team.

As ever, thorough preparation is the key to success. By analysing the job description and matching work-related examples to each of the required competencies, as well as researching the organisation and its competitors, you will be putting yourself in the best possible position to answer every type of question with confidence.

First impressions count, so ensure that you:

• Look presentable
• Arrive 10-15 minutes before your interview
• Come across as friendly, confident and professional
• Use open body language: make eye contact, speak slowly and don't fidget

Employers will want to see evidence that you have done your homework prior to the interview. Take advantage of the final minutes of the interview to ask relevant questions, many of which may have resulted from your pre-interview research but were not covered in the interview. Choose your topics wisely in advance and show that you are passionate about the job and the company. Make sure you are clear as to the next stage in the selection process, and ask when you can expect to hear back from them.

Most employers will inform you of the outcome either by letter or phone call. If you haven't heard back, your application may have been unsuccessful. Don't be afraid to ask for feedback, as your willingness to learn will pay dividends in future interviews.

Should you be invited to a second-stage interview, ensure that your answers don't contradict anything you have previously mentioned, and make the most of the opportunities to leave a positive lasting impression on every person you meet.

In addition you may also come across other interview techniques such as psychometric testing. If you would like to know how to prepare for these or other forms of testing please call your local Hays office.