Preparing for an Interview

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8 Apr. 2020. Preparing yourself for an interview for any job is a daunting experience. You want to make the right impression however, nerves can get in the way and affect how you come across during your interview. The thing is, most interviewers will expect this. Contrary to popular belief, you aren’t solely judged on the impression you make during the face to face interview. That is unless you make some major faux pars.

One thing you do need to do is prepare for your interview correctly and let your knowledge, experience and background speak for itself, even if you are having trouble doing it during your interview.

Online presence

With most people having some sort of online presence, it makes sense that prospective employers will be having a quick look at social media to find out more about you as a person. They will want someone who is respectable and will give off a good impression of the company.

If you have some parts of your online presence that aren’t doing you any favors, or you have been wrongly associated with something you had no part in it makes sense to get this

deleted from search results relating to you. Look at how to remove public records and clean up your online persona to help you boost your chances of success at the company.

Be clear

Exactly why do you want this job and why exactly can you benefit the company and the company benefit you? If you are clear and concise about what you want to get out of working for the company and how your skill set can be best utilised in a mutually beneficial way, then this will go a long way in helping boost your chances of landing the job.

Research the company and find the best way to articulate what you want from the job role and why you are the best person for it. Visual aids can be a great way of helping you demonstrate this.

Network

The more you network, the more you can get yourself out there to those in your sector. There are many different factors that come into play when hiring people for specific job roles. Having your name on peoples lips and your cv on the top of their list when it comes to hiring can give you an edge over other applicants as they will know you and be aware of exactly what you bring to the table.

Hone your CV

This is one of the best things you can do. Sure, you want to show people everything you have to offer them, but is it all really applicable to the role you are applying for?

Chances are, the answer is no. Go through your CV carefully and take out any irrelevant information and update it. If it has no bearing on the job role you are applying for it doesn’t need to be on there. If you are applying for different roles, then make each CV you hand in tailored for the job role you are applying for.

Taking the time to be specific and not providing a general blanket CV can make the difference between you being left on the ‘forgotten’ pile and being called up for an interview.

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